Streetside service: Keymaking

One of the best things about Ho Chi Minh City is the plenitude of street-side vendors and servicemen ready to accommodate your every impromptu need or desire. Whether it be to quench your thirst, to fix a flat tire, or to bring home dinner which you hadn't had time to prepare, you can almost be sure to find the solution to your emergency situation straight from the road.

Having your keys copied is sure not lacking in this street commerce culture. You can find key-cutting stalls all over the city, principally in residential areas.

On the occasion below, I had to get 3 different keys copied as my housemate had lost his set. I drove up to a corner stall at an intersection near my house, and the worker aptly got to work, choosing the right key base, carving it with swift and ease, and proceeding to each different key as thoughtlessly as reciting the alphabet. The whole thing was done in a matter of a few minutes, and it cost a mere 35,000 VND, which is about $1.75.

The keys I had to get copied