Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rapier]

A Survey reveals korean traffic lights take the longest time to change of any country worldwide.

The author of the study, rapier, draws on his observations of traffic in all the 30 countries he has travelled in.

1) KOREA 6 minutes wait for the lights to signal green again.
2) Britain 2.5 minutes
3) Vietnam: Who cares? just ignore them.

Seriously though has anyone noticed how Korean robots take an eternity to change? and how, especially if you are in a hurry, you will hit every traffic light on red ,adding 15 minutes to an otherwise 10 minute journey?? Its like a domino effect: once you hit one, they all go red thereafter. And you could finish reading an encyclopaedia in the time taken for them to change.

Perhaps what is needed is a new practical system: the Smart Traffic Light Controller

http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~nd/surprise_96/journal/vol4/sbaa/report.traff.html

[Gopher]

I was just thinking of posting a rant on this issue today.

Anytime I go for a walk through a city, I'm frustrated by long, long waits to get a walk signal.

Their signals seem to only go in one direction at a time, forward and left-turns only, all around the four directions, although sometimes traffic does go in both directions. Still, as a pedestrian, you only get one opportunity every four shifts....it's frustrating to sit there and watch this for what feels like an eternity.

[VanIslander]

You poor big city folk!

As a pedestrian I never seem to be waiting long. But Busan is the only big city I have much experience with, and most of the small cities, of course, don't have the sheer volume of traffic that a city of 11 million does.

Another reason not to live in Seoul.

[oxfordstu]

The traffic lights in my city alternate, so if you're a pedestrian and need to cross two crosswalks, after you cross the first one, it's another 6 minutes before the next one changes. So I'm usually waiting for 12 minutes. I jaywalk most of the time, even over the double yellow lines. And when the light finally does change, it only stays green for about 10 seconds. I've seen ajummas race to the crosswalk like they're on fire.

[itaewonguy]

yeah well sometimes the cops are out there and they are controling them
especially around gwanghamun its crazy there peak hour.
sometimes we dont even get a change! a couple I am looking at the light for 10 minutes! while the cops just letting the cars in front of us go by!
then he he gives a light for 1 minute! ITS BS.. its because koreans are children when they drive.. they run the redlights and then pile up the road so the cars cant get past anyway! by the time the light goes red no cars went through and they get the light again! and then the repeat!!
IF ITS GREEN BUT THEIR IS NO ROOM.. DONT GO! DONT BLOCK THE ROAD!!!! WAIT UNTIL YOU ROOM!! man its amazing how koreans pass their driving tests!!

[numazawa]

Back when I lived in Montreal, people used to say the rule to remember was "green means go, yellow means go faster, and red means it's probably too late to stop so you'd better just step on it."

[Real Reality]

Who more often takes a taxi?
A. Foreigner
B. Korean

If there are longer traffic lights in Korea, then do non-Koreans (foreigners) pay more than Koreans for public transportation?

[inkoreaforgood]

[Real Reality]

[Ya-ta Boy]

Once upon a time I had a friend who was a test driver for the big tire factory in Shintanjin (Hangook Tires?). He and his team got sent to Germany to do some tire testing on snow and ice. He came back all amazed that it was possible to drive through German cities without hitting a red light.

I asked, "Aren't traffic lights here in Korea synchronized?" (This was before I took my fate in my hands and bought a car.)

Maeng said, "What do you mean?"

I explained. He was astounded.

He pointed out, and it is true, that if you are on a long straight street you can look down and see all the lights change to the same color at the same time. Maeng said that is why Koreans don't like to stop at one red light. They know they can only go so many blocks on a green light before they all turn red again.

[denverdeath]

I don't think they all change red/green simultaneously, at least they don't in Boo-sahn. If you just made the green on the previous light, the next one will turn red before you have a chance to run it. At least that's what I have observed. Compared to Canada, I have also observed that the yellow turns to red quicker. Anyway, I think the "next light turning red" phenomenon might be to try to get at least some people to stop sometimes and maybe have them realize that they're not on the Autobahn. Yes, some lights are long to wait for especially when you're a pedestrian. The cops are there to try to help the traffic issues at certain times of the day. There are a sh*tload of cars in this country. Moral of the story? Take the subway, if available.

[rapier]

I read somehwere that there are 97 more cards on the road in Seoul every day.
Wnder when they will finally all come to a massive gridlock?

[chest rockwell]

yeah they suck but theyve also taught me to be patient so I take the positive out of this one

[Derrek]

Bundang has the longest lights of anywhere I know. But once it turns green, if you time it right, and there's not a ton of traffic, you can blow through much of the city. All of the drivers know this, and will honk at you big-time if you don't start on the red/yellow light near my home here. One day a guy honked at me BEFORE the red/yellow even came up. I stopped my scooter right in front of him, holding him up, just long enough to dismount my motorcycle and flip him the bird, and get back on again.

[Qinella]