Well, this is a curious idea.
My chief concern — this could discourage regular taxis from stopping to pick up foreigners.
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Ridiculous idea. What Seoul need is not to deepen the gap between residents and visitors. Does Singapore have foreigners-only cabs? Does Tokyo? HK? KL? Or Beijing, the epitome of foreigner-friendliness (shudder)? Nopesky.
It’s bad enough to be hassled by illegal taxis at the airports (ICN and GMP), I can’t imagine what it’ll be like if the 양놈-only cabs get first dibs there…
Other things discouraging Korean taxis from picking up foreigners: Rain, freezing winds, or seeing any Korean person appear out of nowhere in a 500m radius of the foreigner.
Yeah, I’m betting taxis home from Itaewon just got 20% more expensive.
It seems the more Korea tries to become/appear foreigner friendly, the more it sullies its “international” image.
The problem is that nobody seems to be asking the foreigners about how to become foreigner friendly.
As far as I recall, weren’t the black (모범) taxis originally created to serve foreign tourists exclusively?
Does this mean I am going to have a harder time getting a normal silver taxi by the side of the road as all these rip-off taxis come at me? I think this is a very bad idea. I’ll have to start carrying a placard saying “일반 택시만.”
It’s hard enough to get taxis as it is, and borderline impossible after 1130pm. Maybe a foreigner-only hotline for call taxis late at night could make sense. But this idea only gives current taxi ajosshis carte blanche to be even more dismissive of foreigners than they presently are.
I’m a little surprised – I almost never have any trouble with the cabs. Of course, it helps to show them that you’re already adjusted to the local scene, and not some FOB-foreigner who will cause some massively upsetting 신천/신촌 type of incident. To transmit this signal, you need to flag the cab like an Asian: As the cab approaches, look the driver in the eye, extend your right arm and let your hand flutter up and down a few times, gay-salute style. You’ll feel and look like an idiot, but you’ll get the cab.
And, on all your behalves, I pretty much always tip a little – figuring that bit of incentive might help the next foreigner get a ride, even if a Korean pops up within 500 meters. (Hey, who taught the American lawyer how to use metric?)
Oh great, a new way to gouge the waygooks! Bad idea.
I completely agree: this will make things much worse for the non-tourist non-Koreans here. Nothing good will come of this. In my own blog entry, I commented:
“Why not label them as “tourist taxis” and encourage them to hang out in Itaewon, and around hotels and airports? Let them gouge tourists; that is a time-honoured practise and one that only the truly inexperienced traveller would be surprised or outraged at. Leave the rest of us alone to fend for ourselves. And for those that live here: if you cannot communicate with a taxi driver, you deserve whatever grief you get. “
Actually, Linkd, in most situations, I’m perfectly willing to tell foreigners that most of their problems in Korea are because of their own ignorance and/or arrogance. But when it comes to taxis, even FOB morons know the drill. No one expects taxi drivers to speak English. And I don’t think the problem is that we aren’t flagging them correctly.
I’ve had some horrific experiences with taxis in which I could not make myself understood. When this happens, I write my destination down (Hangul of course) and hand it to the driver. And I’ve STILL had some of them fuck it up.
I live at the ONLY university in my city. That a cabbie would need a foreigner to give him directions on how to get there, in Korean, is ridiculous.
Nah, most of our problems are the Koreans’ fault.
In my years in Korea, the only time taxi drivers were obviously dismissive to me because I was a foreigner was when I’ve been very near the US Army base. There they’ve actually turned off their 빈차 light until they pass me then turn it on and pick up a Korean in my clear site. All of the other times I’ve had a hard time getting cabbies to stop were times that Koreans around me were having the same problems… e.g. rainy night in Jongno or Gangnam Station around midnight. Just walk up the street a few minutes folks, toward the incoming taxis and away from the masses of people. Works all the time.
Oh, that and taxi drivers who hang out at the airport should drive themselves straight to hell.
I love the whole idea how adashi or agashi see’s you waiting for a cab and they merely go upstream to steal it from you. Will they now let the pisadda taxi go by for the schil?
I have to agree, the “come-hither” wave is so demeaning.
I just hope I can remember not to do the wrist-flappy thing when I move back to the States.
A really dumb idea and unnecessary waste. If they are serious about catering to non-Koreans they I think they should fix the so called “free interpretation” service that is a failure. You know actually hire qualified interpreters and be willing to pay them fair wages. And train unfamiliar cab drivers how to use the equipment. Some drivers have never used the installed equipment simply because they are not sure how to use it.
Whew! I’m sure glad I’m Korean.
#4 – “The problem is that nobody seems to be asking the foreigners about how to become foreigner friendly.”
Hmm, you may be onto something there… (When it comes to foreign investment and tourism, YOU must understand US!)
Anyway, screw this largely symbolic taxi scheme; I won’t be happy until we have ready access to foreigner-only bathrooms and segregated dining areas throughout the Republic!
#4 – “The problem is that nobody seems to be asking the foreigners about how to become foreigner friendly.”
Hmm, you may be onto something there… (When it comes to foreign investment and tourism, YOU must understand US!)
Anyway, screw this largely symbolic taxi scheme; I won’t be happy until we have ready access to foreigner-only bathrooms and segregated dining areas throughout the Republic!
Sorry about the double post. I must be really steamed!
what a useless suggestion.
NO! wait.. this is a great fucking idea!! And I’ll go one better: hire deadbeat canadian english teachers to run the cabs! (seriously, where else will the city find so many quality english speakers willing to drive a cab) Then, set up a special visa system for them that would allow the deadbeats to bypass the criminal background checks of normal teaching visas(this adds to the prestige and, truth be told, drivers with criminal records are much more interesting, kinda like the fact that chicks dig scars). And, give them free housing near the airport so their first fare of the day could be easy. I admit, you’d have to negotiate with the gangster cabbie union out at Incheon, but I’d say the city can handle it. After all, recall how they dealt with those deadbeat civil servants last year. Which brings me back to those deadbeat canadian english teachers….
“seriously, where else will the city find so many quality english speakers willing to drive a cab”
You could try bringing back the 100,000 Koreans living illegally in Canada right now.
Mr.Mao, now that’s the spirit!
(messes with the balance of my idea, though…)
Has anyone actually tried that “free interpretation” service? Just curious how well that works.
Anyway, I’m willing to reserve my opnion on this one until it’s put into action. We can’t expect non-residents to pick up taxi lingo, so if this helps the short-term visitors, then cool.
20% hike on the fare when a regular ‘call taxi’ is just 500 to 1000 won more than a regular one? It just doesn’t seem right.
PS. They need to do something about the fact that many passengers often arrive at Incheon after the last buses have left in the evening.
Wedge, I haven’t used the free interpretation in a taxi, but I have used the BBB translation service. I got yelled at by the interpreter on the other end wanting to know how I got his number, then after I explanined I dialed the translation service, he screamed that he doesn’t do that any more and hung up. Sparkling!
SomeGuy, the Incheon train/subway will be open by the end of next year(?), so that should take care of the problem there.
Wow, that is funny!
This whole idea of taxis for foreigners is a joke or hoax though. Regular cabs are good if one prepares for the trip with a destination address.
Cabs out of Kangnam after midnight is still an unpleasant business since it seems that too many of these cab drivers have problems (?) and are shy in picking up foreigners — even if they appear sober. Many of the late-night places around there play host to some drunkards that most drivers don’t want in their cab.
“SomeGuy, the Incheon train/subway will be open by the end of next year(?), so that should take care of the problem there.”
These supposed to be completed by the spring of 2008, which was already a long wait.
#26,
Maybe you should post the free interpretation’s number on websites frequented by ESL teachers…you know, to help them out.
Unless they changed the number (I haven’t used since being hung up on), it’s 1588-5644.
I don’t have the need for much translation help, but if I ever did I would just call up the Tourism Hotline (1330). They are multilingual and have been gracious with their help in the past.
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