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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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charlieDD
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Location: Seoul, Korea
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 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:12 am Post subject: Have car, but don't drive? |
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I do. Well, at least not much.
Wonder if others are like me and just choose the varying degrees of inconvenience of public transportation over the madness of driving in Seoul and its suburbs.
My car spends most of its time in the garage under my apartment building. I take it out occasionally for a drive, but almost only on an early morning Sunday, unless it really is better that I drive my own car other times. |
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europe2seoul
Joined: 12 Sep 2005
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:12 am Post subject: Re: Have car, but don't drive? |
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| charlieDD wrote: |
I do. Well, at least not much.
Wonder if others are like me and just choose the varying degrees of inconvenience of public transportation over the madness of driving in Seoul and its suburbs.
My car spends most of its time in the garage under my apartment building. I take it out occasionally for a drive, but almost only on an early morning Sunday, unless it really is better that I drive my own car other times. |
Well, your car is then really a sound investment 
Dunno....but sitting in an air-conditioned mobile living room in a comfortable armchair listening to my music or being cramped in public transportation.....gotta think about that.... |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:15 am Post subject: |
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I don't drive much, public transit is cheaper and easier. I can't read a book while driving.
I basically only use the car to go to Costco and when I need to haul the whole family somewhere - usually church on Sunday. |
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PimpofKorea
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Location: Dealing in high quality imported English
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| I use my own car everyday. I got a pretty sweet system in there so that definitely helps. I love pulling up beside old korean guys/ajummas and taxi drivers and blaring some metal at full volume..giving them the sign...really puts a smile on my face. also...I don't live in Seoul so the public transportation system down here ain't so hot.... |
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charlieDD
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:22 am Post subject: Re: Have car, but don't drive? |
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| europe2seoul wrote: |
Well, your car is then really a sound investment
Dunno....but sitting in an air-conditioned mobile living room in a comfortable armchair listening to my music or being cramped in public transportation.....gotta think about that.... |
Not much invested; see my other post from today and you'll see, it's an old, but elegant, one (1982 240 GLE). Picked it up for $4,000 a few years back when I got here (Korea).
Drove a lot at first, and have to say driving in Korea made me a better driver! You gotta become a better driver here; they really keep you on your toes.
But I'm not one who can stand traffic well. I get easily frustrated. I found myself starting to getting angry at other drivers.
I guess if I had to commute regularly, the public transportation inconvenience dose would be a bit much. As it is, for the limited number of times I have to go across town, I'd rather just let someone else do the driving, even if I have to stand (good exercise anyway!). |
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PimpofKorea
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Location: Dealing in high quality imported English
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| I've always had a car and been driving since I was 16......I thought when I came over to Korea that I would be fine bussing it and using the taxis....that lasted about 2 1/2 months. For me...its all about the freedom of your own ride... |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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I consider my car a very expensive shopping cart. Top of the line in fact, compared to the W100 carts at E-Mart that peons use. It also functions comparatively well as an umbrella during the rainy season--it beats all to hell the scooter I used to ride.
Like someone mentioned, Sunday morning is the best time to drive. Much less traffic.
Back home I always lived in small towns and never learned to regard driving as a competitive sport and most certainly not as a contact sport as it is here. Next week I'm moving from a small town in to Seoul and am getting cold sweats every time I think about it. |
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rocklee
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Have car, but don't drive? |
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| charlieDD wrote: |
it's an old, but elegant, one (1982 240 GLE).
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As if anyone wants to hit a European car much less a Volvo! Great cars for a family.
I'm a driver and did some part time track racing. The roads here are not smooth enough for my taste with too many traffic lights (not that they help with the flow of traffic). I felt far safer driving in Japan.
I do agree that owning a car here is like having a glorified shopping cart. Unless you have to do a lot of driving there is no need. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject: Re: Have car, but don't drive? |
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Hardly a grand ride, but I do have almost unlimited free use of someone else's car on weekends. Though I know that were it my own, it would end up a stay-at-home car. I find that more than the city-parking bother and the extra cost of maintenance, cars too often to get in the way of my drinking.
I had full-time use of a car twice during my long sojourn in Korea. The first was when a friend left his with me while he went back in his country for a few months to take care of family business. This was in the happy pre-Costco, pre-Emart era, so it was never a glorified shopping cart. The second time was about two month when a gf was living with me in sin, and she let me drive hers every day. I'd drive us to my office, get out, and she'd drive on to her office. The commute home was never certain, as one of us was bound to have to work late. I had no Korean or even international driver's licence at the time. Most clever, yes? These days I have a licence and the use of a car, but I usually -- as in 99 times in 100 -- I prefer the simple freedom of a motorbike.
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| I consider my car a very expensive shopping cart. Top of the line in fact, compared to the W100 carts at E-Mart that peons use. It also functions comparatively well as an umbrella during the rainy season--it beats all to hell the scooter I used to ride. |
The Earth-hugger in me curses you for buying a car, but then thanks you for rarely driving it.
| Quote: |
| Back home I always lived in small towns and never learned to regard driving as a competitive sport and most certainly not as a contact sport as it is here. Next week I'm moving from a small town in to Seoul and am getting cold sweats every time I think about it. |
Getting from Point A to Point B in Seoul, even if those points are fairly close on the map, can be as bad as travelling between two cities in the provinces. Even worse if you're living south of the Han. I know from experience. As long as it remains a glorified shopping cart you'll be okay, Ya-ta.
I used to say that everywhere in Seoul is 30 minutes away from you. That is, even places that are close by and should only take 15 minutes, well, an accident, a backup, road construction -- some damn thing or another is going to stretch the trip out to 30 minutes, you can just bet your life on it. But then longer journeys that might reasonably take up to an hour -- in those cases, you'll somehow manage to time it just right rush-hour-wise, or you'll have all the lights in your favour, or whatever, but the trip miraculously takes only 30 minutes.
| rocklee wrote: |
| I do agree that owning a car here is like having a glorified shopping cart. Unless you have to do a lot of driving there is no need. |
I've watched firsthand as the Koreans went completely loopy over the automobile. And hated every moment of it. About "have to do a lot of driving", I would love to see car ownership in Korea become needs-tested, with the test drawn up by me. VERY few of you would ever qualify. Instead, those of you with children would be issued these handy devices free of charge by the government:
Last edited by JongnoGuru on Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:15 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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Guru, I had that car (well, one of the first versions anyway) when I was 20 years old, young and learning to drive. My dad bought it for me in antipation that I WOULD pass my driving test and that I would be able to go places myself without always asking him or my mum to take me...
Nice car. Leather seats, sunroof, aircon... the whole lot.
Sadly, I failed my test twice and never took it again....  |
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