Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Captain Corea]

I can't belive I even have to ask this question, but it appears that some people actually think it is a good idea to let motorcycles operate on city sidewalks.

What do you think?

[Bibbitybop]

As I mentioned in the other thread, moving a motorbike slowly and safely on a sidewalk is not dangerous. Neither are cart pushers, but if they ran with the cart they would be dangerous.

I'm am in no way okay with motorbikes moving quickly or dangerously on a sidewalk. Those people should be regulated and ticketed.

There are no designated motorbike parking areas, parking lot attendants will not let you park in car parking, there are too few car spots already, road parking is dangerous and the only option is moving a bike slowly onto a sidewalk in order to park it out of the way, usually between stalls, trees, electric boxes or hydrants.

Of course motorbikes on sidewalks is bad. Most people here are pedestrians and most only think about the dangerous bikes on the sidewalks, the delivery guys who move quickly. There should be at least one more option on this poll: No if they are being "walked" slowly and pose no threat.

[seoulsucker]

To paraphrase another poster, they're not providing a solution to the problem, just changing the laws.

The results will be exactly what everyone expects. A few tickets here, a few tickets there, but pretty much the same as it is now.

I ride every day, and there are virtually no places to park. I have even offered cash to park in a pay lot, and the attendents will simply wave you off.

[Captain Corea]

Ah, so when you say 'move a bike slowly', are you talking about 'walking a bike' to its parking spot?

Remember, your definition of 'moving quickly' might not be the same as another person's. I've seen many motorcycles on the sidewalk that the rider thought was 'moving slow', but to me seemed far too dangerous to be around pedestrians.

Are you honestly saying that if you pay money for a parking stall, you are refused service? You've said before that it's against the rules for a motorcycle to park in 'car parking', yet my building has both a spot specifically for 'deliveries' and numerous bikes parked in 'car spots'.

That aside though, why do you think you have the right to 'special parking'? I mean, hydrants don't have parking next to them for a reason - I'm guessing you can figure out why. 'Next to trees', heaven forbid that someone wants to actually sit or stand next to that tree along the sidewalk. You've also said before that bikes should have 'an extra lane'... WTH do you think that a motorcycle is more deserving of a special lane than any other motor vehicle? If anything, I'd prefer a lane for A. Public Transit, or B. Bicycles.

Motorcycles should have the same rights and responsibilities as any other licensed motor vehicle. Nothing more, and nothing less.

[earthbound14]

I don't care much. I actually like it as I ride a motorcycle and sometimes find myself on the sidewalk.

I'm not against banning it though, as too many Ja-jang-myeon boys and Quick Service men see the sidewalk as an open road and not a pedestrian space somtimes.

I've never personally had a problem with bikes on the sidewalk myself, but I have seen a few drivers go too fast.

Sometimes westerners come here and freak out about it though. They see a bike on the sidewalk and get all pissy.

I like being able to park my bike on the sidewalk, I like being able to make short cuts from time to time and I like being able to get out of major congestion by taking the sidewalk out of dodge. In Korea the sidewalk is kind of a nice space to have as road space is very limited.

Back home I would never advocate for using the sidewalk as we have more than enough road space and parking space.

The only reason I would support a ban here is to stop the few reckless drivers who are dangerous. I also think banning bikes from passing buses on the right while at a bus stop would be a good idea.

[superpan]

[hari seldon]

Pedestrians shouldn't be sharing the sidewalks with motorcycles because it's an obvious hazard. It also surprises me that they permit motorcycles and cars to park on sidewalks.

This sort of nonsense makes Korea look like a Third World country.

[eamo]

I used to be very pissy about motorcycles on the sidewalks, but I've softened a bit.

Driving in Korea has a different dynamic from most western cities. The road layouts are horrible and usually very inflexible. Seoul seems to be planned on the U-turn system. As in, you usually can't turn left unless you're going in the correct direction. Having to find a U-turn spot can be tedious and time consuming.

Point is, it would defeat the point of having a scooter here in Seoul if you had to follow all the driving rules. You may as well have a car. And God forbid if there was a sharp increase of cars on Seoul's streets.

That's the hard reality. I don't like it, and it's bad for the city. Scooters buzzing around on the sidewalks make Korea look third-worldy. But that's the way it is. Unless Seoul's streets are radically re-structured, then you'll always get scooters on the sidewalks.

Then again, I've seen taek-bae guys hit the sidewalk at speed when the road was wide open!!! They are so habituated to using the sidewalk they often choose it when the street would be just as fast.

A Korean friend told me that, off the record, the police say that they can't control the dangerous driving by motorcyclists in Seoul. They simply can't catch them........I dunno.....I think they could try harder and set up traps using 2 or more checkpoints with radios who patrol busy areas looking out for the bad guys. If the 1st patrol can't make them stop, then they radio to the 2nd patrol....... I thought that was a basic police tactic?

The other main problem is that most Koreans don't blink an eye when a scooter comes speeding at them. They tolerate it. Getting your Ja-jang-myun in less than 20 minutes is seen as the height of civilisation in Korea.

[hari seldon]

Motorcycles shouldn't be permitted to ignore red lights either.

Every day I see elderly Korean pedestrians running across crosswalks in fear they'll get run over. When is Korea going to take steps to protect vulnerable pedestrians?

[Captain Corea]

[hari seldon]

[Underwaterbob]

[ernie]

if it's ok to 'ride a motorbike slowly' on the sidewalk, then it follows that it should be ok to 'walk quickly' on roads.

[IlIlNine]

[Captain Corea]

Oh boo-hoo. You don't like the way I argue. WTF is that about? I'm asked for statistics, and I provide them.

Here are some relevant ones for ya:

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200707/200707030007.html