Korean Job Discussion Forums

Seoultrader · Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Location: Ali's Insurgent Inn, Fallujah

Tons of cool/uncool stuff on/at Korean roads...

Cool: running into those roasted chicken trucks occasionally parked at bottleneck curbs...

Uncool: there's usually a couple of geriatric male streetwalkers dressed as women at the bus stop curb next to the Hyatt that give taxi drivers BJs...(ok, so maybe it's cool for the board homos...you're welcome)

Jensen · Joined: 30 Mar 2003 Location: hippie hell

diver · Joined: 16 Jun 2003

Here is what ticks me off...

I have been here a long time. My Province of Ontario drivers license expired a long time ago. My fault, should've taken care of it, but I didn't think I'd be here so long.

When I return home, the Province of Ontario will force me to go through the two year graduated licensing system. There are some pretty tough restrictions that will pretty much make it impossible to drive to work, thus limiting job opportunities. I have a driving history on record in Ontario, I have a clean driving record. But, I have to go through this two year BS program.

HOWEVER! There is a way around it. You see, any pinheaded driver from Korea can exchange his/her license for a full up Ontario drivers' license. That's right. The province wants to play it safe with me, and put me through a two year program to determine if I am still responsible enough to drive a car, but will give anyone from a country with one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world a license. Sheesh!

The good news is...I can get a Korean license and exchange it also (the loophole)...But I can't believe some of the judgement calls that Canadian governments make...

Corky · Joined: 06 Jan 2004

Funniest thing:
The Reverse Gear.
Next funniest thing:
"parallel parking." aka The 30 minute workout.

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

Funniest thing was watching the drivers try and brake in front of my place (there's a speed bump)... but the snow kept them from slowing down... I saw some very impressive air from some rather large vehicles.

wylde · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

cacheSurfer · Joined: 07 Dec 2003

I just love watching huge 40 ton trucks cruise through red lights. I think there only responsible for actually blowing the horn.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

What makes me laugh is my husband driving so cautiously whenever there's been like one centimeter of snow overnight. He keeps reiterating how you have to be careful because it's slippery and dangerous. I'm like, hon, welcome to six months of my year back in Canada.

batman · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 5:51 am Post subject:

About three years ago there was a snow storm in Busan.
Over the course of one morning at least 1 cm of snow fell.
The director of my school phoned me and asked if I thought classes should be cancelled for the day because of the snow.
Of course I said 'yes'.
Enjoying the freedom of a day off, I walked from my apartment to Haeundae beach.
While walking I kept hearing a strange noise (ba-bump-da-dump-da-dump).
Took me a while to figure out what it was.
Although the streets were clean (the 1 cm of snow had melted upon contact with the ground) many of the cars had chains on their tires.
Shocked

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Cars stuck on the ice! it was hilarious a few weeks ago when the snow came down, the roads around here were little more than a big ice rink! Cars and trucks were skidding, sliding all over the place, wheelspins, stuck, and so on. it just looked absolutely ridiculous with the traffic police waving their light sticks dementedly...

batman · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 2:38 am Post subject:

[quote="VanIslander" The dumbest thing I've ever seen was a foreigner hitchhiking. Does extending a thumb actually work?[/quote]
Wow, you saw me hitchhiking?
Cool.
True, I have hitchhiked in this country a few times.
Never a problem.
Usually able to get a ride after only a few seconds of having my thumb out.
Drivers were friendly too.

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

For a supposedly advanced country.....
koreans....
I just don't know sometimes. I just don't know. Any other advanced country and the cops would tow your car for half the crap that koreans do!!
If the cops would start towing cars, cities would make a killing!! Big money for the coffers!! And people would start learning to drive proper. Funny thing is, they take a written test and the test has questions like stoping for a red light, stopping at crosswalks, don't pass on the solid yellow or white lines, stop for school busses, etc. and yet once korens get their license, the rules don't apply!
I have seen everything now; saw a guy on a motorcycle with a kitchen sink tied to the motorcycle!! This was one of those stainless steel TWO tub sinks with a the flat surface on each side of the tubs! This sink was over two and a half meters long! About 7 feet! And he had his daughter, a young girl, sitting with him!
I never shut my lights off at a red light; pisses the drivers off and I don't care. I tell them to use your inside rearview mirror to deflect any light. I have shown a few koreans and they didn't know this! When it's cold outside, I've seen hundreds on cars with frosted windows. Why? They don't turn the heat on or use the defrosters! Why, why, why drive in a car that's freezing inside!?!?
It must just be me that's strange.

funplanet · Joined: 20 Jun 2003 Location: The new Bucheon!

Hellofaniceguy...you are absolutely right about the rearview mirrors...not long ago I dumbfounded my girlfriend (who as been driving about 10 years) by using the rearview mirror one night to deflect the headlights yada yada..she had no idea!!! she was like a little girl in a candy store playing with when I let her drive the next time...so...I asked some Korean teachers at work if they knew about it...hmmm, the what?? Shocked

I get a kick out of watching the buses in Bucheon cut across 2 left turn lanes and make a left turn on a red light while doing about 60kph or more...

the picnics in the expressway median....

the mobile sex shops....

sadsac · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Gwangwang

Namgang service stop, 0100 hrs in the morning after typhoon Memie or whatever her name was. Driving from Sacheon back to Ulsan. Expressway 10, unable to discover reason for moving at a snails pace. Nearly 4 hours later get to this rest stop, no power, place in darkness, chaos. Parking area completely full, traffic attendants using one lane of the expressway to park motorists. One lane down, entry lane, 9 kilometre line of traffic waiting to enter service area. The most stupid, moronic driving situation I have encountered in three years in Korea. Most recent, 3/02/04, Olympic Expressway, Seoul. Traffic jam, body lying in one lane covered by a sheet, police attemting to stop other motorists from running over it, comedy at its worst.