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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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 Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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I rode a motorcycle here on and off for about two years and never found it that bad. Once you get used to it, it starts to feel normal.
The trick is that while Koreans break the rules, they do so consistently and predictably. For example: run a red if no one is around, push onto the intersection while waiting, drive on certain sidewalks but not others depending on how wide they are, etc.
The problem is that some people (usually older people, bus drivers and taxi drivers) think they drive recklessly if they are in a hurry. That's when accidents happen and that's the number one reason why you should NEVER DRIVE IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, even if you're driving a 50cc scooter.
Also, two wheels > four wheels in this country, unless you're in a rural area or unless you need to carry stuff around. I don't understand why the hell someone would choose a car over a motorcycle/scooter/bus/subway while living in Gyeonggi-do/Seoul.
Motorcycles get places faster and more cheaply than buses but sometimes the bus (or the subway) is faster than a motorcycle. A combination of these is best. Driving a car is the least convenient of all of these and you have more things to worry about like parking, the price of gas and so on. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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Considering the first post was mainly about accidents, although my memory of the description of the incident is a bit rusty, I'll give a brief anecdote related to that and insurance. Take that as you will.
A friend of a friend got into an accident with a bongo truck, I believe. First, the other driver attempted to flee the scene. Then the police showed up. Determining who is at fault was done by percentages. I think it was something like bongo truck 70%, friend's friend 30% at fault.
I think that's messed up on the surface, but I suppose an argument in defense of splitting the fault between the two parties could be made.
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re: Motorcycles and scooters. Yes, please stay out of the far right lane. The same friend who told me the anecdote above had numerous scooter/motorcycle rage stories about inept drivers. Of course, he also had a cool one about outrunning the cops one time on a motorcycle. 
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re: Getting a snapshot of the road. I'm pretty good at making one, although it's not very flattering for my fellow drivers. I just assume that everyone else will do the stupidest thing possible. Another big problem (especially on two wheels) is the huge number of blind alleys. Since most buildings go right up to the road (in Seoul especially), you can't really see what's going to pull out of those side roads. Making matters worse, most drivers just tend to gun it up to the point where they intend to stop, so they just suddenly appear with half the front end of the car sticking out into the road. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:22 am Post subject: |
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I have to agree, Busan drivers are the worst I have seen in Korea in terms of aggressivity and being reckless.
In fact, Busan is to Korea what Montreal is to Canada in terms of drivers!  |
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coralreefer_1
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:28 am Post subject: |
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| Zyzyfer wrote: |
Considering the first post was mainly about accidents, although my memory of the description of the incident is a bit rusty, I'll give a brief anecdote related to that and insurance. Take that as you will.
A friend of a friend got into an accident with a bongo truck, I believe. First, the other driver attempted to flee the scene. Then the police showed up. Determining who is at fault was done by percentages. I think it was something like bongo truck 70%, friend's friend 30% at fault.
I think that's messed up on the surface, but I suppose an argument in defense of splitting the fault between the two parties could be made.
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I will add my friends story to accentuate this idea of split responsibility for accidents here for the uninitiated.
A friend of mine was driving home from work. It had begun snowing during the day here in Daegu, and as I recall it was a pretty decent snow for this area.(barely covered the road, but that's a good snow here) Anyway said friend was and had been stopped for a few seconds at a red light, and a guy hits her from behind.
Not only does the guy who was totally at fault for ramming a car perfectly and legally stopped at a red light get out and begin yelling/blaming her...but the insurance company split the responsibility 80%his fault, 20% hers.
The logic (by insurance company/adjuster) is that you are at least partially at fault for anything just by being out on the road. |
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:02 am Post subject: |
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| coralreefer_1 wrote: |
| Zyzyfer wrote: |
Considering the first post was mainly about accidents, although my memory of the description of the incident is a bit rusty, I'll give a brief anecdote related to that and insurance. Take that as you will.
A friend of a friend got into an accident with a bongo truck, I believe. First, the other driver attempted to flee the scene. Then the police showed up. Determining who is at fault was done by percentages. I think it was something like bongo truck 70%, friend's friend 30% at fault.
I think that's messed up on the surface, but I suppose an argument in defense of splitting the fault between the two parties could be made.
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I will add my friends story to accentuate this idea of split responsibility for accidents here for the uninitiated.
A friend of mine was driving home from work. It had begun snowing during the day here in Daegu, and as I recall it was a pretty decent snow for this area.(barely covered the road, but that's a good snow here) Anyway said friend was and had been stopped for a few seconds at a red light, and a guy hits her from behind.
Not only does the guy who was totally at fault for ramming a car perfectly and legally stopped at a red light get out and begin yelling/blaming her...but the insurance company split the responsibility 80%his fault, 20% hers.
The logic (by insurance company/adjuster) is that you are at least partially at fault for anything just by being out on the road. |
From what little I've read, Korean law seems to deem all drivers on the road as 'professional drivers' and therefore consider that any crash could theoretically be avoided. It makes me wonder what the legislators were smoking when they drafted that one up. |
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motiontodismiss
Joined: 18 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Kimchifart wrote: |
From what little I've read, Korean law seems to deem all drivers on the road as 'professional drivers' and therefore consider that any crash could theoretically be avoided. It makes me wonder what the legislators were smoking when they drafted that one up. |
They were all business drunk on pot-laced soju!!!! |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Kimchifart wrote: |
| 12ax7 wrote: |
I've been driving in Korea since the 90's. Driving here used to be a very scary experience. But, things have gotten much better since then. The roads are wider (many of the highways hadn't been built yet back then) and drivers are much more careful (more experience and they drive nicer cars).
Long story short, driving here isn't so bad. Just relax and enjoy.
If you get a car, I recommend you get your insurance through a large company like Samsung, and get full coverage (no deductibles...you're not saving a large amount of money. In fact, you'll be losing quite a bit more if you just scratch someone's bumper).
Now, I'm not saying this will happen, but the odds that it does are probably higher than in your home country...If you're involved in an accident, don't panic. I can't stress this enough:always call your insurance provider right away and ask them to send an agent. They are extremely efficient. They can pinpoint your location from your cellphone signal. They'll have an agent on the scene in 5 to 10 minutes who'll take care of everything and tell you what to do.
Don't ever accept responsibility unless your insurance company says you're liable for the accident. For one, you probably won't be 100% liable even if you are absolutely certain that you are. Also, your rates won't shoot through the roof like they do back home (you might see a small increase after your second claim). Basically, you'd be a fool to try to settle things without contacting your insurance company. |
I'd definitely take that advice. Agents within five minutes? Sounds like the bloody men in black! How much roughly will full Samsung insurance cost a 30 something driver? |
Depends what you drive, but most Korean cars...450000-700000 won per year. If you have a Samsung credit card (you can apply for one at Emart. You'll need your certificate of employment), purchase your insurance at their website for a 15% discount. |
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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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This drives me nuts!
| drydell wrote: |
| Just got to realize that using the indicator is a signal to other Korean drivers that they should try their damnedest to not let you go where you need to on the road |
Where I'm from, if a car is ahead of you in the adjacent lane and wants to merge in, you slow down slightly and let him. HERE? Forget about it. People will NOT let you in. You have to just hold your breath and swerve in like a pr***. Which, I guess, is why they all do it to me too 
| drydell wrote: |
| Oh and you should indicate left at a right turn to join a flow of traffic... |
Yeah. That's just stupid. Do they teach that here in driving school?
And self-important people driving cars/buses with their 4-ways (hazzard lights) on... they think that gives them license to drive like maniacs. Also, if they DID decide to use their signal light, you wouldn't know, because the 4-ways are flashing! |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
I have to agree, Busan drivers are the worst I have seen in Korea in terms of aggressivity and being reckless.
In fact, Busan is to Korea what Montreal is to Canada in terms of drivers! |
"Maybe I can't turn right on a red light, but tabarnak I can drive right through it!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3a-wtq65Q
I've driven all over Korea, on the mainland and in the islands.
Seoul drivers are by far the worst. Worse than in Pusan.
Those bad drivers in Pusan that you see...They're probably tourists from Seoul.
Masan and Changwon are supposed to be pretty bad for fender benders. I believe it. Masan is built on the hills facing the bay, and so many of the roads are narrow and winding uphill. Last time I went to Changwon, it had one main road going into Masan, so rush hour traffic was horrendous there. But, the town is deserted during the holidays since practically nobody's from Changwon originally. I recommend going there for next Chuseok if you enjoyed the movies Vanilla Sky or I Am Legend.
Last edited by 12ax7 on Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:21 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Kimchifart wrote: |
| coralreefer_1 wrote: |
| Zyzyfer wrote: |
Considering the first post was mainly about accidents, although my memory of the description of the incident is a bit rusty, I'll give a brief anecdote related to that and insurance. Take that as you will.
A friend of a friend got into an accident with a bongo truck, I believe. First, the other driver attempted to flee the scene. Then the police showed up. Determining who is at fault was done by percentages. I think it was something like bongo truck 70%, friend's friend 30% at fault.
I think that's messed up on the surface, but I suppose an argument in defense of splitting the fault between the two parties could be made.
-----
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I will add my friends story to accentuate this idea of split responsibility for accidents here for the uninitiated.
A friend of mine was driving home from work. It had begun snowing during the day here in Daegu, and as I recall it was a pretty decent snow for this area.(barely covered the road, but that's a good snow here) Anyway said friend was and had been stopped for a few seconds at a red light, and a guy hits her from behind.
Not only does the guy who was totally at fault for ramming a car perfectly and legally stopped at a red light get out and begin yelling/blaming her...but the insurance company split the responsibility 80%his fault, 20% hers.
The logic (by insurance company/adjuster) is that you are at least partially at fault for anything just by being out on the road. |
From what little I've read, Korean law seems to deem all drivers on the road as 'professional drivers' and therefore consider that any crash could theoretically be avoided. It makes me wonder what the legislators were smoking when they drafted that one up. |
Well, maybe the insurance company lobby got to them because this could potentially allow them to raise the rates for both drivers. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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Don't ride a motorcycle or scooter. I have known two people killed, and almost all the other riders have had accidents (broken arms, etc.).
Better to get a 1 Mil beater accent-type and be safe. Also better for rainy days, dates, and listening to your tunes.
Motorcycles save a lot of time riding, but they are really risky. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
Don't ride a motorcycle or scooter. I have known two people killed, and almost all the other riders have had accidents (broken arms, etc.).
Better to get a 1 Mil beater accent-type and be safe. Also better for rainy days, dates, and listening to your tunes.
Motorcycles save a lot of time riding, but they are really risky. |
It's risky but a hell of a lot more people ride motorcycles without getting hurt/killed. There are a lot of precautions you can take and riding a motorcycle is in no way a death sentence, however that is in no way to say there isn't some inherent risk.
Out of curiousity, were any of these people who got killed English teachers here or were they people back home?
Of the thirty or so riders I've met in real life here, one was killed driving the Busan. The rest are fine. I also know people who've been riding here for more than a decade, accident-free. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:09 am Post subject: |
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| myenglishisno wrote: |
Out of curiousity, were any of these people who got killed English teachers here or were they people back home?
Of the thirty or so riders I've met in real life here, one was killed driving the Busan. |
These were people in Korea. Teaching English, but that doesn't matter.
1 of 30 people you know died.
I've probably know maybe 20 riders. All in the Busan area. The ones that were here 3 years later had all had accidents. I mean the ran into car mirrors, went over the handle bars, etc. I've seen a few of them on crutches, broken wrists, broken arms. I've seen a bike broken on the side of a road with chalk outlines on the road. I saw a guy on a scooter squished between a parked car and a backing up car (taxi I think).
Really I wouldn't risk it in a city area. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:13 am Post subject: |
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| 12ax7 wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
I have to agree, Busan drivers are the worst I have seen in Korea in terms of aggressivity and being reckless.
In fact, Busan is to Korea what Montreal is to Canada in terms of drivers! |
"Maybe I can't turn right on a red light, but tabarnak I can drive right through it!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3a-wtq65Q
I've driven all over Korea, on the mainland and in the islands.
Seoul drivers are by far the worst. Worse than in Pusan.
Those bad drivers in Pusan that you see...They're probably tourists from Seoul.
Masan and Changwon are supposed to be pretty bad for fender benders. I believe it. Masan is built on the hills facing the bay, and so many of the roads are narrow and winding uphill. Last time I went to Changwon, it had one main road going into Masan, so rush hour traffic was horrendous there. But, the town is deserted during the holidays since practically nobody's from Changwon originally. I recommend going there for next Chuseok if you enjoyed the movies Vanilla Sky or I Am Legend. |
Interesting! I always found Seoul drivers and Seoul driving to be far easier than the crazy lovable mess that is Busan! |
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:38 am Post subject: |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
Don't ride a motorcycle or scooter. I have known two people killed, and almost all the other riders have had accidents (broken arms, etc.).
Better to get a 1 Mil beater accent-type and be safe. Also better for rainy days, dates, and listening to your tunes.
Motorcycles save a lot of time riding, but they are really risky. |
Even in the UK I knew of people getting killed on those things, plus my 30 something teacher got killed on one when I was in school. They are death traps and in Asia, super death traps. |
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