| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
|
 Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 1:13 am Post subject: Taxi drivers are reluctant to take on foreign passengers |
 |
|
'Cabbies Shun Foreigners, Drive Recklessly'
While the number of foreign visitors to the country is expected to mark the largest drop in the nation's history this year, the Korea National Tourism Organization (KNTO) on Thursday pointed to the nation's poor and even discriminatory public transportation service as one of the reasons for such a huge drop.
"Sometimes, when there are other Koreans waiting for a taxi, the driver will pass right by me and stop for the other Koreans when in fact I've been waiting longer," said Eli Horn, a Seoul resident from the United States who has been here for more than six years.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200312/kt2003121117135911960.htm |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
I've been saying this for the last 2 years - Korean Taxi drivers are total pricks.
Tapei - yeah, many of them may be criminals but at least they stop for you and don't kick you out when after they ask where you want to go.
You get jerked around a bit in Bangkok by taxi drivers as well but again they will stop and try to figure out where it is that you would like to go |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Homer
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
Not this again...oh my how it brings the nutcases out of the woodwork...  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ratslash
Joined: 08 May 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| taxi drivers are tossers. as are bus drivers. as are people who stare at you on the bus like today for no reason. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
matko
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: in a world of hurt!
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Homer wrote: |
| Not this again...oh my how it brings the nutcases out of the woodwork... |
I've been arguing this taxi driver thing with you since the new board began. Now even the Koreans admit that the taxi drivers suck!!
Will you?
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
HardyandTiny
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
I drove a taxi in New York City for about 6 months.
I drove past people all the time.
You have to drive a cab for awhile and then see what you think. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Homer: you sound a bit bored with this board?!!
Taxis: Its not the taxis that have caused a drop in foreign visitors. Its the media hype about nukes coming from Kim Jong Il, and a whole host of other stuff. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ratslash
Joined: 08 May 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| HardyandTiny wrote: |
I drove a taxi in New York City for about 6 months.
I drove past people all the time.
You have to drive a cab for awhile and then see what you think. |
so why did you drive past people? tell us why and we might be able to understand a little bit more why korean taxi drivers do it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
HardyandTiny
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 3:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
| ratslash wrote: |
| HardyandTiny wrote: |
I drove a taxi in New York City for about 6 months.
I drove past people all the time.
You have to drive a cab for awhile and then see what you think. |
so why did you drive past people? tell us why and we might be able to understand a little bit more why korean taxi drivers do it. |
Yeah. It has to do with past experiences.
You pick up a few drunks and drive them home and one guy pukes or breaks the door, then you can't do much about it because everyone is so drunk that they start attacking you.
or, you pick up a few people from the same area and they are pleasant and funny and they give you a big tip.
Through experience you learn who will cause the least problems.
You begin to judge people by their appearance; clothes, hairstyle, stature, the way they wave their hand, etc.
One guy alone with certain clothes and hairstyle, relaxed..
Another group with two gals and a guy...etc..
It's the truth, you are able to read , for the most part, who is good and who is not.
Who wants trouble?
I can always get a taxi in Seoul at night ... I stay calm when I'm drunk, give a relaxed wave and hold up a 10,000 won note.
Even in Shinchon at 300am I can get a taxi by just holding up cash. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
lush72
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: I am Penalty Kick!
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 3:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| HardyandTiny wrote: |
| I stay calm when I'm drunk, give a relaxed wave and hold up a 10,000 won note. |
This has also proved useful to me as well. Last year I came back from the US and got the bus back to the city air terminal at the COEX. As you can imagine there were TONS of people there trying to get taxis. There I was, with luggage. Got a cab in under 2 minutes with the good ol� ten spot in the air. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 4:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| HardyandTiny wrote: |
| ratslash wrote: |
| HardyandTiny wrote: |
I drove a taxi in New York City for about 6 months.
I drove past people all the time.
You have to drive a cab for awhile and then see what you think. |
so why did you drive past people? tell us why and we might be able to understand a little bit more why korean taxi drivers do it. |
Yeah. It has to do with past experiences.
You pick up a few drunks and drive them home and one guy pukes or breaks the door, then you can't do much about it because everyone is so drunk that they start attacking you.
or, you pick up a few people from the same area and they are pleasant and funny and they give you a big tip.
Through experience you learn who will cause the least problems.
You begin to judge people by their appearance; clothes, hairstyle, stature, the way they wave their hand, etc.
One guy alone with certain clothes and hairstyle, relaxed..
Another group with two gals and a guy...etc..
It's the truth, you are able to read , for the most part, who is good and who is not.
Who wants trouble?
I can always get a taxi in Seoul at night ... I stay calm when I'm drunk, give a relaxed wave and hold up a 10,000 won note.
Even in Shinchon at 300am I can get a taxi by just holding up cash. |
I would definetely agree with all of this. I have never had any problem ever taking or getting a cab anywhere in Korea. I probably don't look like much of a problem I'm guessing or something or another.
Perhaps if you travel drunk in packs with all foreigners its not as good. I recall back when I lived in Busan, I worked with some fairly wild and crazy drunk foreigners who seemed to always give the taxi driver a hard time on a regular basis. Usually they'd make fun of him or give him a hard time in some way or another or make him play music they had.. on and on. If I were a taxi driver, I'd definetely be watching out for that kind of thing.
Generally speaking for myself, I've yet to have any problem whatsoever getting a taxi. Easiest thing in the world.
Other things are more challenging, for example trying to get a travel agent to talk to me at TOPS Travel in Jongno. Once I was so pissed off because there were some idle people doing nothing while I was waiting and I just bluntly started trying to get my ticket with one in my bad Korean. It worked and I got what I wanted.. but couldn't get the ticket to another time. Follow-up phone calls which had to be with the exact same respresentative were a big problem. Generally if someone doesn't want to deal with you, it could be very well because their English is so unbelievably horrible beyond anything you could possibly imagine.. and they are very well aware of this.. and prefer not to deal with you because of it rather than struggle through it with you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shawner88
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 4:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
I agree with Tiger. They always stop for me. The majority have been really friendly to me and try to speak English a little. One guy even gave me a hand massage while we were stuck in traffic (which was weird, but kind). Many times they even round the fare down. That never happens in another country.
Of course I have seen some rude drivers too. If you're only going around the corner, less then 2 kms, it can be a pain. It helps if you just get right into the taxi and close the door and firmly say where you are going.
The only thing I don't like is how much they hassle you at the airport, especially if you arrive in the evening. I had one guy that wouldn't leave me alone while I was waiting for the hotel bus to come get me. I told him I was waiting for a ride from the Hamilton Hotel ( a lie). He calls up the Hamilton Hotel, hangs up and says "Plan change, I take you." What a nut! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
lush72
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: I am Penalty Kick!
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 5:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
| shawner88 wrote: |
| He calls up the Hamilton Hotel, hangs up and says "Plan change, I take you." What a nut! |
CLASSIC! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
matko
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: in a world of hurt!
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 5:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
yup.
Same thing happened to me (or similar anyway)
Fresh of the boat and charged through the nose.
Was tried on me several more times after that, but I wised up.
Korean taxi drivers SUCK!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cthulhu
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 7:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
I took hundreds of taxis in Korea and rarely had one pass by, except when I was taking them outside bars near the local U.S. military base. I had a couple try to rip me off but generally they were friendly guys who wanted to practice their little bit of English or speak Korean to me and let me practice my Korean. Based on my numbers 1 or 2% bad apples doesn't seem outrageous.
Now, I've seen more than a few incidents with Army types/drunk teachers and could easily see a bad reputation about them build up among the taxi drivers. I've seen guys rips drivers off, jump on the hood of the taxi and try to fit 5 big guys in a taxi--seems the size of the men or whether they were in groups was also important. Also interesting was that from what I saw foreign women seemed to have an easier time than men.
But I'm just going on taxis in Busan--maybe things are worse in Seoul. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
