Korean Job Discussion Forums

maddog · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Location: Daegu

Has anyone else fallen victim to taxe drivers who choose the scenic route. It happened to me on Satarday when I took a cab from Dongdaegu to my apartment. I'd just got back from Seoul and I was pretty hammered. The taxi driver thought he would take advantage of my condition and drive around the city before going to my chosen destination. It's a trip I've taken many times, so know the route and I know how much it costs. Just so there was no confusion, I even showed the guy my ID card. Countless times during the journey, I told the guy that he was going the wrong way, but he was seemingly oblivious. He really was an asshat. So defiant. In the end, I thought "fukk it". If he wants to make an ass of himself, I'm fine with that. In the past, the trip has never cost more than 9,000W. This guy got the meter up to 25,000!

What did I do? I opened the door and got out. Well, I tried to. But this fukker grabbed me by the arm. I have a MASSIVE bruise from where he grabbed me. We got in a tussle and I prevailed. Other than the arm bruise, I was unscathed. I legged it round the corner and headed to my apt.

Was I wrong? Should I have given him 10K? Would it have made any difference? I think that since he tried to rob me, I had every right to refuse to give him a single penny.

Imrahil · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject:

From my experience I have found taxi drivers to be quite honest here, although I don't live in a city as big as Daegu. I can honestly only remember a couple of times when a taxi driver took the 'scenic route' or have gotten 'lost.' Almost always the taxi driver gave me a discount and I have been here for 6 years. Although my wife tells me that in Seoul taxi driver's are known to do what you have described, don't know about Deagu though.

To your other question, to me this is a tough one, because if you felt he was cheating you then he doesn't deserve the full fare. You probably should have given him 10 - 15,000 won and been done with it, but that is hindsight. You showed him your ID Card? Hopefully he doesn't remember where exactly you live. Best of luck to you.

sojourner1 · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject:

Yea, what an asshole. I'd went crazy if anyone grab me really hard and definitely not paid him. I'd probably hit him as hard as I could since he was using brute force to hurt you like he did. He was hostile, because he knew he was screwing you on the fare and you were questioning it which made him insecure.

In Korea, I've rarely had problems with taxis like I did in Thailand, but if you do, you can get out of the car. I once had a problem in Changwon where the taxi picked a woman up on the side of the street and turned around to go the opposite direction I was going as to give her service first. I opened the car door while the car was moving and was yelling, "Stop!, this is not right, I'm not paying her fare nor a fare from where she's going to where I'm going!" He stopped and let me out, I left the door open without paying and got another car. Most Changwon taxis are very new, clean, and honest.

I remember in Thailand how a tuk tuk driver grabbed me by the arm as I was walking down Khao Sarn road demanding that I go shopping with him for a free ride. I said, "you don't put your hands on strangers, only your woman! Keep your funky hands off of people." He was ready to fight me and said, "That's not true! you should come with me now!" I walked away.

Imrahil · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject:

orosee · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Will Korea Become Top 10 Tourist Destination?
By Kim Rahn, Korea Times (February 24, 2008)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2008/07/240_19531.html

sjrm · Joined: 27 Jul 2005

Imrahil · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject:

I have been to many parts of the world, but Thailand is not high on my list, for various reasons, and stories like that just keep it down on the list.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

I don't do taxis.

maddog · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Location: Daegu

R-Seoul · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Location: your place

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

All in all I've found the taxi drivers here quite honest about fares, especially considering that a number of them are driving taxis because they ran into trouble work-wise or are criminals. The only problems I've had are with the ones who try to pounce on people around train, bus, and subway stations or at the airport, especially late at night. However, unless you really have no other option than taking one of them, they're easily enough avoided.

maddog · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Location: Daegu

I'm definitely getting into the wrong taxis. A couple of years ago in Seoul, I had an experience where the taxi driver stopped and picked up two Koreans with me in the car. He took them to their destination first, which was a massive detour, charged them zero, continued to my place, and expected me to pay the whole fare. It was usaually 4,500W (from Itaewon to Ayeon-dong) and he wanted 12K. Luckily I lived across the street from the police station. I gave him 4K and told him to go to the cops if he wanted more.

traxxe · Joined: 21 Feb 2007

Pay attention when you are in the taxi next time most of the taxi drivers fleece foreigners in subtle ways to roll the fare up. They keep the RPM's above 2k even in situations that don't merit it like stop and go traffic, etc.

My friend's father is a taxi driver here and he explained to me the rate increases faster with the higher RPM's so when foreigners are in the care because they don't know better they rev high, brake, rev high, brake... this gets the rate up about 20-30% on average.

Some are skilled enough to make this method work without much notice. Others though are blatantly obvious, serious, watch his foot and the RPM's and how they try to keep it spiked above 2 whenever possible.

I tell them immidiately to stop. Some have gotten mad and I've left the cab. Most just chuckle and drive normally.

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

The black shiny taxis are quite good. They are really good but the independent taxis are quite dishonest. There was a documentary about taxi drivers over charging drunk customers (Korean as well as foreign). It happens to all not just foreigners.