Small-Chested Banned From Motorbikes

(Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) Operators of motorbikes must have a chest size of at least 28 inches to be legal in Vietnam.

Anyone with a chest under 28 inches will be banned from driving a motorbike - which make up 90 per cent of the traffic on the country's chaotic roads.


Anyone who is too short, too thin or too sickly will also have to seek alternative transport. Ailments such as enlarged livers or sinusitis will rule out aspirant motorists.

"The new proposals are very funny, but many Vietnamese people could become the victim of this joke," said Le Quang Minh, 31, a Hanoi stockbroker. "Many Vietnamese women have small chests. I have many friends who won't meet these criteria."

The average Vietnamese man is 5 feet, 4 inches (164 centimeters) tall and weighs 121 pounds (55 kilograms). The average Vietnamese woman is 5 feet, 1 inch (155 centimeters) tall and weighs 103 pounds (47 kilograms).

It's believed that police will be issued tape measures to check female drivers and that wonderbras will suddenly become big sellers.

It's not clear why the communist government believes the requirement will make roads safer. It's also not clear how the police will know if someone has an enlarged liver.


[Update]

According to the Vietnam News daily, the plan to ban flat-chesters has been put on hold because of public outrage.