Korean Job Discussion Forums

[okokok]

[Bibbitybop]

Never mind the vehicle traffic problems, the stopping in front of turnstiles and escalators, the bumping, the relaxed rape laws, or the economy.

THIS is important and surely will be easily accepted by all generations of Koreans.

[Xuanzang]

What has more chance of sticking? This or the new ciggie bans?

[thurst]

wow i didn't know that this was an engrained thing. but now knowing this, it begs the question why the subway escalators are designed in teh way they are.

[Adventurer]

[Gimpokid]

Westerners drive many different ways....Canadians and Americans drive on the right (aka the correct side) and Brits and Austrailians drive on the left. Saffas ride their elephants anyplace the bush is thinnest. The Irish drink a 5th and pull on to the freeway in reverse.

I'm not sure what's up with Koreans. They seem to engage pedestrians at a much farther distance than us civilized folk and are shuffling and stutter stepping a good 30 feet out and still end up running into people. Go figure.

[DrOctagon]

[moosehead]

I grew up with a great deal of info regarding walking against the traffic so cars could see you as a pedestrian - bikes to go the same way - it was a safety issue and made sense.

when I see Ks walking alongside traffic, it just seems to dangerous - and the way cars ignore pedestrians anyway - and children running thru cars - I can't believe more aren't killed or maimed, but maybe they are -

oh well - glad to see someone is finally urging some awareness

[Robot_Teacher]

Yep, the US said to walk on the left as back home they still say it's safer to walk on the left side of the road to see right side of the road traffic coming at you instead of it coming from behind you. This is for typical roadside walking that would had been common years ago in Korea and still is in older neighborhoods, but today, there're sidewalks, footpaths, and many other pedestrian areas that surely didn't exist in 1921. In places with no footpaths or sidewalks where you have to walk where cars can go, I walk on the left when possible. When roadside walking, I prefer the left side to face car traffic, but in America we walk on the right side in pedestrian areas such as college campuses, footpaths, and other public places.

In Korea, many walk on the left in pedestrian areas and many just go all over the place where you're expecting left and then they immediately and annoyingly go right into you within 3 feet of approaching them. Possibly many of these walk into kind of people are drunk or exhausted or get up tight about seeing a foreigner dead ahead. People movement is weird and their is a lot of psychology behind it.

I think left side walking in pedestrian areas is disharmonious and downright annoying when everyone can't keep to the rule. No wonder why the study said it made people's hearts work harder.

I also noticed many Korean drivers can't keep in their lane making walking, cycling, and 50 cc mopeding a deadly risk as many people just walk and drive on both sides, especially in turns as if they're too lazy to firmly hold onto their steering. No complaints about left or right side driving as long as everyone is decided on which side it's going to be. Same for walking.

[Adventurer]

[Robot_Teacher]

I guess we're looking at a developing country; developing both technologically and culturally, but expecting this rich polished developed country that in reality is culturally far behind despite looking ultra modern in fashion and gadgetry. We're looking at this small Asian country on the other side; not quite a Switzerland or Japan, but trying to develop into that. It's not a bad thing to be a developing country as that means they're trying and are making progress. I give the Koreans a thumbs up for trying to further develop as I wish America would get right back to redeveloping economically and technologically and redefining the culture, but lack to do so. It's just awkward living in a place where people can't make up their minds as to how things are to work that haven't yet been fully developed and established. I give Korea a 2nd thumbs up for NOT taking a hardliner police stance against the people on new issues like America does. Such as issues surrounding cell phones as well as how pedestrian and car traffic is to function.

I'm sure Western countries went through these phases of learning and establishing how society functions about 50 to 100 years ago. Now we're a bit dated on our model, but it works in principal if capitalism can keep floating boats which it doesn't appear to be doing any longer for most people. In the West, we have highly defined culture and rules, becuase we already developed and grew up ourselves in a fully developed culture that then manifested narcissism, the arts, and the party during our time of living. Korea is only on the verge of all that and probably will be all that in 10 years from now. Including high crime, drugs, and narcissistic individualism (today's Korean kids are the 1st ones here), but with more highly defined order and laws such as everyone walking on the right side.

[nosmallplans]

I talked to a Korean friend about this exact thing. He said that they've attempted legislation like this several times in the past and they've all failed. I wouldn't expect to see this change any time soon.

[Captain Corea]

I could care less which side they choose - just choose one!

[cazador83]

[ThingsComeAround]

Generally when riding a bike, the rule is to ride facing traffic, so you may see them. It is more dangerous to ride/walk with the traffic, since you can't see them.

But I can see how if this is enforced, it will be taken to a ridiculous level (foreigners getting ticketed for walking on the "wrong side")