Site Search:
 
Speak Korean Now!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Seoul plans to raise basic taxi fares to W3,000 ASAP
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Fox



Joined: 04 Mar 2009
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Taxi drivers deserve a raise. Telling a guy who already probably works 12 hours a day to just work more if he wants to be able to support his family is ridiculous. So many people here care about absolutely nothing except their personal convenience and paying as little as possible for everything, it's more than a bit disheartening.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
12ax7



Joined: 07 Nov 2009
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Fox wrote:
Taxi drivers deserve a raise. Telling a guy who already probably works 12 hours a day to just work more if he wants to be able to support his family is ridiculous. So many people here care about absolutely nothing except their personal convenience and paying as little as possible for everything, it's more than a bit disheartening.


You've never had a taxi driver try to kick in your car door because you honked at him after he'd cut you off and then hit the brakes hard, bringing his car to a stop, eh? I remember the days when some of them acted like thugs. The only reason you rarely encounter such outbursts nowadays is because people have camera phones and dashboard cameras.

I'm only half joking when I tell my cousin, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and a taxi driver, that he should come over here and give lessons.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
NohopeSeriously



Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
More small buses, less taxies. Maybe Korea should adopt Russian style marshrutshkas. I enjoyed them back in the outer districts within Moscow.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nora



Joined: 14 Apr 2012
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Steelrails - sure, many cab drivers are hard working individuals.

But I regularly travel between Gimpo Airport and Bucheon, and the taxi drivers regularly refuse to take me or demand DOUBLE what it costs. When I ask them to use the meter (which is the LAW), they refuse. A Seoul taxi tells me he won't go to Bucheon and I should take the Gyeonggi taxi. The Gyeonggi taxi says HE won't go to Bucheon and that I must take the Seoul taxi as I am only about 500 meters outside of the Seoul limits in Bucheon. Then they tell me if I pay them 25k, they'll take me. All of this while the police officer is standing around watching them BREAK THE LAW and F every tourist that comes out of the terminal.

The fact that the government refuses to lift a finger to enforce the laws (like running the meters and taking a passenger - you know, the BASICS OF BEING A GODDAMN CAB DRIVER) or to crack down on these shady SOBs, I have zero tolerance or acceptance of raising rates.

While most people have one or two bad experiences, 90% of my experiences with cab drivers are total crap, and that is solely because I use cabs at Gimpo airport and yeongjongdo - an island where cabs are hard to find, so they stick it in and break it off at every available opportunity.

The government created this mess - too many hack licenses - and they continue to compound it. Higher rates means less use means more complaining about low wages means higher rates means less use means...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
12ax7



Joined: 07 Nov 2009
PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nora wrote:
Steelrails - sure, many cab drivers are hard working individuals.

But I regularly travel between Gimpo Airport and Bucheon, and the taxi drivers regularly refuse to take me or demand DOUBLE what it costs. When I ask them to use the meter (which is the LAW), they refuse. A Seoul taxi tells me he won't go to Bucheon and I should take the Gyeonggi taxi. The Gyeonggi taxi says HE won't go to Bucheon and that I must take the Seoul taxi as I am only about 500 meters outside of the Seoul limits in Bucheon. Then they tell me if I pay them 25k, they'll take me. All of this while the police officer is standing around watching them BREAK THE LAW and F every tourist that comes out of the terminal.

The fact that the government refuses to lift a finger to enforce the laws (like running the meters and taking a passenger - you know, the BASICS OF BEING A GODDAMN CAB DRIVER) or to crack down on these shady SOBs, I have zero tolerance or acceptance of raising rates.

While most people have one or two bad experiences, 90% of my experiences with cab drivers are total crap, and that is solely because I use cabs at Gimpo airport and yeongjongdo - an island where cabs are hard to find, so they stick it in and break it off at every available opportunity.

The government created this mess - too many hack licenses - and they continue to compound it. Higher rates means less use means more complaining about low wages means higher rates means less use means...


You're aware that you can report them to the Korea Tourism Organization, right?

(Admittedly, I am doubtful that they actually fine taxi drivers for the infractions that you name as they supposedly have the authority to do)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Who's Your Daddy?



Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
PostPosted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
nora wrote:

I regularly travel between Gimpo Airport and Bucheon, and the taxi drivers regularly refuse to take me or demand DOUBLE what it costs.


Are you sure they are breaking the law? I travel from Gimhae Airport (which is in the city of Busan) to Gimhae proper, which are different jurisdictions. A Gimhae city cab can take me to the airport, but can't pick up anyone there. Similarly a Busan cab drives me to Gimhae, but can't pick up anyone there. So each of them I have to agree on a rate, and I don't think the meter charges apply.

The airport cabs operate like a cartel though, or a gang.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
12ax7



Joined: 07 Nov 2009
PostPosted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Who's Your Daddy? wrote:
nora wrote:

I regularly travel between Gimpo Airport and Bucheon, and the taxi drivers regularly refuse to take me or demand DOUBLE what it costs.


Are you sure they are breaking the law? I travel from Gimhae Airport (which is in the city of Busan) to Gimhae proper, which are different jurisdictions. A Gimhae city cab can take me to the airport, but can't pick up anyone there. Similarly a Busan cab drives me to Gimhae, but can't pick up anyone there. So each of them I have to agree on a rate, and I don't think the meter charges apply.

The airport cabs operate like a cartel though, or a gang.


I don't know about now, but it certainly was the case a few years ago. Many newspapers covered the story. Cops at that time broke up a gang that was driving away (pardon the pun) the honest taxi drivers from the airport and ripping off unsuspecting passengers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
tophatcat



Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
PostPosted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 10:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yaya wrote:
tophatcat wrote:
I knew a taxi driver, here in Korea, back in 2004. He was a middle-age family man, always well dressed, and seemed to be a rather intelligent guy. He said he had lived in Atlanta, Georgia USA for several years. His English was rather good. Anyway, he told me that he would work six days straight @12 hours per day, then take two days off. This was giving him a minimum Net Pay of approximately 2.200.000 won per month, after he covered all of his expenses. Of course, working more was always optional if he wanted to make extra.


I heard an urban legend about a Korean cabbie who had a Ph.D but couldn't find work in his field. I'm not sure I can believe that but hey, fact is often stranger than fiction.


I've heard a couple of the same stories about Ph.Ds driving taxis in Mexico and in other South American countries. I knew a lady from Panama who was attending some class with me at my university. She told me that her uncle had a Ph.D and was driving a taxi. I was a little surprised at the time.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Steelrails



Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
PostPosted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The point seems to be that smearing cabbies as a bunch of ;azy, uneducated near-convicts is about as courteous and nonsensical as smearing NETs as lazy, barely-qualified delinquents.

Everyone in the world believes they deserved to be paid more for what they do. Many don't deserve it. But if you do believe yourself deserving of a raise, it would seem reasonable to believe that others deserve a raise as well.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ATM SPIDERTAO



Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
PostPosted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
dude korea is relatively GOOD in terms of taxi service

ever been to malaysia? they rip off tourists ALL THE TIME

and the thing is, they aren't just ripping off foreigners and refusing to turn on the meter.

they're ripping off locals too!

just do what the koreans do, say a REALLY FAR PLACE where your house will be on the way, and then tell them to let you off cuz you have to throw up lol