Korean Job Discussion Forums

Sticks · Joined: 13 Mar 2011 Location: Seoul, Korea

other than the "im bulletproof" mentality of a lot of locals here, i've also noticed the lack of side, rear, top, god-what-other-side-have-we-forgotten airbags other than the one in the front, stuffed into the dash. Some cars have them on the passenger's side, some don't.

Seems like car companies here skimp on the safety for local cars (more $$$$ in pocket) while stuffing in as much safety as is financially viable for international sale for cars destined for overseas.

Stan Rogers · Joined: 20 Aug 2010

Lots of people in Korea don't own a car. They don't have a car with a car seat already installed and ready to go.

It's practically impossible for a small Korean mother to drag around a car seat+base and their kid, baby food, diapers, wipes, milk etc and then install a car seat into a taxi, and then strap their kid into the car seat every time they have to go somewhere.

Try doing all that every time you have to go some place or places with shopping bags also and back home again. It wouldn't be long before you'd be doing the same thing.

ChrisLamp · Joined: 27 Jul 2010

I often see toddlers crawling around inside moving cars here. It's gross.I once saw a three year old hanging out the sunroof like a drunken teenager in a limo on prom night.

The worst was two weeks ago when I was waiting for the bus a young father left his car idling to run into the 711. His baby who couldnt have been more than threee proceeded to jump into the drivers seat and fiddle with the controls until his father returned, unperturbed. Makes me so mad.

pangaea · Joined: 20 Dec 2007

Stan Rogers wrote:

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

As for the scooter, I think those families are doing it out of economic necessity. Sort of like families who have children that age working in semi-dangerous jobs.

I don't think any of us grew up in a family situation where a scooter was the primary source of transportation for a family of four. Not going to get all high and mighty with people who are poor like that.

Cars, of course. Scooters, helmets yes, but saying four people shouldn't ride them or blah blah just comes across as one of those things where the rich tell the poor how they should live.

Kuros · Joined: 27 Apr 2004

nero · Joined: 11 Mar 2009

NYC_Gal 2.0 · Joined: 10 Dec 2010

I have a few car-less friends with little ones in NY. They use these when they take taxis or when on vacation and renting a car:

http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Portable-Seat-Collection/dp/B000K53TFI

The seat weighs about 4 pounds and folds up neatly. It's not as good as a full-sized seat, but for people who don't own a car and only need them for shorter jaunts, it does the trick.

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

Just now is it the law to have seatbelts in the backseat.

Congrats Korea. You are 25-30 years behind western countries on safety education.

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

The point is its one thing to mandate helmets, its another to insist that a family of four can't ride their only form of motorized transportation. If you don't want a poor family riding a scooter together, go buy them a car. Modern life necessitates motorized transportation.

If you didn't have them on the scooter then they'd be walking to school alone and you'd yell at them for that. The point is don't tell someone to not go right if you are going to yell at them for going left as well.

shifter2009 · Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Location: wisconsin

Crockpot2001 · Joined: 01 Jul 2007

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

Well I don't have a driver's licence. I am legally blind. But a car is my only way to get to work. Is it okay for me to drive then?

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

What about Korea's rural to semi-rural towns. School, Mommy's work are all hours away by walk but not that far by scooter.

"Oh yes, nothing is more important than safety"... and yet if you are spending an hour by foot walking... And of course if you are walking all of us are yelling at you for allowing your kid to walk dangerous roads unsupervised...

The point I'm trying to make is that if you were that mother in that situation you might make the same choice as well... Go ahead and buy that ajumma a car and a safety seat or be quiet.

Your yearly income is not 6 million won. Ease up.

murmanjake · Joined: 21 Oct 2008

I saw a kid standing up in the front seat of a bongo truck yesterday--absolutely nothing to impede his flight through the front windshield when shit goes down. I see kids bouncing all over the backseats of cars every day. Often enough I seem them in the front too. I'm told now and then that you don't need to buckle up in the back because it's safer there. Some bitch almost winged me with her mirror as i was walking down a side street this morning. I don't know if I was angrier about her toddler unbuckled in the front seat or her reckless driving.

I don't know why we're talking about scooters and poor mothers who take taxis from time to time. In most cases there are car seats in the car and the kids just aren't strapped in!