These drivers relax in their chariot homes outside the front of the fanciest hotel in Hanoi waiting for some rich people to ask to go somewhere. The ride is human powered by a bicycle behind the passenger's seat. The drivers come into the profession by various routes. Some are university educated but have difficulty getting a job without the right 'connections'. Others may have worked for the Southern army or for some reason are out of favor with the government so they aren't allowed to have a better job. Some of the people who worked for the south were sent to re-education camps after the war. They were not allowed to return to the towns where their families were living. Some of them snuck back anyway but since they are not allowed a residence permit they live inside their tuk tuks. Others may just be poor men from the countryside trying to make a few bucks.