Korean Job Discussion Forums

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

Got ripped off for the first time in Korea last night....

Last night I came into Seoul from Suwon to meet a girl that I've been seeing for a couple of weeks. I met her at Heyhwa station and gave her roses. She gave me chocolates. We went for dinner and then hung out at a jazz club and had a great time. At 11:30 we went back to the subway station and caught our trains after a farewell hug.

I was on line 4 and was going to transfer to line 1 at Dongdaemun but then decided I would take line 4 to Geumjeong and transfer there...big mistake. The train went across the Han and out of Seoul and I wasn't really paying much attention because I was studying some Korean. 15 minutes later I look up and I'm at goddamn Seoul Station! Apparently after the train crossed the Han it went in reverse.....

So at 12:30, I'm back in Seoul and I'm trying to figure out what I should do. I was thinking I'd got to a PC Bang or a Sauna and just wait for the morning but I called my girl and she said I should just take a taxi because it would be fast and not too expensive at that time, maybe 20 thousand. So I was talking to taxis and most didn't want to go to Suwon and the ones that were willing were asking for 50,000-60,000 and wouldn't negotiate. I finally found a guy who would take me to Suwon and I negotiated him down to 30,000. He directed me to his car and told me we would be leaving in a few minutes.

After about 30 minutes he shows up with two more passengers and says they will be dropped off first because it's on the way. I soon discovered that this meant going all the way West to Bucheon first and then back Southeast and my 45 minute cab ride turned into over 2 hours. When I finally got home I gave the guy 30,000 and he said 50,000 because "long time." I told him that I didn't care as it wasn't my fault he chose to go to Bucheon first and that it was a beeping long time for me too and we had negotiated 30,000...sam man won. He then became very angry and started yelling "sam man won NO...sa man won." I was pissed off but just wanted to go to bed so I gave him another 10,000 and we exchanged "sipbals" and "keiseikki's as I left"

hypnotist · Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Location: I wish I were a sock

I've never been particularly happy with taxis back to Suwon, but the best place to get them seems to be Gangnam. I managed to get a ride from Gangnam shared with three others for 30k (each) last Sunday, but at least everyone was going to Suwon.. I've also shared a taxi for 40k (total) from the Express Bus Terminal but we had a long argument when we arrived about whether we agreed on 40k or 50k. Luckily this was before I knew Korean numbers so couldn't use my lack of understanding as an excuse Wink

The taxis hang around outside Gangnam's bus stops to Suwon so it's pretty easy to pick one up there and know it won't be full of people going elsewhere.

I wish I knew what time the last bus on a Sunday was. Any other night of the week I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the last bus.

mithridates · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject:

Make sure when you talk to that girl again and tell her about it that you pretend it was an incident that happened to you a year ago. Even if it's gotten to you, pretend that it hasn't.

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

mithridates · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:43 pm Post subject:

Why? I think it's good to have an attitude like that but especially with a girl you might be attracted to. Not to pretend like it was completely nothing (that looks obvious) but just to treat it the way it is, as a story that wasn't too pleasant but will become nothing more than an anecdote in the future. She'll say something about Korean ajosshis, you'll shrug and say "Yeah, that's what life is like" or something like that and it'll keep up the good atmosphere the two of you have had so far.
Just an idea, but I think that might be the best attitude to adopt.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

NEVER take a taxi right outside the subway station right after the subway has closed for the night. It's a good way to get ripped off, because the cabbies know they have you by the balls. Walk a few blocks, wait half an hour to an hour, then demand that the use the meter. Maybe meter plus 10% if you're going as far as Suwon.

mithridates · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:58 pm Post subject:

shakuhachi · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Sydney

Question: Isnt it illegal for cab drivers (in Korea) to pick up other, unrelated passengers on the way?

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

keithinkorea · Joined: 17 Mar 2004

Bad luck. There are certainly some very rotten stinking apples in the taxi trade in Korea. Some taxi drivers are friendly, efficient, honest, helpful and actually know their roads. Other taxi drivers are scheming, dishonest, pricks who will do anything to rip you off.

Koreans get ripped of by some of the bad ones too so don't feel too bad about it. I've had some great taxi drivers and also some to who I've come close to punching their friggin' lights out.

hypnotist · Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Location: I wish I were a sock

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

I don't know about Suwon, but when I lived in Incheon the cabbies would usually ask for 25,000 for the trip from most places in downtown Seoul. When I started insisting on them using the meter the trip ended up being more like 18,000.

In other words, no matter where you're going I'm sure the cabbies DO know how much the meter is and are charging you a pretty penny more.

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

i remember a couple months ago a Korean friend of mine came from Incheon to Suwon to visit me at like 1 am. She took a cab and the meter ws 22,000. Now correct me if I'm wrong but Incheon to Suwon is at least the same distance if not more than Seoul to Suwon.

barrybrown · Joined: 18 Apr 2004

How come nobody told me it was Valentines Day!

manlyboy · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:39 am Post subject:

Maybe it's just because of dealing with taxi drivers in Jakarta for two years, but under the circumstances described in the OP, (late at night, multiple fares, no meter), I would be expecting the driver to try and rip me off. And if it only came down to an extra 10 000, I wouldn't consider it much of a loss at all.

I sympathize with the surly taxi driver types. People generally have no idea how stressful the job is. It's way more stressful than teaching. If you had to drive taxis for a living, you'd probably be surly, too.