Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mithrae]

I cycle several times a week. There'a a stream near my apt. and there's a walking path and cycling path running alongside it. The walking path is about 5-10 feet to the right of the cycling path. Simple enough, right?If you wish to take a walk use the walking path. You want to ride your bicycle, use the path clearly marked as such. But, no. This is Korea. Let's walk in groups on the cycling path (with backs to approaching bicycles) and appear absolutely shocked when a cyclist approaches from behind verbally requesting (in Korean) that they move aside. The expressions are priceless. What's going on? A bicycle on a bicycle path? But we were walking here!

Idiots.

[OnTheOtherSide]

Same thing happens to me all the time in the US. People across the world are fools. When mankind finally destroys itself in a couple decades, i'll give it a golf clap.

[gakduki]

With motorcycles on sidewalks, people walking in the middle of the street, and people cycling on the walking paths...I wonder why one would get upset when people are walking on a bike path. No one likes shouting at people 'move it or lose it,' but one day an example or two should be made. Gone are the ol' Victorian times, when you could run those peasants over.

[Crockpot2001]

[CentralCali]

[itaewonguy]

what I don't get is, why do they have to dress up in the tour d france uniform just for a casual ride! hahhhhahahaa
guess it goes with the casual hike too... lol priceless..

[IMF crisis]

The pedestrians are nothing compared to the idiots who bring their motorized vehicles on those paths.

[GoldMember]

Koreans and Mobility. Not a good combination.

[earthbound14]

I was just going to start a thread on this.

I just hit a highschool kid today on a bike path. I was riding along in my middle gear...not going too fast in the bike lane while four highschool boys are walking toward me four abreast (with no room to get by but the street, its wide enough for four grown boys to walk side by side whith almost enough room for me to get through). Now as is customary in Korea, people make way...even if it's at the last second....except for those who walk through Korean life in a daze (and everyone else is forced to move around them...never saying anything cause that would be mean) or walking like some arrogant a$$h@l# who thinks everyone else should move. I hate these arses...usually driving black cars and wearing cheeze ball suits.

Anyway, I'm direcly infront of them expecting them to move...but nothing, I had aligned myself so only one of them would have to shuffle a little to his left to let me pass....nothing, as I'm too close too stop I yell "Move!' Nothing. I hit the little arse and get sent flying into the street. I get a leg full of sprocket teeth and a face full of pavement...yet this little wanker is pulling the old soccer hollywood act as if I just killed him. I have no sympathy for over acting idiots...none. I just yelled and the little wankers and rode off.

Now I have some dirty wounds to clean and some new scars.

Some people are just plain stupid. I was wondering how long it would take before I hit one. Do I get some kind of points or something?

[Dodgy Al]

Minus points for injuring yourself. Next time, show no mercy. Use your target as a cushion. Then take a photo of the white spray-paint lines, so we can evaluate your score. Best of luck!

[mimis]

Hihihi....

[Gnawbert]

It's a spacial awareness thing, and it happens everywhere, but Korea is a striking example of it and how the idea of personal space can vary so drastically from place to place.

Anyways, last year my girlfriend ran over a 7 year old on the Tancheon River because the kid simply RAN out onto the bike path without looking. I saw it coming, shouted at him, but he was simply running and--WHAM--my girlfriend takes a digger right over the kid, he's face down eating cement and screaming and she's sliding across the concrete grating the skin off her knees and palms. I pick her up and she's bleeding somewhat bad, but the kid's got a bruise or two and screaming. I figured we were about to get raped by the Korean legal system but the kids mom comes over and starts screaming at him, smacking him for being so stupid, and apologizing to us for her mental offspring.

I wish I could say it was the kid, but a lot of people simply don't look when they walk out onto BIKE paths. I can't count the number of times I've had to dodge an adjumma because she's making her way from one side to the other like frogger.

[McGenghis]

I'm currently on day two of my bicycle trip from Gangneung to Busan, with hopeful sights on Jindo after that.

I'd kill for some bike lanes. I'm out there with the semis and the tour buses just inches away from a nice Darwin Award. The few bike lanes I've found were rendered useless because people thought they found a nice little parking spot. Aiiigoooo.

[Mithrae]

My bicycle path has about 70% of the lamps burned out and there are whole stretches where there is no lighting after dusk. I'm always amazed to see mothers walking hand in hand with infants on a darkened path where an oncoming bicycle could kill their child on impact. I don't know if it's stupidity or what. Perhaps it has something to do with the 'lawnessness' factor in Korea, the lack of awareness of people who are not in their little circle, or something else. Either way it's really moronic, and borders on child endangerment.

And speaking of annoying. Is it really necessary for grown adults to be rininging their little bicycle bell at every possible opportunity?Aren't those bells meant for three year olds? And the oncoming flashing lights that they prefer to place at the front of their bicycles. they're not annoying are they?

[kg2095]