Korean Job Discussion Forums

Bingo · Joined: 22 Jun 2006

I was sitting on the subway yesterday reading a book. An ajumma sitting two seats down decides to change seats. She walks right into my book, almost knocking it out of my hands. The subway was not busy and there were very few standing travellers. There was about three feet in front of me where she could have gone around. But no, ajumma decided to go directly through my book. A minute later, realising she had left something in her previous seat, stands, starts walking in a straight line and again smacks hard into my book. Not so much as an 'I'm sorry' or 'mian hamnida.' Tired of such ajumma behaviour, I took the book and gave her a good smack on the leg with it and told her (in broken Korean) not to be so fukking rude. She stared at me in shock, grumbled something and marched off. This time she made sure not to bump into my book. Very Happy

Anyone else have a story of standing up to ajumma bad behaviour?

philipjames · Joined: 03 Feb 2003

This thread has the potential to be very entertaining indeed. Laughing

runlikegump · Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Location: Seoul

Allow me to be the first to ask: Are you three years old? If yes, cute story, and you have a spectacular vocabulary for you age. If no, you're just another dough-head who thinks your ridiculous lack of impulse control is both entertaining and laudable. Not cool.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

So I was standing in line, except it wasn't a well formed line and there was an ajumma who walked up and stood beside me so that the order wasn't very clear. This sort of situation causes an acute form of anxiety amongst white people (so does talking in a movie theater). So sure enough, she makes the move to go ahead of me, and grabbed her by the shoulder and scooted her little ass behind me. And her reaction? She gave me a big smile and laughed about it. Not mad at all. That threw me off.

crusher_of_heads · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject:

DRAMA OVERKILL · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

Hanson · Joined: 20 Oct 2004

fortysixyou · Joined: 08 Jun 2006

I was in Dunkin Donuts one Saturday morning looking to buy some coffee, as Dunkin Donuts has particularly delicious coffee.

No donuts. Just coffee.

As I walked through the door I could see that it was really busy in there, but that no one was in line. I made a quick dash for the counter. Sure enough, some women came out of nowhere with 3 dozen donut holes on a tray and beat me to the counter. Damnit. So I waited for that transaction to finish, knowing that I would be next in line. Of course they paid with their credit card. Of course they wanted the donut holes to-go.

As the transaction was nearing its completion, some ajumma did the I'm-not-going-to-get-behind-you-instead-I'm-going-to-wait-beside-you trick, making me extremely nervous. Sure enough, when the transaction was over, the cashier looked at the ajumma and took her order. I was so pissed. Of course it was donuts. Of course she wanted them to-go. Of course she was paying with a credit card.

At this point I was fuming. After that ANOTHER ajumma tried to pull the same trick, so I threw my arm out sideways to block her and very loudly and very rudely ordered my coffee. The ajumma complied and the cashier girl didn't seemed surprised or apologetic. Of course, there was no coffee on hand and I had to wait for them to make coffee. Oh well, fresh coffee.

BONUS: I did the scratch-off game and won a sweet coffee mug! When I showed the cashier that I had won she was shocked. I shouted out "Yesssssssssss" and they gave me the mug, from which I am drinking coffee now.

INSIGHT: Both of the people who went in front of me in line played the scratch-off game and won nothing. If they hadn't gone in front of me, I wouldn't have won my sweet mug.

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

Agreed. Nothing wrong at all.

crescent · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: yes.

You gotta know how to be a blocker, people. It's all strategy.

anyway · Joined: 22 Oct 2005

This sheeet happens everywhere. Once in another country I was waiting in line at a counter at a convenience store. I was close to the counter, hand on it, practically leaning on the counter. Some jabroni college student comes in the front door and sees his cigarettes on the other side of me. So instead of going around me to get them, he tries to pass between me and the counter. I kindly (with some choice words) redirected him behind me where there was space galore. I could only feel sorry for him and his poor mother....

Same country, different line (actually I was the only one behind the person at the counter) another college student tries to jump in front of me. I placed my hand firmly on his shoulder and indicated that he should move or I would help him. He just laughed and said he didn't see me. Yea sure, twit.

And the list goes on. Young or old, Korean or not, there are rude morons running amok almost everywhere....

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

sineface · Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Location: C'est magnifique

Subway Rebellion. I knew it would catch on

KumaraKitty · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: Bucheon

Hubby and I were in Paris Baguette. Me being the white and obviously pregnant foreigner, I figured I'd be highly visible behind the only person in line. I had a cheese bun in hand and the person in front of me was just finishing paying for their cake. As they turned to leave, 3 young adult Koreans(1 male, 2 females) who had been browsing, filling a tray with pastries, placed their tray at the far end of the counter, away from me, the till and the clerk. What does the clerk do? Oh, big white pregnant woman with one thing in front of me, or 3 Koreans with 20 things at the far end of the counter! I 'll take them!! She walked over to them and took their tray! I had cash and bun in hand, in front of the till, and I'd been waiting for 5 minutes.

I snapped, hucked the bun on the counter, turned on my heel and left. They all seemed rather shocked, go figure.

I just don't get it sometimes!!

Benicio · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject:

The line cutters do it because they know that they will get away with it 99.9% of the time. They don't get called out for it and with the saving face thing- if no one says anything, then it didn't happen.

What kills me is when you do call someone out for line cutting and they do that whole act like they totally didn't see you there.
It's pure B.S.! They saw you.
They just thought they could get away with jumping in front of you.
They feel like they have to do that "Oh, I didn't see you" charade to avoid looking like rude twits.

PS- good one for the OP. She deserved it!