All Aboard the Express!

The Vomit Express, that is.

This is a short ode to the benefits of Dramamine. Every bus in Vietnam, from the Night Bus to the shorter day buses (usually for trips under 8 hours), have little plastic bags tucked into the seat-back pocket. It took me about 10 minutes to figure out what these were for...or rather, it took about 10 minutes for the first person to puke into one of the bags on my inaugural bus ride.

Here is what I really don't understand. In Vietnam, you can buy almost any medication you want, over the counter, and BY THE PILL. Yes, that's right. You can buy medication per pill. When Dramamine costs only $.08 and would save you HOURS of vomiting on a crowded bus, wouldn't you think it would be worthwhile? And yet, everyone chooses to just go ahead and hurl. I don't understand. I've seen young ladies vomiting. I've seen business men in suits vomiting. I've seen couples vomiting together. Oddly enough, though, I've only ever seen Vietnamese people blowing chunks.

My conclusions are twofold. First, I think perhaps the Vietnamese are somewhat weak in the stomach. Second, I believe they should DEFINITELY invest in anti-nausea medication. Instead, the bus companies have a machine that releases a particular scent into the air circulation system of the bus so other passengers don't become sick when one person loses their lunch (and sometimes dinner, as the buses usually stop for food). The system is very effective as I haven't once been able to smell the...results. Why not just provide each person with a Dramamine tablet instead of going through the hassle of having this complicated scenting system? It's a mystery.