Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sigmundsmith]

... in seeing how many of their fellow citizens they can run over in the morning on the way to work.

It just amazes me that this morning I saw one poor man hit by a car as he was walking across the crosswalk on the green man. The other cars had stopped but the outside lane (with no car waiting) meant that obviously a self important man could run through on a red light sending this guy across the front of the car.

Then 10 mins later, a bus running a red light (again) collides with a car who was driving through a green light.

The Koreans excuse. They are busy and in a rush. Well, so are people in London and New York. But that doesn't solve the problem which occurs daily here.

I vaguely remember that the government introduced a law a few years back that made it comulsory to have young children restrained or placed in a capsule while driving (please correct me on this). Koreans were very much against this as they felt that they were being told what to do.

Well, these actions affect others. So the simple solution is redlight cameras. Hit them up were it hurts - their wallets. Run a red light and there is a 300k fine (or whatever they choose). The camera automatically takes a picture through senses when someone runs a redlight.

Great windfall for the government in revenue, which will lead (eventually) to the reduction in fatalities.

[T-J]

[Underwaterbob]

I heard something about the public being allowed to take pictures of traffic infractions. The drivers would be fined, and the picture taker paid some minimal amount. It resulted in a turf war over the most profitable intersections.

Upgrading the infrastructure (like maybe a stop sign or two) and giving police more authority (or at least some incentive to do their jobs) would go a long way towards improving the driving conditions around here.

[Jane]

If capsules are child car seats, then you are right. I remember reading the article a few years ago, where the housewifes they interviewed for the article said they didn't like the imposition of Western ideas on them, and chose not to use child car seats.

It's too bad; in my teaching days, I had more than one kid come to class bruised up from a car accident (while riding in the cars). I've heard of two deaths (related to people I work with) where children have been run over by a car. Very sad.

[VanIslander]

[refikaM]

It's just plain not having any consideration or feelings for the faceless individual.. whether driving, walking, parking, or riding a bike.. If no one knows you.. no one cares..

[The Grumpy Senator]

Koreans drive offensively, while those from North America are taught to drive defensively. For example, when turning from a side street onto a main road, I would wait for a break in the traffic. My wife will just merge into the traffic and when I flinch, she says "If they do not want to hit me, they will stop."

I remember similar situations when I live in Italy in the early 1980s. There was a sign outside the Air Force base that told the number of days that had passed since an accident involving an American service memeber (or family). The sign never got passed 20 days, and this was not a big base!!! From what I have heard, it has not improved. The two styles do not mix!!

[DCJames]

[antoniothegreat]

[DCJames]

[sigmundsmith]

[GoldMember]

Firstly the fines are peanuts $30-$50 bucks and secondly if you don't want to you really don't have to pay them!

[egrog1717]

Korea = Darwin's Playground...

[jvalmer]

[sarbonn]

The way other people drive in Korea is why I will never get a car here (or a moped or whatever). I do not trust other drivers at all.

My problem is that I'm still at the mercy of drivers who don't pay attention to pedestrians. I'm very careful when crossing streets because of it, yet at least twice since I've been here, I've nearly been hit by someone who came out of nowhere and had no intentions of stopping at a red light even though I was in the crosswalk. One guy came rushing around the corner and missed me close enough that I felt the air of his car blow me back as he flew by me. Didn't stop. Didn't care. A second later, I would have been dead. And I doubt he would have stopped or would have cared.

The person who wrote that it is a symptom of offensive driving is not exactly correct. Offensive driving was what I learned when driving in France (he mentioned Italy, which is similar). It's a lot different here. This isn't offensive driving but "no concern about what they're doing" driving. This is why they hit each other as much as they do. Offensive driving works when everyone drives offensively. Here, they drive chaotically and then end up crashing with the people who drive with a sense of order.