Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Imrahil]

So while I am taking a bus to work today I come across this accident at a busy intersection. (a van rear-ended a Matiz) So while traffic as been slowed down to a crawl, I can see an ambulance getting ready to take one of the victims to a local hospital. With the way the paramedics were running to the ambulance as it was getting ready to head off, I assumed there was someone inside that urgently needed medical attention. At the same time, a tow truck was preparing to move the Matiz. The van which hit the Matiz was already at the side of the road, the left turn signal turned green. What do I see? A car ignore its red light and goes through the intersection and just misses a car that was turning left. When will these drivers ever learn?

[DRAMA OVERKILL]

They won't likely ever learn. The carelessness is absolutely mind-blowing. It's too easy to get a license here, plus people constantly break the law while driving (speeding, not using signal lights, talking on cell phones, etc.). The police could crack down, but nothing ever seems to happen. They only seem to be concerned with parking violations and DUIs. I too saw an accident a few days ago, and it so easilty could have been prevented.

[Hollywoodaction]

Believe it or not, people have gotten better at it since I've been here/believe it or not, it used to be worse. I started driving here just a few years after the Seoul Olympics, which is when the middle-class grew and most people began owning cars. Think about it, the vast majority of drivers on the road had little or no experience behind the wheel at that time. Their lack of experience and their great dislike for rules (thanks to the years of dictatorship and the then corrupt police force) made for some pretty spectacular traffic accidents (next time you're on the high way, watch and see if you can find old tire marks on the ceilings of tunnels). Most cars had dented fenders and Korea had the highest death per traffic accident rate in the world. Driving in Korea back then was not for the faint of heart, to say the least.

[Imrahil]

I have lived here for almost 6 years now and I have also noticed an improvement in their driving. This one incident surprised me because the second accident almost happened while the first one was still being cleaned up. Also, I am almost scared to think about the driving here in the early 90's from what you have already mentioned.

[maddog]

They will never learn. I don't like to stereotype, but Asians shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel. I almost got run over about two weeks ago. Some f4ucking retard thought the red lights didn't apply to him. As for the women. They're just clueless.

[Imrahil]

Yeah about 3 years ago I was almost killed while crossing the street. I was crossing at this T shaped intersection the walk light was green and I was on the crosswalk. The first two lanes were both left turn lanes and the cars waiting to turn were about 5 or 6 deep. I was over halfway across when some ajjuma, wanting to do a right turn, decided to completely go through the crosswalk before stopping to look for oncoming traffic or pedestrians. The look on her face when she finally saw me was priceless (I was giving her the internationally known hand signal for f**k y**). She only missed me by about 1 foot. The only thing that saved me was my instinct to stop after the second lane to glance for any cars wanting to turn right.

[simpleminds]

[CentralCali]

One of the teenage girls in my church ward showed up last summer with a bit of a road rash. She got clobbered as she was exiting a bus. Of course, the bus was stopped at a bus stop and the scooter driver was passing between the bus and the curb. She has since adopted my method of exiting a bus here: hold onto the handrail and kick out at what would be the average height of a scooter driver's head. She said one guy almost flipped over when he hit the curb to avoid her foot.

Seriously, how brain-dead of a moron does one have to be to not realize that a passenger bus is discharging passengers at a bus stop?

Oh, I use the following adaptation for exiting a cab here: throw open the door quickly and shut it almost to closing just as fast. It's great to hear the skidding!

[simpleminds]

It wasn't one those frazzing scooters, but an SUV. This is in the country, with no sidewalk, only bush. Good idea about sticking out your foot, though!

[Imrahil]

In my case it was not a SUV, but a car big enough to at least break both of my legs. Also, she was going fast enough to do that damage if she hit me. I swear ajjuma's here are the worst drivers. About 2 weeks ago the same incident almost happened again, but this time the ajjuma stopped after I gave some(non rude) hand gestures. Her response was only to smile at me and do their stupid 'I'm sorrry' hand gesture.

[GoldMember]

Yea, but Korea is a SAFE country.
It's amazing how many University educated professional Koreans tell me this, but then again they went to Korean Universities.

[Bibbitybop]

Hogwan vans/small buses are insane. They pullout in front of people, make turns in front of people and pull over in the lane with no warning. All the while with kids inside.

On the way to work today, one had clipped the back of a bongo truck. I'm not sure who's fault it was, but a little defensive driving with the kids inside would be nice change.

[anjinsan]

When I ride my bike, I go by this very simple rule in order to stay alive:
When encountering another driver, scooter, pedestrian, or bicyclist, I ask
myself "What is the absolutely dumbest, most idiotic thing this person might do?"; and, I then anticipate it. Nine times out of ten, they do this stupidest f'ing thing. Crazy, sad, and true.

[Hollywoodaction]

[Hollywoodaction]