Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gwangjuboy]

[Gwangjuboy]

[Gwangjuboy]

[chiaa]

I haven't read all the posts since my last one, there are just too many. But, I would like to add something else.

Awhile back I was speaking with my sister in law who is working on her masters in city planning. We got around to talking about traffic. There was someplace that is just on the inside of Seoul city's boundries that they wanted to make a park n ride. You know, you drop your car off and then use public transportation within the city. The people of Seoul (mainly their government reps) were beside themselves with anger. Their thinking was that why should they pay for the parking lot to let out of towners use it.

All of them failed to realize the benfits. With less traffic, less road repair work, thus less money on road repairs. Lower pollution, thus less cost on heath care and city cleaning (when it does take place). Less traffic, thus saving money (or being able to make more money) in transportation fees of goods within the city.

I do not know if anyone else has mentioned this in the ten pages of posts, but I feel the main reason why Seoul is so dirty is that no body wants to pay for it to be cleaned.

There is a citizen tax that I know at least people in Seoul have to pay. I believe that it is paid twice a year, or something like that. I cannot remember how much it was when my wife last paid hers. The dirtiness problem could be solved so easily if each person paid an extra 4.000 won a year (2.000 every six months). Given that there is about 15 million or so people in the seoul metro area that adds up to a nice budget for street cleaners and such. I guess it just makes too much sense...

http://www.whatthebook.com

[Homer]

Chiaa...they tried this in Canada too and got rebuffed in a hurry.
They have tried to push for public transit but people love their cars and even buy cars that pollute more.

This is, sadly, not limited to Korea in any way.

In fact, L.A. probably has just as much smog as Seoul due to car exhaust and you try talking about public transit there...

[coolsage]

Homer is a notorious apologist for this place, and once again he has his facts wrong. In most larger cities in Canada, and even in some of the smaller ones (e.g. Victoria), there are park-and ride facilities available; leave your car at the outskirts, a shuttle-bus drops you off at your workplace and returns you to your car at the end of your workday. Also, in larger cities, especially in the US, there are lanes reserved for carpooling only. Koreans haven't yet evolved to this way of thinking; their car is probably the only private space they ever have, and they guard it jealously, environment be damned!

[Homer]

Coolsage,

I am here in Canada right now (Toronto) and while there is public transit, the car problem is growing at an alarming rate as the more and more numerous smog alerts and traffic nightmares happen.


Its not being an apologist...its looking at things for what they are.

Was in Montreal last week-end...great public transit but its grossly underfunded and they are spending heaps more on infrastructure for cars then for public transit.
Those park and ride areas are there but being under-used...

Ottawa: lets not discuss this cities public transit as it is back in the stone age....nice buses but not nearly frequent enough.

Car-pool lanes...sure we got em here but half the cars on them have just the driver in them.

#1 selling vehicle here in TO: SUV.
#1 buyer: single, professional in his earlu 30's.

Oh yeah its a public transit paradise here.

[Ilsanman]

Homer and Coolsage,

the amount of cars on the road, the amount of people thta use the bus, that is quite subjective unless you have some hard statistics. You are speaking on what you saw.

In my opinion, if Canada is serious about having people use the bus, it needs to increase routes and lower fares. Buses are excellent in Korea except for driving like total maniacs.

[Homer]

Excellent point Ilsanman.

Unfortunately Canada is not doign what you said....

In Busan, I find that the buses and subways are excellent (better than in TO as far as efficiency and frequency of service). The traffic (cars) does remain nightmarish in good ole busan though...

[matthewwoodford]

[Ilsanman]

[superdave]

garbage i can handle ... when there's no public trash cans for miles, i see why people throw crap everywhere. that's a government issue, not a people problem.

the one thing that bugs the f*ck outa me is the spitting.

people spit everywhere. on the street, in a stairwell, in a hallway, in a classroom, in an elevator, in the subway. people don't swallow it, they spit and wipe it with their foot, as if smearing it makes it better.

6 years in korea and it's the only habit i can't tollerate.

[seoulsucker]

Not sure if this has been covered in the thread yet, but here goes.

Apparently, when the buy-a-bag system was put in place, there were still several trash bins all over the city, but no one wanted to pay the hefty price for the new bags, so they just dumped all their stuff next to the bins, which piled up and became unsightly. Now instead of bins with piles of trash next to them, you just have the piles. Brilliant.

If you walk the same route to school everyday, try a little experiment. I've done this a few times. Find a clean spot, and leave one can, bag, or trash item there. I'd bet a few thousand won that by the time you walk back home, it will have grown.

[cdninkorea]

A few months ago on the subway, I had a pastry wrapped in one of those sealed plastic pouches from a bakery. After having seen for months how Koreans put their newspapers and soda cans on the racks above the seats, and knowing that I wouldn't find a garbage can when I got to where I was going, I simply dropped the plastic pouch on the floor of the subway.

Well, a coal-faced adjoshi happened to see this and made a fuss. This got the attention of a young Korean guy who spoke a little bit of English. The fuss caused between the two of them would have made you think I committed some grave offence rather than doing what everyone else does in this city.

I did end up picking up my trash. I know I shouldn't litter, but when a) everyone else does it, and b) there are no garbage cans around, I do anyway.

[ajgeddes]