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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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Well, there is no particular side you are supposed to walk on. That's obvious after 5 minutes of using a sidewalk in Korea.
With the lack of an agreed side for using the sidewalk, what ends up happening is people start walking toward each other.
If there are any Koreans or foreigners who understand Korean culture on this board, please explain to us who is supposed to move out of the way?
Younger people?
Smaller people?
Men?
People walking slowly?
Unemployed people?
Men in pink shirts?
I'm so fed up with dodging people on the sidewalks that I am using the size rule. If you're a Volkswagon bug and there's a big bus coming, the bug moves out of the way. |
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venus
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: Near Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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| Dev wrote: |
Well, there is no particular side you are supposed to walk on. That's obvious after 5 minutes of using a sidewalk in Korea.
With the lack of an agreed side for using the sidewalk, what ends up happening is people start walking toward each other.
If there are any Koreans or foreigners who understand Korean culture on this board, please explain to us who is supposed to move out of the way?
Younger people?
Smaller people?
Men?
People walking slowly?
Unemployed people?
Men in pink shirts?
I'm so fed up with dodging people on the sidewalks that I am using the size rule. If you're a Volkswagon bug and there's a big bus coming, the bug moves out of the way. |
In theory if we were to all follow the confucian rules it would be -
1. Everyone - give way to men who are older than you (though not for waegooks)
2. For Women - give way to women who are older than you (not waegooks)
3. For women - give way to any man (not waegooks)
4. For children - give way to adults (not waegooks.)
5. Waegook saram - give way to anyone who is Korean.
6. Everyone - give way to pizza delivery guy on moped or die.
There is however, a crafty way around this. If you're in busy Seoul for example, carry a book and pretend to be browsing it as you walk. This shows the oncoming people that you're not aware of their presence and in reality 95% of the time, they'll actually move out of your path. Try it, it works for me. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any?
Survive. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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[quote="venus"]
6. Everyone - give way to pizza delivery guy on moped or die.
quote]
So true. That raises another question. How on earth did it ever become acceptable for moped drivers to drive on the sidewalk? I would guess that everyone (Koreans included) find this annoying and possibly dangerous.
Almost anywhere else in the world, this would be illegal. |
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cbclark4
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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Concentrate on avoiding the spit, you won't even notice when you walk into someone.
cbc |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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| Dev wrote: |
6. Everyone - give way to pizza delivery guy on moped or die.
quote]
So true. That raises another question. How on earth did it ever become acceptable for moped drivers to drive on the sidewalk? I would guess that everyone (Koreans included) find this annoying and possibly dangerous.
Almost anywhere else in the world, this would be illegal. |
It is illegal here. |
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IncognitoHFX
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| What's a "waegook"? |
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R-Seoul
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Location: your place
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
| What's a "waegook"? |
You are |
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IlIlNine
Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Location: Gunpo, Gyonggi, SoKo
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
| What's a "waegook"? |
A foreign country.
I'd say if you saw a foreign country walking down the sidewalk, give way and let it pass! |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 6:06 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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| Dev wrote: |
| I'm so fed up with dodging people on the sidewalks that I am using the size rule. If you're a Volkswagon bug and there's a big bus coming, the bug moves out of the way. |
How convenient for you.. unless you're gonna tell me that 90% of the populace here isn't smaller than you. Now let's say you were three feet tall, would you still think this to be a fair rule, or would you decry it as an example of Korean bullying?
It's funny how I've never had an issue with sidewalks in Korea. I guess because I don't walk around with a massive chip on my shoulder, constantly muttering to myself something about "these people"..
Wahh! WAAAHHH!!! THESE IDIOT KOREANS WON'T GET OUT OF MY WAY FAST ENOUGH!!!!!! 
You cry more than my 19-month-old niece, dude.. and about far more simplistic troubles. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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| Qinella wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| I'm so fed up with dodging people on the sidewalks that I am using the size rule. If you're a Volkswagon bug and there's a big bus coming, the bug moves out of the way. |
How convenient for you.. unless you're gonna tell me that 90% of the populace here isn't smaller than you. Now let's say you were three feet tall, would you still think this to be a fair rule, or would you decry it as an example of Korean bullying?
It's funny how I've never had an issue with sidewalks in Korea. I guess because I don't walk around with a massive chip on my shoulder, constantly muttering to myself something about "these people"..
Wahh! WAAAHHH!!! THESE IDIOT KOREANS WON'T GET OUT OF MY WAY FAST ENOUGH!!!!!!
You cry more than my 19-month-old niece, dude.. and about far more simplistic troubles. |
You make me laugh Qinella. I knew what you were going to say even before I read your post. Keep the laughs coming please!
It can't be ONLY me complaining about this. The fact is that unless you're in some tiny town in the countryside in Korea, there's no such thing as a relaxing stroll. You can't get away from people walking toward you even in parks. I miss just going out for a relaxing stroll. This is something you can get in other major cities in this region. Both Tokyo and Beijing have more orderly sidewalks. |
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Lao Wai
Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Location: East Coast Canada
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Sidewalk Commuting Rules. Are there any? |
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| Qinella wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| I'm so fed up with dodging people on the sidewalks that I am using the size rule. If you're a Volkswagon bug and there's a big bus coming, the bug moves out of the way. |
How convenient for you.. unless you're gonna tell me that 90% of the populace here isn't smaller than you. Now let's say you were three feet tall, would you still think this to be a fair rule, or would you decry it as an example of Korean bullying?
It's funny how I've never had an issue with sidewalks in Korea. I guess because I don't walk around with a massive chip on my shoulder, constantly muttering to myself something about "these people"..
Wahh! WAAAHHH!!! THESE IDIOT KOREANS WON'T GET OUT OF MY WAY FAST ENOUGH!!!!!!
You cry more than my 19-month-old niece, dude.. and about far more simplistic troubles. |
Listen, I feel Dev's pain. I live in the New Territories in Hong Kong. Initially, when I came here the mall attached to my apartment building was busy, but okay. Well, last summer the gov't relaxed the rules for Mainland Chinese entering Hong Kong. And because I'm only a few train stops from the border with China, the area where I live has slowly been going to shit. The Mainlanders come over in droves to shop. They push through everyone, hork on the ground, shout when the speak, and generally don't consider others in public (much like the Koreans, in my opinion). When you go to Hong Kong island however, the civility increases drastically. Luckily, I can avoid this shopping centre like the plague. Unfortunately for those in Korea, you can't avoid EVERYWHERE. And for those of you who don't notice that Koreans are spatially unaware, I think you are pretty unobservant. |
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Gwangjuboy
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Location: England
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I share some of the OP's frustration. I can't stand the fact that many people here walk three or four abreast. The worst offenders are teenagers. Many other Koreans tend to walk diagonally. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't make this thread to complain. I have pretty much given up on trying to make sense of many things in this culture including Korean public behavior.
I've stopped questioning things here. I answer my own frustrating why?,why? questions with the answer "Because that's the way it is"
This thread's question is "How does one decide who moves out of another's way? Are there any social customs to decide this?"
Come on Koreans! Explain your culture because many of us don't understand it. |
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livinginkunsan
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| I no longer move.. I pretend to look the other way, and walk straight. |
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