Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sigmundsmith]

Yet again another avoidable accident.

Was having my morning coffee and smoke, looking out the window and a young boy on his bycicle started to take off through the green light when some twit in their car who is so important and in such a hurry ran the red light and plowed right into him. Fortunately, she wasn't driving that fast but he is seriously hurt.

I know, that in my home country and everywhere else these things happen. But in a so called developed modern city/country, this just happens too frequently.

We all see the notorious taxi driver honking his horn driving through red lights. It is just ridiculous.

Why won't this government enforce driving laws in this country? The cost of accident such as this is amazingly high. Cost of police, ambulance, hospitals, doctors, etc.

In many countries (developed) now they have what are red light cameras. Not the type that they have here. But one that has a sensor so if you drive through a red light the camera senses it at takes a photo of your car and number plate. The revenue would be staggering here due to the number of fines and hopefully, eventually, reduce such avoidable accidents.

Is Japan like this as well?

[justaguy]

Japanese intersections have knife weilding maniacs. I think the last one killed about a dozen people.

[ernie]

the traffic i experienced in japan was almost TOO tame. the majority of korean drivers (oops, i mean 'people who drive in korea') are the most irresponsible drivers i have ever seen.

[sigmundsmith]

[Rusty Shackleford]

There's nothing that ruins my day more quickly than seeing some knuckle dragging, retarded orangutan dash thru a red light at 60 kmhs, with 50 school kids either side of the street waiting to cross.

[DrOctagon]

They have those cameras in some of the large intersections on Jeju. Doesn't seem to stop some people. I wonder if they're even on.

[Bramble]

I've seen a couple of buses go through red lights in my neighborhood. It's scary.

In Japan, I know that drivers can be charged if any alcohol whatsoever is detected in their blood, and passengers can be charged too. People hire drivers to drive their cars home if they've been drinking.

[justaguy]

[itstiff]

This was one of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Korea, besides the constant smog and GPS system w/ tv in every car.

Buses and taxis especially will run every red light if no car is in front of them, even inching their way forward while a million school kids cross the street. It frankly scares me and like other people don't understand it. Even in Hong Kong where people are constantly in a RUSH to be somewhere, traffic laws are actually followed. Koreans to me are no where near the "RUSH RUSH I HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE" mindset that Hong Kong people are. Why are they risking their own and others lives? It's a light, it will change in 30 seconds!

I don't even see this as a cultural problem. Is it? I mean. Yes, Korea is a very modern country but it's so stuck in its traditions and culture, but does that culture make them so vastly different from the rest of Asia? Even in China they don't run red lights like do here! Granted you run a red light in China 9.9 out of 10 times you'll kill someone.

[jkelly80]

Korea was able to develop so drastically in the last 50 years precisely BECAUSE they run red lights and elbow strangers. It makes perfect sense. Don't criticize.

[markhan]

[egrog1717]

Short story to keep the conversation lively: I was on a bus a few days back that was stuck behind about 10 cars at a red light... Without missing a beat the driver swings into the on-comming lanes, drives past all the cars (with on-comming traffic trying to get out of the way) and proceeds through the red without a second glance...

[crescent]

'You don't undersand Korean culture.' The larger vehicle gets right of way.

[kprrok]

I had a brilliant (I thought so) idea on how to end the chaos brought upon Korea by taxi and bus drivers. The solution is simple.

Take 10 police officers, put them in plain clothes, and have them ride taxis and buses all day. Do this in every major city and a couple in smaller cities. If the taxi driver or bus driver does something stupid, fine them a good chunk of change on the spot. If they don't pay within a certain time period, they lose their license. If they get repeat offenses, they lose their license.

The word would spread and drivers, in my mind at least, would become more cautious out of fear of losing their livelihood.

Thoughts?

[some waygug-in]