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Midnight run: Reasons Why?
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Why night/secretly? Why not day-time/in the open?
You fear physical confrontation
11%
 11%  [ 2 ]
You fear verbal confrontation
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
You fear financial losses
5%
 5%  [ 1 ]
You are tired and don't want to deal with stuff
38%
 38%  [ 7 ]
All of the above
44%
 44%  [ 8 ]
Total Votes : 18

Author Message
humanuspneumos



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 11:26 am    Post subject: Midnight run: Reasons Why? Reply with quote

Over the many years in this country people have resorted to the "midnight run." The reasons are multitude and I wonder what the major reason is. If you were to do a midnight run or did a midnight run- the reason for it is????

Last edited by humanuspneumos on Thu Jan 22, 2004 3:22 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Shincheon_Blues



Joined: 16 Dec 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You forgot to add a few more reasons folks do runners:

You don't feel the need to fulfill your contractual obligations

You didn't read the contract you signed

You are going to be fired because you got caught doing privates

You quit because Koreans and the world in general don't appreciate your intellect and superior ability.
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Cthulhu



Joined: 02 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
You didn't read the contract you signed


That one happens far too often. Though one has to watch for the old "dual language contracts" sometimes, which every newbie should know about.

From what I've seen most of the runners were newbies who either bailed on a genuinely bad situation or bailed on a tough one that wasn't so bad at all. Occasionally they bail for no better reason than wanting a vacation, though that only happened where I worked once.
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humanuspneumos



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 3:14 pm    Post subject: Hmmmmm Reply with quote

It has already been established a long, long while ago: contract=toilet paper. So- fulfill what????

I wonder if it's a rarity of not being appreciated and then running. Run usually concurs with threat- right? - wrong?

Perhaps a degree of people don't read their contract- however- the shocker is often times the vast ocean between ink and reality. So- people run once given a cup of cold water in their face as to what the requests really meant in reality- pain and more pain.
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Shincheon_Blues



Joined: 16 Dec 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One would think that a college graduate would have the common sense to research and read a legally binding document. I empathize with their crocodile tears, but I do not sympathize one iota.

Those that run complain incessantly about their pathetic existence in the "Land of the Not Quite Right", yet they return to Korea to start the cycle over again. Go figure.

Examine the successful expat and compare he/she to the whiner/runner. It's all about attitude and personal accountability.
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humanuspneumos



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:45 pm    Post subject: Ummm Reply with quote

Ummmm- oil rigs still continue optimistically in regions throughout the world even though they hit a multitude of dry wells, spend millions, and strike oil the odd time- enough to justify continued exploration and optimism. Sure- they might fire a geologist or two in the same way hogwans are fired by the teacher who realizes that the contract is toilet paper and the well is more than dry- it's H2S.


Now- to me that's a similar cycle as many teachers throughout Korea.

The only reason I can see another teacher whining about running teachers is that:

Somebody is a recruiter and has to refund or resupply teachers when they run.

Somebody needs to see a doctor.

Somebody gets burnt by a heavier schedule because teachers run.

Somebody has an over extended sense of right and wrong that is trying to include everyone in a particular value system.

Somebody is worried about this country views foreigners and has forgotten how foreigners are viewing broken contracts themselves.
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Mr. Pink



Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Isn't "midnight run" just an expression?

The guy who bailed on my school a couple years ago left in the morning - day or two after pay day. I called his cell phone to find out where he was and find out he was at the airport about to get on a plane. Tells me "sorry but I couldn't handle Korea." And the dude left.
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humanuspneumos



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 6:06 pm    Post subject: Midnight run Reply with quote

I think, maybe I'm wrong, a lot of people leave in the covering of night and /secretly can be any time with almost no prior warning. I didn't mean to imply any literalism.

I remember once a pair left a note on their bed for me and said "Thanks" and that was about it- they were drinking with us one night and gone the next.
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Barking Mad Lord Snapcase



Joined: 04 Nov 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 3:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shincheon_Blues wrote:
You forgot to add a few more reasons folks do runners:
You don't feel the need to fulfill your contractual obligations
You didn't read the contract you signed
You are going to be fired because you got caught doing privates
You quit because Koreans and the world in general don't appreciate your intellect and superior ability.


OK, so some runners simply want to dodge personal responsibility.
Does that mean you should ALWAYS take sides with the hagwon owner?

This issue should only be tackled on a case-by-case basis.

Have there been any cases of hagwon owners offering bribes to foreign teachers to rat on their fellow wayguk?
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Homer
Guest




PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shincheon_Blues,

Good list my man...it balances things out.


Barking,

"fellow waeguks????"

What is this a fraternity? Laughing

As for the comments on teachers not liking runners, well thats understandable in conditions where the employer is mistreating the teacher. But like some have said it is not always the emplyers fault.
Also, many runners blame their eimployers to justify their runs, that has to be taken into account.
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the_beaver



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shincheon_Blues wrote:
Examine the successful expat and compare he/she to the whiner/runner. It's all about attitude and personal accountability.


I disagree. I am a successful expat and I pulled a runner some years ago.
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Barking Mad Lord Snapcase



Joined: 04 Nov 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 5:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Homer wrote:

"fellow waeguks????"

What is this a fraternity? Laughing


If you were truly objective, you would not take sides at all. Of course, it would be impossible to stay objective if friends were involved, or you had first hand knowledge of what really happened.

If you know nothing about the situation, then of course it would be wrong to prejudge the hagwon owner. So wouldn't it be equally wrong to prejudge the runner?

Or do both extreme viewpoints provide some sort of cosmic balance to prevent the stars from falling, Cthulhu from awakening and virgins from being devoured left right and centre?
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Cthulhu



Joined: 02 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 7:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Cthulhu from awakening


I'm already awake! Wink

However, I had first hand experience with someone pulling a runner at my former school (a nice school--imagine that) just for the convenience of a summer vacation to Thailand which she tried to rationalize, er, explain in an e-mail sent to one of our teachers a few weeks later. Thus I tend to take a dim view of some kind of code not to "rat on their fellow wayguks."

While she enjoyed Thailand we all had to make up the time not to mention the fact it affected the Korean teachers and students' view of foreigners. Not that there aren't a lot of legitimate runners (I know there are) but it definitely goes both ways and from experience I'm not about to automatically give anyone the benefit of the doubt.


Last edited by Cthulhu on Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:47 am; edited 1 time in total
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Homer
Guest




PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 7:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent response Cuthulu....well done indeed...
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humanuspneumos



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 1:37 pm    Post subject: Students' views of foreigners Reply with quote

Students' views of foreigners- ho-ho-ho-hee-hee-heee. Eeeeeesh. The outcome is pretty much the same whenever a foreigner leaves- the students are shocked for a day and the next candy/sticker waving white face brings cheers and smiles on the students' faces when he/she enters the room and plays the clown. Kids have a kind of ADD- they don't think in adult terms unless new teacher is boring. This has been repeated again and again.
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