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asmith
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
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 Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject: Driving in Korea |
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I just bought a santa fe. Every morning, I nearly get murdered driving to school. And I do mean murdered. Today a bus forced me out of my lane into a lane of on coming traffic. I will be cleaning my underpants for several days due to this scare.
I have no idea why Koreans can't drive. There nice people till you put them behind the wheel of a car. |
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climber159
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Perhaps you should reconsider being a car owner in Korea. |
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shinramyun
Joined: 31 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:35 pm Post subject: Re: Driving in Korea |
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| asmith wrote: |
I just bought a santa fe. Every morning, I nearly get murdered driving to school. And I do mean murdered. Today a bus forced me out of my lane into a lane of on coming traffic. I will be cleaning my underpants for several days due to this scare.
I have no idea why Koreans can't drive. There nice people till you put them behind the wheel of a car. |
Wuss.
You won't even survive driving like that in Hong Kong. |
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Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| And he's not even in Seoul. Wouldn't last five minutes here, we cheat death every day. |
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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Korea has industrialized and advanced so quickly that a lag exists between the introduction and adoption of technology and the etiquette and manners of how to use it.
This includes not only cars, but also elevators, escalators, cellphones--you name it.
The question is: will Koreans eventually learn how to use technology with some social grace? |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| This includes not only cars, but also elevators, escalators, cellphones--you name it. |
I think Koreans started using cellphones at the same time as westerners. Mid to late 90's. They do have an etiquette for cellphone use. It's just that it conflicts with a much older East Asian trait of not giving a damn about what people you don't have to see again think of you.
As for driving in Korea........I don't have much problem. Once I realized that it's much the same as home (minus the courtesy) but everything happens at a much faster pace. You just have to up your game. Don't relax. And expect everybody to do whatever it takes for them to progress. |
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seonsengnimble
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Location: taking a ride on the magic English bus
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:16 pm Post subject: Re: Driving in Korea |
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| asmith wrote: |
I just bought a santa fe. Every morning, I nearly get murdered driving to school. And I do mean murdered. Today a bus forced me out of my lane into a lane of on coming traffic. I will be cleaning my underpants for several days due to this scare.
I have no idea why Koreans can't drive. There nice people till you put them behind the wheel of a car. |
Have you ever been in a crowded subway? Driving is pretty much the same thing here, except with dangerous machines. I'm surprised there aren't more head on collisions. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
Korea has industrialized and advanced so quickly that a lag exists between the introduction and adoption of technology and the etiquette and manners of how to use it.
This includes not only cars, but also elevators, escalators, cellphones--you name it.
The question is: will Koreans eventually learn how to use technology with some social grace? |
BS. Koreans don't have a culture of driving etc...BS.
I don't have any experience with a handgun, but I know I shouldn't just pick one up, point it at my head, and pull the trigger.
If there is any lag in Korea, it is a lag in the introduction of common sense. They are not poor drivers because of "cultural reasons". They are poor drivers because they are selfish. Thinking that getting to your appointment is more important than another's life is the epitome of selfishness.
Last edited by diver on Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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myeo
Joined: 04 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Koreans don't have a culture of driving |
North America is a car culture. I think the first time I drove a car on my own was when I was 10 (I grew up on a farm). If you cannot drive well in North America, you are quite often looked down upon by your family/peers.
North America may well be a car culture, but very very few of the people I know can drive a car with a manual transmission. Are most cars in Korea standard or automatic? |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I just bought a santa fe. Every morning, I nearly get murdered driving to school. And I do mean murdered. Today a bus forced me out of my lane into a lane of on coming traffic. I will be cleaning my underpants for several days due to this scare.
I have no idea why Koreans can't drive. There nice people till you put them behind the wheel of a car |
You have to give way. You can't just keep going straight on thinking because you are in the lane you have right of way. You have to touch your brakes and yield. |
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frankly speaking
Joined: 23 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, Asmith bought something that was expensive. I am surprised that he wasn't concerned about the end of the economic world. How can someone write so often about the global economic crisis and then go out and buy a gas guzzling eco-destroyer. With the economically and convenient public transportation system here, I would have thought that he would be more sensible.
OK, enough teasing. I am glad that you are safe and didn't have something bad happen to you. almost being in a wreck is like almost being pregnant. You weren't in a wreck so no worries. We as drivers need to realize that a close call isn't that bad. Better to relax and stay calm no matter what every other retard is doing. (I know easier said than done, I also need to listen to my own advice.) But bottom line is that you are safe and nothing really happend. You are lucky.
Please be careful driving and always wear your seatbelt. I wouldn't advise having your kids in the car for the first 6 months or so while you get used to these maniacs. I only drove a car a few times here and won't ever do it again. Make sure that you have extra good insurance. |
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martypants
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ulsan, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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My wife just learned how to drive last year. She's 42. Driving school is mandatory for Koreans to get a license here.
When we first went out with her driving, I was shared sh$tless because she was changed lanes whenever she wanted without checking her blind spot.
I asked her why she didn't check it for there might actually be a car there. Her reply: they don't teach that in driving school.
That explained a whole sh%tload of poor driving I've witnessed since then. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| martypants wrote: |
I asked her why she didn't check it for there might actually be a car there. Her reply: they don't teach that in driving school.
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It's also possible that they DO teach it in driving school, but it's just something she didn't remember. I once briefly saw a list of stuff they had to cover at driving school here and I remember thinking at the time that it was fairly unexceptional in terms of either being really good or really bad. There were a couple of things I had to do in the UK that I didn't spot, but I've also found examples of the opposite too. To be honest, I've heard much scarier stories from American friends of what they needed to do to get their licence.
To say a lot of Korean bad driving is down to selfishness is very true. But so is a lot of bad driving everywhere....and a lot of bad cycling, bad motor bike riding and bad pedestrian habits.
IMO cultural traits do play a role in how many drivers behave here. There's definitely a belief that one will always ultimately yield to the other, which, I believe explains a lot of the aggressive/offensive driving here. There are many situations where it's a case of 'I'm pulling out/changing lanes here and the cars coming WILL slow down because they WON'T want to hit me'. I still don't like it, but you deal with it or don't drive.
At the end of the day, whilst there are things that annoy me and will always me on Korean roads, I don't think the driving is particularly worse than a number of western countries I've driven in. It's not unreasonable for people who start driving here to complain as it can be quite a shock if your previous overseas driving experience is limited. But you get used to it and as you come to expect certain things that initially drove you nuts, you're instictively more prepared to deal with them and they bother you less. |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
Korea has industrialized and advanced so quickly that a lag exists between the introduction and adoption of technology and the etiquette and manners of how to use it.
This includes not only cars, but also elevators, escalators, cellphones--you name it.
The question is: will Koreans eventually learn how to use technology with some social grace? |
LOL I just love it when Korean managers answer their cell phones during a meeting and proceed to have an entire conversation instead of saying "i'm in a meeting, I'll call you back." |
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big_fella1
Joined: 08 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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| martypants wrote: |
My wife just learned how to drive last year. She's 42. Driving school is mandatory for Koreans to get a license here.
When we first went out with her driving, I was shared sh$tless because she was changed lanes whenever she wanted without checking her blind spot.
I asked her why she didn't check it for there might actually be a car there. Her reply: they don't teach that in driving school.
That explained a whole sh%tload of poor driving I've witnessed since then. |
Actually it's true, they don't teach shoulder checks here. I was driving with my wife and she asked me why I was looking over my shoulder? Can't you just adjust your mirrors? In a carpark, I showed her the blindspots.
I am wondering if the other driver has the responsibility not to drive in your blindspot. |
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