Korean Job Discussion Forums

[phaedrus]

What would be the best way to try to make a difference with cars going through walk lights?

I had enough today. On my way home from work there is a crosswalk near an elementary school. A nice downhill alley from the school leads to the crosswalk. As a pedestrian you can see the walk light, but none of the approaching traffic.

Cars zipping through from both directions. I counted about seven in like five seconds. Fucking asshole ignorant cunts with shit for brains. That's what I think. It's a death waiting to happen. No matter how much you teach kids to look both ways, even when they have a walk light, their first inclination is to bolt for it so they don't miss it.

I want to harass some portion of the Korean bureaucracy, so at least I can sleep at night after I read about the death of children from unnecessary traffic accidents.

I've been teaching Korean children all day for four years, and shit like that makes me furious. Today pushed my anger a bit too far.

[casey's moon]

[Real Reality]

If you do not like how cars going through walk lights, then leave Korea.

Just kidding.

What can you do?

Pedestrians beware– Korean drivers are not friendly to the two-footed kind. In 2001, South Korea registered 3,137 pedestrian fatalities while Canada had 334. There has been many times while walking on the sidewalks that I've had to jump out of the way of cars parking on the sidewalk and scooters or motorcycles blasting at full speeds. Even crossing the street can be an experience.
Montrealers don't hold a stick to Seoul drivers
CBC News Viewpoint, July 20, 2004 http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_cerralbo/20040720.html

[Shutterfly]

Yes this is true. One of my students was hit by a car last month by a guy blabbing in his cellphone. I got really upset, but every koreans response was. "It happens all the time".. well Yes it does! thats the problem. sheesh!

[just because]

[itaewonguy]

I must say I am guilty of this sometimes.. but only when no one is at the crosswalk...

and yes at 2am I will run redlights ..
hey when in rome hahhaaha.. naa I do it but I make sure its always safe.. I have seen many koreans do it even when people are walking acorss the cross walk.. or cars driving through the green lites they will gun it on a red..

bus drivers are worse..!! man those guys gun it every chance they get!

[sadsac]

I have dented a few car doors in 4 years. My size 12 Colorados make a nice ding in their cars. Nobody ever stopped and complained, yet.

[turtlepi1]

The police are out in full enforcement here in Anyang at least once a week. It took me a long time of watching to figure out why they were even pulling cars over...(from the school window)

One standing on the corner with a walkie talkie.. and then down the street a troop pulling everyone over...

Still they aren't the most attentive drivers...

They DO get so offended when the foreigner scowls at them...(or slaps the side of their ride...depending on my mood)

[uberscheisse]

to top it all off, i watched guys attempting to build a new crosswalk here in gangnam.

it was on nonhyun-ro, a very busy four or six lane road.

the dudes held up traffic, then crossed the street with their chalk-embedded line to slap against the pavement to draw the line that is to be painted as a crosswalk. they had about eight lines to slap on to the pavement.

the people waiting for them were so impatient that some motorcycle delivery guy drove up onto their chalk-string because he was 'gas-brake-gas-braking' it so much.

as soon as they were done the road crew had to sprint back across the road so they wouldn't get run over by the cars who started gunning it as soon as the last line was drawn.

interesting. they even had crossing guards stopping traffic.