Korean Job Discussion Forums

[desultude]

I paid 50,000 from Seoul Station to the airport- including toll, on the meter. It's high- but it took over an hour! Try that in the U.S.! An hour ride in a taxi would be much more, and the gas is less than half the cost there than it is here.

Seoul is not Hanoi- the cost of living is Western, and people have to make a living.

[JongnoGuru]

[ddeubel]

[Homer]

[Gopher]

[deleted]

[EFLtrainer]

[Mills]

To the OP:
You're an American right? Think to yourself, "What would Chuck Norris do?", and the solution is simple... roundhouse kick the guy so hard he pays you for the privledge of driving you home and then offers you a tip.

Chuck Norris has never paid cab fare. Never.

[nautilus]

[Homer]

This is a case of someone wanting to believe something they think they heard (i.e. 17 000 won fare) and then balking when that fantasy does not pan out....

The evidence is too obvious...

a) The guy is coming back to Korea and hence knows the score as far as fares are concerned.

b) Inchon airport has a big sign next to the taxi stands (unless they moved it) that states typical fares.

[JongnoGuru]

(The OP is a girl not a guy, correct? Not that it matters, but I'm confused with everyone saying "dude" and "guy" now.)

Yeah, it seems impossible that anyone could think 17,000 won will get them anywhere NEAR Seoul by taxi from Incheon Int'l. But consider these hypotheticals, which may be far-fetched but are not wholly unimaginable.

Let's say a foreigner doesn't live in Seoul, never lived in Seoul, never visited Seoul except by bus or train from the provinces. They live and work in the provinces. They had no cause to take a taxi from Incheon to Seoul or from Seoul to Incheon before.

How did they get to their job from the airport the first time? Their employer drove them, they took a bus, whatever. They didn't travel via Seoul.

Taxis? Rarely used them. They got around on foot, public transport, bike, motor-scooter.

They've come up to Seoul a few times, but always by bus or train, and once here they use the subway to get around.

Now, this same foreigner returns to Korea, flies into Incheon late at night and for their first time ever goes directly to Seoul. Also for the first time ever, by taxi. How long a trip is it, how many km, how many minutes, they're not sure never having made the trip before.

It's late, they're groggy, fatigued, it's not especially bright down on the Arrivals Floor kerbside. No more bus service, everyone's scrambling for cabs.

Now, the Guru regularly takes taxis in from the airport, day or night, but I've never thought to look for some board with fares to various cities posted on it. I think it's a good idea, but I don't need it, can't say I've noticed it, and would only ever look for it in the future because it was mentioned on this thread.

That's me, though, not our hypothetical foreigner, who rarely takes taxis and has never travelled from Incheon to Seoul before. Or if they have, it was daytime and they took the airport express bus for 8,000 won or whatever the fare is now.

So before they notice that board with the estimated fares (it's night, they're still finding their land-legs, probably hoisting a pile of luggage with both hands) some cabbie hops us and tells them (apparently) 17,000 won... They think that sounds rather low, so they ask him to confirm. (and apparently someone else there as well) "17,000 won?"

... And there the saga begins.



But even still, even if we assume all of the above, I have to say that taking a taxi at an airport in a foreign country late at night... That's the most classic, textbook "watch your ass!" scenario going.

Pad & pencil time.

"17,000?" "70,000?" "Point to one".

Though I'm sure that each and every one of us expert, professional, experienced, seasoned world-travellers has our own tales of woe to relate. Honestly, is there even one among us who has never been swindled by a disciple of sharp practise? The Guru himself enjoys the distinction of having been rooked to a fare-thee-well by various flimflam artists and thimble-riggers on three continents and counting. Fodder for another thread.

[gypsyfish]

Guru,

Everything you say could be an explanation except for the fact that the OP said in her first post:

'Give me a freakin break. I told him the misunderstanding then offered the 40 that it really takes from airport to Seoul, plus 20 for toll... he threw my money and started going off on the USA!'

This shows me that she knew W17,000 was unreasonable.

Your pen and paper suggestion is always a good idea in these situations.

It seems to me that this horse has been beaten to death and it's time to drive a stake through it heart (to mix my metaphores).

[JongnoGuru]