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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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 Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:58 am Post subject: Subway becomes hotbed of crime |
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/12/117_77905.html
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Subway becomes hotbed of crime
By Park Si-soo
Any public place crowded with people tends to be a magnet for crime. Yet, a series of crimes committed in subway carriages over the past weeks have caused public uproar, making an increasing number of women think twice before riding a subway during rush hours and late night.
Career woman Kim Hyun-sook in Seoul used to commute by subway but she recently decided to stop using it on her way back home, at least, until the end of the month, a season for year-end dinner parties.
Her departure from the public transport resulted from a video clip that caused a huge stir on the Internet early this month ㅡ the 74-second clip shows a man groping the thighs of a drunken woman sitting next to him in a subway carriage.
The man, who later turned out to be an unemployed 46-year-old, surrendered himself to police one day after the clip made headlines.
�The news came as a horrible shock to me because I used to fall asleep on my way back home late at night on the subway,� Kim said. �I�ve never been a target of such a nasty crime but any woman can fall a victim.�
Kim said the worst time to ride the subway was not only late at night but also during morning rush hours.
Many women have had the unpleasant experience of having their buttocks touched by unidentified passengers when they were squeezed in a crowded subway carriage during peak times. Also, it�s easy to find up-skirt video clips on file-sharing websites.
�The subway system is no longer a safe place for women. It�s full of hazards,� said Lee Mi-sun, another career woman.
According to police statistics, nearly 800 sex-based crimes against female subway passengers were reported during the first eight months of the year, accounting for 47.1 percent of the entire crimes on subway trains in Seoul, a moderate increase from the previous year. Subway line No. 2, which circulates the capital, was confirmed to be the most sex crime-prone line out of nine local lines, according to crime statistics released by Lee Sang-muk, a Seoul City Council member.
Males are not always risk-free, either.
Pickpockets work regardless of gender. Last Monday, a mentally-challenged 43-year-old man suddenly took off his shirt and threatened dozens of passengers in a crowded carriage with a 5-centimeter-long knife at around 7 p.m.
The train made an emergency stop at Seoul National University of Education Station where male passengers and police officers got him under control after a physical scuffle in about 10 minutes. Nobody was injured in the incident.
Police said violence in subway carriages was the second most frequent crime during the first eight months of the year, accounting for 32 percent of the entire subway crimes or 541 cases. Pickpocket and other types of theft came third with 351 cases, police said.
Experts urge subway services operators and police to tighten carriage security by increasing the number of security guards and strengthening surveillance systems in the subway.
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:58 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Last Monday, a mentally-challenged 43-year-old man suddenly took off his shirt and threatened dozens of passengers in a crowded carriage with a 5-centimeter-long knife at around 7 p.m.
The train made an emergency stop at Seoul National University of Education Station where male passengers and police officers got him under control after a physical scuffle in about 10 minutes. Nobody was injured in the incident.
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Anyone heard about this? |
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misher
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:35 am Post subject: |
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My gf told me about it after I asked about the pervert that tried to feel up the woman beside him who was passed out.
My gf never takes the subway at night past 11 PM. Where she lives the carriages have too many drunken morons returning from their "business clubs" that can be a little aggressive and she has had a few scary experiences.
From waht I gather, many other Korean women are the same.
IMO the Korean subway is generally still safe. I don't see knifings, brawling, drug use, muggings like I do back home or in other countries but for women, I must say that overt perverted behaviour from men is much more common.
In Japan it is quite bad too. THey even have a word for it called Chikan. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:18 am Post subject: Re: Subway becomes hotbed of crime |
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| sojusucks wrote: |
Subway becomes hotbed of crime
According to police statistics, nearly 800 sex-based crimes against female subway passengers were reported during the first eight months of the year, accounting for 47.1 percent of the entire crimes on subway trains in Seoul, a moderate increase from the previous year. Subway line No. 2, which circulates the capital, was confirmed to be the most sex crime-prone line out of nine local lines, according to crime statistics released by Lee Sang-muk, a Seoul City Council member. |
What a misleading article: the title says, by the wording it uses, that the subway being a "hotbed" of crime is a recent phenomenon, then we find out that it's only a moderate increase from last year. |
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interestedinhanguk
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:21 am Post subject: |
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My girlfriend had her hip grabbed by some guy on a crowded subway car (before we were dating). She stomped him on the foot with her high heel. He stopped.  |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:26 am Post subject: |
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| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| My girlfriend had her hip grabbed by some guy on a crowded subway car (before we were dating). She stomped him on the foot with her high heel. He stopped. |
I find it funny that you've started using the Konglish word for butt. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:19 pm Post subject: Re: Subway becomes hotbed of crime |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
| sojusucks wrote: |
Subway becomes hotbed of crime
According to police statistics, nearly 800 sex-based crimes against female subway passengers were reported during the first eight months of the year, accounting for 47.1 percent of the entire crimes on subway trains in Seoul, a moderate increase from the previous year. Subway line No. 2, which circulates the capital, was confirmed to be the most sex crime-prone line out of nine local lines, according to crime statistics released by Lee Sang-muk, a Seoul City Council member. |
What a misleading article: the title says, by the wording it uses, that the subway being a "hotbed" of crime is a recent phenomenon, then we find out that it's only a moderate increase from last year. |
It could be that it's being better reported or that as new subway lines are added there's an increase in ridership so the numbers rise, as a result. But the times and locations are very important and those aren't listed. |
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SparkleKorea
Joined: 05 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| My girlfriend had her hip grabbed by some guy on a crowded subway car (before we were dating). She stomped him on the foot with her high heel. He stopped. |
I find it funny that you've started using the Konglish word for butt. |
Maybe he literally meant hip? The guy could've been a tango dancer! |
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hapigokelli
Joined: 04 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I was standing in the subway with my boyfriend when one of the blind guys approached me and grabbed my chest. I picked his hand up and gave it back to him. Still wondering if he was really blind. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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The big problem is passenger density. The subways here are SOOO crowded that its really hard to notice anything. If someone gets groped it'd be hard to tell who with 8 people around you. Same with pickpockets.
Heck even for knives it'd probably be easy to shank someone and slip away. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
The big problem is passenger density. The subways here are SOOO crowded that its really hard to notice anything. If someone gets groped it'd be hard to tell who with 8 people around you. Same with pickpockets.
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passenger density is the result of a bigger problem:
poor urban planning
no express trains (for most rail lines in Seoul)
long wait times (sometimes 15 min or more for the next train)
Line 1 started okay- but lines 2-8 were poorly designed. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Last weekend, I was on the No. 1 subway line and this obviously mentally disabled man was talking to female passengers. He got up and then started touching one woman, who shooed his hands away but nobody did anything. Luckily, he got off at the stop. |
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:48 am Post subject: |
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I heard that a few years ago Seoul subway tried having women-only cars, but it was 'difficult to implement'. I take that as the men didn't care and rode in whatever car.
It would be a major relief if they could re-introduce these women-only cars. |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:52 am Post subject: |
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| ThingsComeAround wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
The big problem is passenger density. The subways here are SOOO crowded that its really hard to notice anything. If someone gets groped it'd be hard to tell who with 8 people around you. Same with pickpockets.
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passenger density is the result of a bigger problem:
poor urban planning
no express trains (for most rail lines in Seoul)
long wait times (sometimes 15 min or more for the next train)
Line 1 started okay- but lines 2-8 were poorly designed. |
What country has a better subway system?
Normally no more than a five minute wait time.
Cheap
No charges for transfers |
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rickpidero
Joined: 03 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:14 am Post subject: |
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| blackjack wrote: |
| ThingsComeAround wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
The big problem is passenger density. The subways here are SOOO crowded that its really hard to notice anything. If someone gets groped it'd be hard to tell who with 8 people around you. Same with pickpockets.
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passenger density is the result of a bigger problem:
poor urban planning
no express trains (for most rail lines in Seoul)
long wait times (sometimes 15 min or more for the next train)
Line 1 started okay- but lines 2-8 were poorly designed. |
What country has a better subway system?
Normally no more than a five minute wait time.
Cheap
No charges for transfers |
Yeah, I mean there maybe a few countries that are better. But, overall it's pretty good.
Long waits?? I've never waited more than a few minutes in Seoul. |
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