A Vietnamese street vendor filmed threatening a foreign tourist and locking his bicycle in central Hoi An City has claimed she was doing her best to prevent the visitor’s vehicle from being stolen and that the entire incident was a simple misunderstanding.

Police in Minh Anh Ward, Hoi An, a popular tourist city in the central province of Quang Nam, on Wednesday summoned Nguyen Thi Gio, 60, a local vendor, to a working session to clarify the incident.

A video which recently surfaced on social media appears to show Gio threatening to attack a foreign man whose bicycle was parked near where she had set up her beverage business.

According to Gio, the incident took place approximately four months ago.

Gio said she was tidying up her business space when she noticed a bicycle parked nearby on the sidewalk. 

She then walked over to the bicycle and locked it with a chain, a move she says was meant to prevent it from being stolen.

At around 1:00 am, a group of four foreigners returned to the bicycle and became agitated when they were not able to remove the lock from the bike, the woman continued.

“I grabbed the key and tried to unlock the bicycle, but then they started rushing me. I don’t speak English and could only make gestures to communicate,” she elaborated.

“I was angered because they kept rushing me. I just wanted them to understand I was trying to help them,” she said.

Nguyen Thi Gio works with police officers in Hoi An City, located in the central province of Quang Nam on October 23, 2019. Photo: B.D / Tuoi Tre

The bike was parked far away from the beverage stall and was not obstructing her business, she explained.

The vendor believed someone had tried to sabotage her, as she previously had a fight with another drink seller in the area on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the video was uploaded to social media on the evening of the same day.

A police official in Minh Anh Ward confirmed that an argument between Gio and the other drink seller did break out on Tuesday afternoon.

Gio has often brought lost vehicles and property to the police station in the past in the hopes of them being returned to their owners, the official added.

“We will continue working with relevant individuals to verify the case before determining a suitable solution to the case,” he added.

On Thursday, the People’s Committee in Minh Anh Ward suspended Gio’s business for 15 days.

According to Le Quang Trung, the ward’s chairman, Gio burst into tears when she received the decision as she needs the job to take care of herself and her parents. 

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