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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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 Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 1:59 am Post subject: Babies and Cars |
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We'll be having a little one soon, and I'm starting to think about the new lifestyle.
I don't have a car now, and don't want one in Seoul or Busan.
How are the others with children coping? Do you have a car or do you rely on public transit?
I don't really want a car, as I consider all cars within my price range to be death traps. I want a Rexton or Galloper or Terracan type vehicle. A little pricy for me right now. |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:04 am Post subject: Re: Babies and Cars |
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| phaedrus wrote: |
We'll be having a little one soon, and I'm starting to think about the new lifestyle.
I don't have a car now, and don't want one in Seoul or Busan.
How are the others with children coping? Do you have a car or do you rely on public transit?
I don't really want a car, as I consider all cars within my price range to be death traps. I want a Rexton or Galloper or Terracan type vehicle. A little pricy for me right now. |
If you don't really like driving, don't get a car. I love driving but it can be pretty stressful in Seoul. One kid with two parents...public transportation shouldn't be a problem. |
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:20 am Post subject: |
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The current thought I'm having is taxi driving. No car seat for the baby is out of the question for me.
Bus and subway, especially subway, is a dream. |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| phaedrus wrote: |
The current thought I'm having is taxi driving. No car seat for the baby is out of the question for me.
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If your options are take a taxi or buy a car, then get yourself a car. You behind the wheel with baby in car seat is far safer than an adjoshi behind the wheel with the baby on your lap. I rarely use taxis. I hate them. I drive everywhere. |
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:49 am Post subject: |
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| dutchman wrote: |
If your options are take a taxi or buy a car, then get yourself a car. |
My options are more like buy a car, or get by with only subway and bus. I've ruled out taxis and baby together. Usually grocery day needs a taxi, but that means solo dad shopping I guess.
I want a big vehicle, as I would never put my baby in a Matiz in Korea the traffic accident capital of the world. Big vehicles like I want are 30,000,000 to 40,000,000. I can't afford that so...
I would be happy to use only subway and buses, but I can see a lot of small problems that I haven't thought about arising. I guess I'll have to take care in choosing my neighborhood. |
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yangtheman
Joined: 16 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 4:36 am Post subject: Re: Babies and Cars |
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| phaedrus wrote: |
We'll be having a little one soon, and I'm starting to think about the new lifestyle.
I don't have a car now, and don't want one in Seoul or Busan.
How are the others with children coping? Do you have a car or do you rely on public transit?
I don't really want a car, as I consider all cars within my price range to be death traps. I want a Rexton or Galloper or Terracan type vehicle. A little pricy for me right now. |
I am in almost the same boat. I came to Korea about a month ago with a wife and a 16-months-old baby. I had always used a car seat in America and was pretty admant about using a car seat in Korea. Well, not having a car really sucks especially since the place we are staying is a bit far from major shopping places like E-Mart or Samsung Plaza. Definitely not within walking distance. We would tag along a friend when she went shopping. That meant no car seat for my baby. Since it was relatively short distance by car from my place to shopping places, I wasn't too worried. Nevertheless, I prayed really hard that we never get into an accident. Worse is taking a bus or a taxi. At least, our friend drove carefully. I could never trust bus and taxi drivers. Since our friend is away, we have been taking a bus or a taxi to and from home. Though we are getting used to taking them, I had never felt safe for myself nor my baby. I will probably get an used car this weekend. I don't want a huge SUV-type car. Not only I personally hate SUVs, but I also can't afford it and fuel cost. A friend of mine suggested EF Sonata from Hyundai.
Travelling with a baby in bus or subway is just way too tiring and inconvenient.... Korean streets and subway stations are not made for the handicapped nor strollers. I suppose when your baby is still young and light, it's not too bad. However, once you have a toddler, oh boy, just one way trip will be a test of endurance. Crowded subway cars and stations will add to your problem. It will hot and no place to move. Your baby will be cranky and wants to walk around.
Anyhow, for safety of your baby, I think it's best to get a small to mid-size car like Hyundai Avante or Sonata. That's what I am doing. And, I don't even plan on driving in Seoul. I will just stay in Bundang area, where people are less crazy and parking is relatively easier. Good luck to ya. |
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sadsac
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Gwangwang
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:03 am Post subject: |
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There ia a car auction site that is televised in the wee hours on channel 26. They also have a website. You can get some very good vehicles for a lot less than the new price. I think the website is www.kaa111.com  |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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A car is a must if you have a child in Korea.
Taxis and buses are dangerous and subways are hugely inconvienient with all those stairs not to mention crowded which creates a danger in itself.
One thing you should know Koreans are extremely invasive when it comes to your child and strangers constantly want to touch, hold and give your child food. You often have to tell them politely that you don't want your child to be touched and to keep your distance. Public transport would be a nightmare in this regard.
If you don't already have a stroller look into getting a combi, combination car seat and stroller, (they fit together). They are extremely convenient and safety wise they are a Japanese brand with high safety parameters.
good luck |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| phaedrus wrote: |
| dutchman wrote: |
If your options are take a taxi or buy a car, then get yourself a car. |
My options are more like buy a car, or get by with only subway and bus. I've ruled out taxis and baby together. Usually grocery day needs a taxi, but that means solo dad shopping I guess.
I want a big vehicle, as I would never put my baby in a Matiz in Korea the traffic accident capital of the world. Big vehicles like I want are 30,000,000 to 40,000,000. I can't afford that so...
I would be happy to use only subway and buses, but I can see a lot of small problems that I haven't thought about arising. I guess I'll have to take care in choosing my neighborhood. |
Never heard of used cars? I own two cars at the moment, one bought new and the other used. The new car is great, but what a waste of money.
Don't worry about buying a used vehicule if you know a thing or two about cars (check for tell-tale signs of a major collision). Mechanics usually charge 10000 won per hour or so for labour, and most of the carparts are made here, so they are pretty cheap. The 30 to 40 million cars loose their value pretty quickly in Korea, especially if they are more than 4 years old (don't worry, cars don't usually rust in Korea because they don't salt the roads in the winter). You can get used Carnival van or Korando for much less than 10 million. I've even seen 4 year old luxury sedans (Equs) for less than 15 million won. Just shop around and don't be afraid to ask for a better deal. |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Hollywoodaction wrote: |
| phaedrus wrote: |
| dutchman wrote: |
If your options are take a taxi or buy a car, then get yourself a car. |
My options are more like buy a car, or get by with only subway and bus. I've ruled out taxis and baby together. Usually grocery day needs a taxi, but that means solo dad shopping I guess.
I want a big vehicle, as I would never put my baby in a Matiz in Korea the traffic accident capital of the world. Big vehicles like I want are 30,000,000 to 40,000,000. I can't afford that so...
I would be happy to use only subway and buses, but I can see a lot of small problems that I haven't thought about arising. I guess I'll have to take care in choosing my neighborhood. |
Never heard of used cars? I own two cars at the moment, one bought new and the other used. The new car is great, but what a waste of money.
Don't worry about buying a used vehicule if you know a thing or two about cars (check for tell-tale signs of a major collision). Mechanics usually charge 10000 won per hour or so for labour, and most of the carparts are made here, so they are pretty cheap. The 30 to 40 million cars loose their value pretty quickly in Korea, especially if it's more than 4 years old (don't worry, cars don't usually rust in Korea because they don't salt the roads in the winter). You can get used Carnival van or Korando for much less than 10 million. Just shop around and don't be afraid to ask for a better deal. |
Absolutely. A new car is the worst place to put your money. I bought mine used 5 years ago (it's a 1995) for 3.4 million. 5 years and 50,000 km and it's still going strong (well, as strong as you can expect from a 1.5 l). Get yourself a Sonata 3 with about 60,000-80,000 km on it and you will be set for years. You really don't need anything bigger than that and the SUVs are a pain in the ass to park here. |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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For the first 6 months of my daughters life we didn't have a car and boy was that a mistake. going into the subway with a stroller etc.. is difficult and heavy up and down the stairs. The most difficult part is that babies in Korea (particularly foreign ones) are public property. Everyone insists on touching you child
When I politely said no, no-one listened. THen I started swattting hands away, that worked but everyone thought I was psychotic or something. Once I got a car, it's stress free to take her around and do things. Screw the subway with a kid, get a car. Car seats are available everywhere - department stores, carrefour, costco, dongdaemun.. invest in one and follow the instructions for installing it properly. |
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Gollum
Joined: 04 Sep 2003
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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www.encar.co.kr
They have a good reputation, I was told by my coworkers. |
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yangtheman
Joined: 16 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| Gollum wrote: |
www.encar.co.kr
They have a good reputation, I was told by my coworkers. |
But, they are more expensive than Yalge (http://autos.yahoo.co.kr/). Encar is run by SK and Yalge is run by LG. I am going to get my car from Yalge this Saturday. I will let you know how it goes. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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A good idea: More cars on the roads in Korea?
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Real Reality wrote: |
A good idea: More cars on the roads in Korea?
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That's what I would like to avoid.
If I travel, or go anywhere further than the local grocery store, I would not take my baby in a car.
Crossing Seoul is best done on the subway. Travelling is best done by train. Highways are too dangerous in my opinion. Too many deaths. Going to the airport is best done by limousine bus and subway.
If I have to use the subway sometimes, I might as well save myself the astronomical fuel and insurance costs associated with cars, and use it most of the time.
I'll pick my neighbourhood well so that I'm close to shopping and hospitals.
Anyone doing it without a car and have some ideas on things I should consider? |
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