Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PBRstreetgang21]

I want to ask a legitimate question-- How racist are the taxi drivers?

Tonight I was coming home with three of my friends from Hongdae and trying to get cab back to Incheon. Granted it always takes a little negotiating and usually more than few tries to get the right cab for the right price. But in the past usually when I am rejected its due to a disagreement over fare and I walk away. But tonight before I secured a cab I had three, THREE different cabs say no before I even said a word. They took one look at me and said no. By the third time I was so pissed I yelled at him in Korean "You dont like foreigners?". To which he just looked away and continued to wave his hand.

I mean for the most part Ive had nothing but great experiences from Koreans. They have been nothing but helpful and outgoing to me. In the past Ive have Koreans say a great many nice things about me and even with Korean gf, had taxi drivers tell us we were cute and give us tips on romantic places. But tonight, I just wondered...was it because they were xenephobic and racist or was it because in Hongdae (which seems more and more like its taking a lot of spillover from Itaewon just MHO) a select group of foreigners are crafting more of a bad rap for our already beleaguered position in the country? Im not trolling Im asking truly, do you think if me and my three friends where in Guro where there are comparativly less foreigners we'd have this problem, and that its confined to foreigner "hot spots" or "trouble areas"? Or is it really just that this country cant stop being a hermit kingdom?

I dunno, Im just pissed about those three cabbies regardless.

[butlerian]

Taxi drivers all over the world are the unscrupulous sort. Wake up to reality.

[djsmnc]

It doesn't ever make sense. I've had times where I waited almost 2 hours at night in Jong-ro with more than 50,000 empty taxis driving by, and I've had times when 50,000 taxis lined up as soon as I set my foot on the road to cross the street.

Had that in Chicago, New York, Hong Kong, and Beijing as well. If there's one thing that is consistent throughout the world, it's that taxi drivers have their own priorities.

[MissSeoul]

OP,
Do you look like a GI ?
Once every while GI's in korea make news on local newspapers. GI's try not to pay fee after ride taxi and got involve physical fighting with korean taxi drivers, often the GI's are grounp of 2-4 guys and korean taxi driver is by himself, so guess how the fighting end up. The korean taxi driver was blooding on ground and the GI's are gone without pay.
YOU GOT IT NOW ?????

Oh well, sometimes another korean join to fight, then it can be..kinfe and more knives...

[GoldMember]

Miss Seoul where do you get your information from?
I'll guess it's the Korean Internet and Newspapers. Guess what Miss Seoul, they LIE big time.
Usually when GI's have a problem with taxi drivers it's because the taxi drivers try to way way over charge them because they know the soldiers MUST be back on base.
Of course the Korean media never tells you this.
As for Racism from Taxi drivers. Nahh, they'll cut off, sideswipe, and tailgate anyone regardless of race, color, or creed. Equal opportunity offenders.

[MissSeoul]

[karma police]

[Homer]

[cibomatto]

[cibomatto]

[The Perfect Cup of Coffee]

[VanIslander]

4 of my first 5 negative experiences in Korea were with taxi drivers in Busan.

I later found out they have a rep for being rude and bad natured.

In the rural Gyeongsangnamdo town I teach at now there are only three locals who consistently treat me like *beep* and two of them are cabbies and one the guy who puts luggage on the buses.

[PGF]

The only time I had trouble in a cab was when I was with my korean wife. The taxi driver was obviously taking a long way to our building. I started to point this out and my wife just shushed me. When we got home she quietly told him that he deliberately took an out of the way route and that she was only going to pay him 2000 w. His reply, "your mind". No argument. He knew he was wrong.

I was surprised that he did this with her in the car. I've never had problems on my own and I frequently use taxis-almost everday. Usually I jump in the front seat, say hello, ask the driver where he's from, tell him his picture is very handsome, etc. This always gets him in a good mood and he tries to practice his broken english-e on me. We always part happy and I always let the driver keep the change. If the guy goes out of his way to drive fast and get me to my destination quickly I fork over a 1000 w tip.

As for Miss Seoul--> there have been tv news segments on airport taxi drivers ripping off foreigners--> running a fast meter, etc. Your argument that taxi drivers never rip off foreigners is insane. It's wodely publicized.

They even rip off your children. One of my students left all his books at home. I handed her 5000 w and told her to take a taxi. She said that evenn thoguh she lived two blocks away, the taxi driver would take her around the block and run the meter up because she is a kid. She opted to run home and back.

Taxis denying foreigners around club areas is ok IMO. Club goers are usually juiced. They almost never speak Korean. And, the whole affair can be a headache for the poor working slob. If I was a taxi driver and someone who did not speak my language jumped in my cab and I could not understand her directions, I would deny her the service. If this happened several times, i would stop even trying to pick up foreigners. Not racist, just practical business.

[cibomatto]

MissSeoul's argument isn't insane when you consider the fact the she is biased against service members.

Its hard to read other incidents when the only thing one googles is "Crime DIRTY GIs COMMIT in Peaceful South Korea"

[nateium]