If we’re going to give 1.9 trillion won in taxpayer money to cabbies…

by Robert Koehler on January 23, 2013

in South Korea

Could we please get them to stop refusing service to non-Koreans?

Tagged as: taxis

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 ZenKimchi January 23, 2013 at 3:06 pm: Like.
2 BobbyMcG January 23, 2013 at 3:32 pm: The cabbies actually wanted 2.0 trillion. They took the 1.9 as a trade-off for removing the must pick up non-Koreans rule. Sorry man.
3 Towelthief January 23, 2013 at 3:54 pm: When I have trouble getting a cab, I don’t think it’s anything to do with being foreign, it’s because the subway has stopped. It’s got to the point where they are now asking w20,000 to go from 이태원 to 강남. All I ask is for them to do their jobs and not be thieving bastards.
4 PortaJohn January 23, 2013 at 6:22 pm: No, you can’t. Welcome to Seoul.
5 wangkon936 January 24, 2013 at 6:16 am: I suspect…. that Korean cabbies don’t want to provide service to Mr. Round Eye simply because he doesn’t want to or can’t speak English to you.
6 madar January 24, 2013 at 7:00 am: Don’t forget they also always blow off Koreans after the subways close unless they are going half way across Seoul. This was a good call by Mr. Park.
7 SomeguyinKorea January 24, 2013 at 10:43 am: Taxis in Seoul are becoming ridiculously overpriced. It’s now 4000-5000 won for the 5 minute ride from Gangnam to Soraemaul.
8 Brendon Carr January 24, 2013 at 11:20 am: It’s W14,000 for the 40-minute ride from COEX, where I work, to Kyonggi University, where I live. That seems awfully cheap, to be honest.
9 nayacasey January 24, 2013 at 2:20 pm: Robert! We’re you part of the coalition to get that loot for the taxi industry? If not, I don’t see why you have any expectations. At least, that’s what I learned from the recent Costco case.
10 Sperwer January 24, 2013 at 2:30 pm: Yeah, isn’t great how Korea doesn’t seem to subscribe to that (fundamental) aspect of the rule of law that laws must be general and of uniform and equal application – esp where non-nationals are concerned
11 SalarymaninSeoul January 24, 2013 at 2:52 pm: I don’t think there is much of a sympathy for what we see as the rule of law. Not in a society based on different people getting special privileges. For the rule of law to be firm, a 20 year old female should be viewed as equal to a 50 year old ajossi. We all know that is not so here. Its a society of strata, not exactly fertile soil for the rule of law.
12 Cloudfive January 24, 2013 at 3:04 pm: “laws must be general and of uniform and equal application” – Americans were certainly grateful for the rule of law when finance executives got their million dollar bonuses and stock options after the bank bailout. Meanwhile, the less deserving lost their homes and their retirement savings. http://www.cnbc.com/id/45674390/The_Size_of_the_Bank_Bailout_29_Trillion
13 qklilx January 26, 2013 at 4:05 am: One driver once told me halfway home from Itaewon to Korea Uni that he’d be charging me 20K. It was about 1AM. I told him I’m paying whatever the meter says, and that it would be around 10K since I’ve taken this route before. He argued he could have picked up another person. I pointed out that the other white people he was considering picking up were yelling out much closer locations. Then we had this whole talk about whether or not God exists and he ultimately charged me just the meter (~10K), saying that we’re buds since we agreed to disagree on religion. It’s just an amusing anecdote, but I wholeheartedly agree with you.