Korean Job Discussion Forums

seonsengnimble · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 5:49 pm Post subject: 1 angry rant and 1 defense

This has been mentioned before, but I'll mention it again. Why are taxi drivers such jerks? I can understand being picky about where you want to go. Fine. What I don't understand is driving down streets with hundreds of people who want to get in your taxi and not stopping while your taxi light is on. How is this helping anyone? They're driving and not getting any fare, and lots of people are standing out in the cold with no hope of getting home. Also, is it that hard to turn off your light if someone is in your taxi or you're not picking anyone up? My first year here, I thought that the taxi drivers were just being racist and didn't want to pick up a foreigner, but I've realized that they just enjoy toying with people and driving by them only to not pick anyone up.

Completely unrelated, but I don't see what the big deal is with Koreans wanting light skin. I don't see it as Koreans wanting to look more like white people. Yes, there's the eye lid surgery, but that's an entirely different issue. The way I see it is that light skin is a sign of affluence. If you have dark skin, it means you work outside and get a lot of sun. You're a farmer or laborer. To westerners, the visors and sleeves and the white makeup looks a bit silly, but we do the exact same thing.

In the west, we have tanning booths and spray on tans. To us, if you have darker skin, you look healthier/more affluent. You have the free time and money to visit exotic locations and lay on the beach. I personally see no difference between a ghostly white ajumma and a fifty year old blond woman with bronze skin.

vaticanhotline · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject:

Fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the rhetorical "white skin" question, and the way that your answer was structured, as if you had arrived at it all by yourself. What is also fascinating is how you explain to us the difference between Korean and Western attitudes toward light/tanned skin; I'd never realised that was the case. Are you a sociologist/anthropologist of some kind? You're wasting your time posting on this forum; go write books, tell the world of the things that you know.

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

its not that they dont want to pick you up.. its they are driving slowly with the window down and listening to the people shouting out where they want to go.. when the driver hears the best destination for him, he stops and takes his fare..

its illegal! but the police don't always control the street.. if you see a policeman in kangnam St.. just tell him. "the taxi doesn't stop"
he will just put out his hand stop the taxi and tell the driver to take you where ever you are going.. the driver will then say his usual BS story which is.. "I'm switching driver" can't take them.. the police man will just ignore him and open the door for you..

use to work every time for me when I was taking cabs..

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

I'd be more annoyed with the cabbies if the fares weren't so cheap compared to back home.

But seriously, turn off the light.

I must say, I like the black cabs. Never had any probs with them and the leg space is great.

Once you go black you never go back.

NMonk · Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Location: South Korea

madoka · Joined: 27 Mar 2008

seonsengnimble · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject:

definitely maybe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008

saram_ · Joined: 13 May 2008

Well the problem about Taxi's not stopping has been most felt for me in Gangnam too. It is notoriously difficult to get a taxi from there.. In fact it's about the only place this happens to this extent really..

The taxi drivers drive slowly by after the subway is closed or late at night
and ask people (everyone) where they are going and then decide if it is good for them.. This has been happening for years in Gangnam!! They usually give the excuse that they are finishing up and on the way home etc..but that CANT always be the case..

The problem about taxi drivers driving by with the light on and not even stopping to find out where a potential passenger wants to go is very rare I would think. I haven't come across this kind of situation anyway.. At least they would normally stop to find out where people are going..

BTW- The best advice regarding taxis is don't ever tell them where you want to go until you are seated in the back seat- no matter where you are or being picked up. They will sometimes not be interested or just drive off if you tell them some place they may not want to go. It's better to get in and sit down all comfy and then they will have little choice but just to take you wherever you want.
The only time It may not be the best way is if you are unsure you are on the correct side of the street, regarding where you are going.. etc...Then you may just ask if its the right way to _______... after you sit in though!!!

The difficulties of getting a taxi in Gangnam though have been well documented..Maybe one solution is just stay away....
There is a window from about 11.30-1.30 which is when it is most difficult!

redaxe · Joined: 01 Dec 2008

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

I have ridden the 모범 taxi only twice, and each time, it was better than a usual taxi. But I still don't ride them.

2 days ago, a taxi driver called my wife some choice Korean words. She had a big box, a sleeping baby, and needed a cab. She asked him to turn, and he ignored her, then got angry when she told him to turn around.

This kinda crap always happens when I am not there. Mayb they know I'd be likely to thump him for calling my wife those words.

conbon78 · Joined: 05 Jun 2008

Interesting posts...what I have learned about the black taxis is that you pay less if you take them for longer distances, so the are "deluxe" taxis. You are supposed to pay more initally, but go further, so it ends up being a good deal. At least thats what I've heard. I've never taken one far, so I don't if its true. You will notice that the meter takes longer before it goes up though.

Also...I absolutely never tell a taxi where I want to go until I'm seated. My fiance used to do that and then always get frustrated because they wouldn't take us. Now he has learned that if he just gets in and tells them, then they'll take us. haha

redaxe · Joined: 01 Dec 2008

Patong Dong · Joined: 06 May 2003 Location: On Nut

Living in the Seoul surroundings with all it's cities running into each other also presents another obstacle. There is the situation that a taxi that was hailed in Seoul and taken to Anyang for example, can only pick up a fare in Anyang if they were going back to Seoul. They are not supposed to poach any Anyang only fares. So while you may think the cabbie doesn't think your distance is worth it, it may be that he is rolling along looking for a fare that he is allowed to take. Often there are stickers on the door indicating what munincipality the taxi is from.

nfld_chingu · Joined: 29 Jun 2009

I had to walk for thirty minutes from Seoul Station to my boyfriend's apartment in the spilling rain at 1 am because no taxi driver would take us (luckily, my boyfriend was with me and I didn't have to walk alone). Just one more reason I live in Daegu ... I find the taxi drivers are nicer here.