Korean Job Discussion Forums

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

By "helping", I mean any words or actions that could make it easier for the teacher in question to pull a midnight run. This could mean helping them pack and/or carry their luggage, booking their train ticket when they are too busy, posting one suitcase to their home address to lighten their load, giving them factual advice or ideas, covering for them, using reverse psychology on their hagwons to throw them off the scent ("Have you seen -------? She told me she works here until five ... why? Is she sick? Where is she?"), or - if its your roommate - convincingly playing dumb ("But she told me she was going to Busan for the weekend!!").

What would you do? To what extent would you help? How bad would the circumstances have to be to get you motivated? If the teacher is a co-worker, how would this affect your decision.

mo · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 6:07 pm Post subject:

I'd do anything that didn't involve loads of effort or anything that endangered my livelihood.

Otherwise, I couldn't give a rat's-ass which incompetent cretin of a director had to pay for a teacher doing a runner.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

I would prolly stay out of it, and if they were crap teachers who gave me a hard time I would report them asap to my director.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

Yes. I have help a good friend pull a midnight run. No problem, didn't even think twice about it. He had a great opportunity in another country and I was more than happy to help him out.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

It would partly depend on my relationship with that teacher. If they were a true friend, and they had a good reason to flee, I would definately help them out. If it were someone I didn't know, I might give advice, but no active help. I would never turn someone in, though.

Homer · Guest

Stay out of it unless this is one of the very few Teachers who runs as a last resort and not as a knee jerk response as is the case for most.

In the former case and if that teacher was a friend I would help for sure.

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

I picked up a lot of overtime at my first place due to runners. I'll aid and abet.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

To you people who say you would help the runners. Would you be as wiling to help the next time, if the director took the cost of hiring a new teacher out of your pay? Even if you claimed you knew nothing about it? Directors just might start doing this, in order to entice teachers to "rat out" other teachers. One thing I have noticed about teachers here. They would never "rat out" another teacher...unless paid to do so. Then they fall over themselves trying to get to the director first. Rolling Eyes

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Homer · Guest

Corp,

You would "help them out" regardless of the reason why they run?

mishlert · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Homer,
if it's a friend--a real friend, not just a teacher acquaintance that I had a few beers with--sure, I'd lie for them. If it was someone who was just bored of Korea or had a better job lined up or something, I'd try to convince them that there are better things to do than run, but if it was a desperate friend, for sure I'd help.

batman · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:45 am Post subject:

I did help a guy do a midnight run. His director had cheated him on his pay and threatened to kill him to boot. The guy had only been in Korea for a couple of months and the experience had thoroughly shaken him.
Something about being told "I know where you live. I could kill you while you sleep." which really, really upset the teacher. I helped him buy his ticket. I helped him cart his luggage to the terminal. I gave him help in filling out his departure card and carried some of his luggage to the security desk. The teacher in question is a nice guy and did not deserve the treatment offered by his director. Would I help anyone else run? It would depend on the situation. Some teachers do have legitimate complaints against their hogwans. And some do cry, whine and complain at the drop of the hat. I have never pulled a midnight run (and with three days left on my final contract, I doubt I will have to) but I do believe that they should be viewed only as a measure of last resort.
I have fought against a bad hogwan twice and I have won. I think if more people dug in their heels and fought back against some of the bastards who rule their institutes in the name of Satan then things might change around here.

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.

I'd need a compelling reason to rat on anyone in any circumstances, let alone a fellow teacher to a slimy hagwan boss. Solidarity comrades! Wink

Yes I have known decent bosses (well ... one) and scummy teachers, but in cases like that I'd abet by keeping shtumm (sp?).

Matt

Homer · Guest

mattew the question was not "would you rat out a potential runner"...it was "would you help someone who wanted to run"..... Laughing

good ole ADD eh... Laughing

In all seriousness, selling someone down the river to immigration is not something anyone should do unless there are extenuating circumstances.

As for helping, corporal said it very well, a good friend in need who had a real and valid reason to run would be someone I would help too.