Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Died By Bear]

I had one last year in December in Seoul. The bike landed on my left leg. They did one x-ray from the side, but not front to back. My knee was sprained so bad, they put my leg in a cast for a couple of weeks.

I didn't do anything strenuous for a year. Then I started working out about three weeks ago on stairmaster, 150% incline on the treadmill, and cycling fixed gear. Immediately my left knee started hurting and I limped for a week after that. My knee was still hurting every time I'd get up and down.

Then I went to see an orthopedic doc yesterday (in the land of the free and the home of the brave, no not Scotland) . He took proper x-rays from front to back, and turns out my kneecap drifted a ways over to the left. I need physical therapy to move it back over. He said they would show me some exercises to help it along.

Edit: He gave me a shot of cortizone in the left knee. I said, hey doc how bout a shot in the right one too since that one hurts too

I know captian Kirk had a very bad motorcycle accident and had his leg in therapy for a year or so. I forgot the whole story now, hoping he'll check in and see this.

Save your knees and elbows. Wear protective gear. I wish I had.



You got any blood and guts stories?

[goesslry]

I got hit by a dumba$$ delivery van driver that was speeding, and pulled out of an alley onto the haebangchon street without looking for traffic.

Shattered my leg, spent over a month in the hospital, have a rod with about 15 screws and bolts in my leg, had an 8 hour surgery, and will have another next year.

Got a decent settlement from his insurance though.

[Died By Bear]

I don't understand why my thread double posted. I only edited it once with the poll.

Dang

[redaxe]

Good thread idea.

I took a minor spill heading down the ramp into the underground parking garage at my apartment building in Seoul. It was raining so it got a little slippery and when the bike started to fishtail I got nervous and accidentally cranked the throttle a little, which was enough to send me into a slide and hit the barricade between the in and out lanes. I was wearing my guitar on my back at the time, so thank god the guitar didn't get damaged and I was fine except for scraped up palms.

[oldtactics]

No spills so far, but almost got killed by passing trucks on the rural roads outside Chuncheon - even riding on the shoulder results in a lot of near-death experiences.

My father has owned motorcycles for 30 years and his number one rule was that we should never get on a bike without long sleeves & pants, at the very least. I see expats driving around in shorts and tank tops, and I can't stop imagining them with no skin.

[machoman]

[nathanrutledge]

The worst I've ever done to myself was fell over. I had just stopped in the garage, with those slippery rubber floors, and stood up without thinking about it, lost my balance and just tipped over. Only hurt my pride.

I did hit a jaywalking child, but it all ended up okay.

Oldtactics, I'm always in jeans and sleeves, at a minimum. My mother is from the farm, and she had a friend growing up who rode on a motorcycle, tipped over on the gravel and burned the skin off her leg from the exhaust. She hated it when I got a motorcycle back home, and even moreso when I got one here... But protection is paramount.

[talltony4]

I ran into the back of a taxi once.

Just being a dick really, going too fast, dodging around cars, then the taxi stopped and I couldn't stop in time.

No serious damage though. I just paid 60,000 to the taxi driver and put a few band aids on my cuts and bruises.

Three things I learned from that:

1. 125cc korean delivery bikes have crappy brakes
2. just because your are riding a motorcycle doesn't mean you have to speed everywhere. Actually, I lie. It took me a few more years and a big speeding fine to learn that lesson.
3. wear some knee protection. (when I hit the road my knee hit first)

[southernman]

I just pulled into my driveway once when living on Geoje and there was dog in front of me. Swerved, ended up hitting a deep pothole and everything was as they say in slow motion after that. Ended up with grazed knees and elbows. So I got off lucky, my pants and shirt were write offs

I'm walking now, had my 125 cc stolen, 2nd time I've had a scooter stolen in Korea. In different cities as well. I think its a car next time for me when I'm buying

[IlIlNine]

[sulperman]

I learned the hard way (well, not that hard, just some scratches on the bike and a lot of embarrassment) that those green-painted gas station surfaces get extremely slippery when wet.

[wormholes101]

I rode for 2 years with a 125cc. I had one spill.

I was making a simple left turn in wet conditions however the "road" was not a road. The road was in fact huge steel plates used to cover the construction of the subway beneath. Those plates in the rain turned out to be deathly slippery - like ice - and the bike slipped out from under me. I was fine, bike cost about 50,000 won to repair.

Has a few close calls with fishtails and so forth - usually from riding too aggressively - but I'm pretty good at controlling those. Years of BMX riding as a youth teaches you good riding skills.

[danpaesan]

A young guy coming the opposite direction made an illegal left turn in front of me. I almost got around the back of his car, but hit it with my elbow and knee. 10 weeks in hospital, nerve damage, and loss of range of motion in my elbow. Be careful and slow down a little. I still ride though.

[le-paul]

hit the crap on the roads on sunday.
Luckily we were well prepared with our clothes and wearing pads on our arms, shoulders etc. so that took the brunt of it (though they are all ruined now). My girlfriend fractured her shin though where the bike fell on her and i only got whiplash.
This could have happened anywhere, though i would say if they had covered the road surfaces with anything other than soil from the rice fields (eg salt) the bike probably wouldnt have slipped...
Anyway, Ill fix it up this week and be back on next week. If you can survive 2 years riding here without a crash considering all the crappy driving and road surfaces, you could survive anywhere.


My tips for riding/few things Ive learned here

1/ bigger, wider tyres - the better. These crappy boy racer 125s or chicken chasersvfor example are a death trap on these roads.
2/never trust a driver to do what they are supposed to do (becasue that one time you relax, they will do something utterly unpredictable).
3/ A heavier bike means it has better breaking/breaks (and will also be better in a crash as itll take more of the impact)
4/ dont think just because you can get a bike from 'A to B' that you know how to ride - because you dont.
5/ ride aggressivley. If you ride passively, people will have less regard for you and wee on you from a great height.
6/ make sure you have a licence and insurance - regardless of your bike because if you crash, the first thing that will happen is that police will be called. The second thing is that they will ask you for your licence.
6/ never relax/stop concentrating. Even if your on an open road becasue there are hazzards everywhere for a motorbike.
7/ always wear AT LEAST elbow pads, a helmet and gloves. Even minor burns from grit/sand on the road at 15 mph an hour will hurt like hell and rip your jean to shreds. Unsually its your hands and arms that will get it first, if not your knees (go to thailand and look in a hospital near the beaches).
8/ remember you only have 2 wheels, not 4.

But above all, go somewhere quiet and practice breaking and cornering. becasue when something happens, your natural instincts will kick in and they are not necessarily the same instincts that will save you in a quick thinking/acting situation. If you learn how to react (example countersteering or correct application of the breaks front to rear ratio) youve more chance of getting away unscathed. Most people will slam on the breaks without thinking about it or pull the clutch. You cant do this on a bike as either the front or rear wheels will slip out from under you. On a corner if you pull the clutch, you loose control of the bike.

Safe riding!

[Died By Bear]

Thanks for the great replies and good stories!

machoman - adjumma ran into me she was doing a right turn at the last second - she was busy talking on her cell phone. She never saw me and turned right into me. All I remember is flying through the air with the bike and it landing on my left leg.

I wonder if my kneecap will ever move back into the right place. I think the doc was being optimistic so I wouldn't flip out. I would hate to think that I can never work out and do any kind of strenuous exercise again.