Korean Job Discussion Forums

Cheonmunka · Joined: 04 Jun 2004

Watch the news tonight and see what was live on TV this morning, caught on CCTV road and intersection camera, a taxi driver cutting a red light and an oncoming driver trying dodge it (should have just slammed it straight-on) but instead veered right onto a sidewalk mowing down two (young women) pedestrians.
Makes me so mad.
Can't even walk on the sidewalk without getting killed by the *beep* s

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

Because so many of them try to chat me up, asking me where I am from, if I have a boyfriend, etc. I recently had one ask me for my phone number and I had to lie and say I left it at home with a dead battery. Thank goodness no one called me after I told him this. To the poster who said Korean men will not approach a western woman because they are too shy, yeah right. I get bothered so much by taxi drivers and guys on the street, and even Bandi and Luni bookstore at Coex on Sunday. It gets annoying. It's an ego boost, but still, 9 out of 10 of them, and sometimes 10 out of 10, I am NOT interested. Rolling Eyes

sojourner1 · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:41 am Post subject:

Wow, Princess you got them speaking English to you? They like you lots! LMAO! None of my drivers hardly ever speak English, they are complete morons who easily get confused and act like retards. I only hire a car now when I am going home from grocery shopping and then recently, I man handle 2 heavy bags onto the bus more often whose drivers just haul major ass like it's a grand prix super big bus race. It's funny how I know my way around Korea and the local city I live in better than any taxi driver. Why is that so? You really have to tell them what to do as they don't know their own home work area. I honestly believe many of them are mentally challenged or simply low IQ ajoshis though there are exceptions.

When I walk my 2 blocks to work everyday, the same taxi drivers are always slowing down and honking at me indicating that I should get in the car and go someplace with them. How funny. It just wouldn't make sense to hire a car for what is a 5 minute walk! Very funny.

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

Dev · Joined: 18 Apr 2006

The taxi drivers in Korea are the worst I have ever dealt with. They're not there to serve you. They're there to serve themselves.

For example: I had a taxi driver refuse to take me because my destination, the airport in Daegu wasn't far enough for him to make some big money. So, then he dumped me onto another taxi driver.

I had the same thing happen to me at Seoul station when I wanted to go somewhere just a few stations away. I had some heavy bags. I just gave up and lugged them onto the subway.

In most developed countries, taxi drivers wouldn't do this. If they did, you could call the taxi company and make a complaint. Being the foreigner with poor Korean skills, I guess they see me as someone they can treat poorly and get away with it because it's hard for me to complain.

I have also seen a fair share of Korean taxi drivers drive through red rights. These people are awfull.

indytrucks · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: The Shelf

The Perfect Cup of Coffee · Joined: 17 Jun 2007

The lack of service from some of the taxi drivers here probably has something to do with fully half of them being bitter and angry individuals who used to work for SAMSUNG and the big banks but were laid off after the IMF crisis.

I'd be the same way if 10 years ago I was managing millions of dollars in investment but now had to limo around some lame-ass ESL teacher with 2 bags of groceries who could barely string a sentence together of comprehensible Korean.

The customer is king!

Dev · Joined: 18 Apr 2006

The Perfect Cup of Coffee · Joined: 17 Jun 2007

Cheonmunka · Joined: 04 Jun 2004

I don't hate taxi drivers per se, as I've met a few good ones. It's just that there has never been a system of traffic infringement fines or campaign in that manner to stop them from defining the road conditions. I've been driving here three years so far and if the taxis followed the laws, such as not being allowed to pass vehicles by skimming up the right side, the roads would be a lot safer.
For some reason the law doesn't come into effect until you damage, injure or kill someone. That's not preventative. And not the best way to run a society. IMHO.

MarionG · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

I've had nothing but good experiences with taxi drivers. When I come out of E-Mart, if I'm really burdened down, they help with my packages.

Once a driver took me to the wrong place (I have a card that has my destination on it when I'm going home.) When we straightened it out, and he took me home, he refused all payment for the ride because of his error.

I'm impressed with how professional they are, how clean and neat the cars are, and how immaculately groomed they are...I can't imagine keeped a crisply ironed white shirt looking just ironed in this heat, but they manage to do it.

PeterDragon · Joined: 15 Feb 2007

I think the taxi-drivers here are really no more maniacal or obnoxious then the ones I've encountered in larger American cities. Having said that, I much prefer the genuinely good-natured Taxi drivers of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Even-keeled, slightly eccentric working-class family men who KNOW HOW TO DRIVE and OBSERVE TRAFFIC LAWS.

shantaram · Joined: 10 Apr 2007

About six years ago I innocently decided to become a taxi driver, because I thought the job would be fun. It was great fun for about six months, then it was dull as hell and then completely exhausting. I had some trouble adjusting out of the lifestyle and into a new job, but I made it. Now, I hear ridiculous blanket statements about all taxi drivers everywhere I go. "Taxi drivers are the scum of the earth... except you of course" I was told by one of my friends. My new boss told me she nearly didn't hire me just because I had driven taxis. I just want to say a big, resounding, WTF? Why is it acceptable to tar the whole taxi industry with the same brush- losers of some kind?

I don't buy that taxi drivers are worse here in Korea than anywhere else, regular drivers make the same mistakes all the time. Korean taxi drivers seem very much like the taxi drivers I knew in my home country.

Why do people always feel the need to take a dig at these people?

The most shocking thing I think is when people actually get in the taxi and then give the taxi driver a hard time. The taxi driver is the person operating the vehicle. You should never give the driver a hard time.

Anyway, I think people should be aware that they are making generalisations about people who do a very difficult job, and who are not all 'the scum of the earth' or remotely interested in making sexual advances on passengers or whatever.

That's my rant for the day.

BTW I realise not all of you actually made negative comments about taxi drivers- I'm delighted by that!

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

Well, I disagree with most of you. Korean taxi drivers are great. In 6 years Ive a had one bad experience.

It helps if you can speak some Korean. Its amazing how many times Ive slept in a taxi and been woken up outside my house. I'd never do that at home.

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

Generally, I have great experiences with taxi drivers in Korea. Only twice have I not--and one time the cop that chased the cabbie down turned out to be a member of my church! I didn't recognize him in uniform.

My usual complaint about the drivers here is the way they gun the engine, then let their foot off the accelerator, then gun the engine, then let their foot off the acceletor, ad nauseum. And I mean nauseum! What's wrong with giving the engine a steady flow of gas and not trying to get even Davy Jones motion sick?

To the OP: Do you perhaps have a link to the news story?