Bullet Taxi?

There are lots of things that I had no experience with before I came to Seoul. This is but one of them.

As my family is in the US, I live in Seoul by myself. That means that I can work very late with few worries. Anyway, one late night (about 1AM) I finished up work and decided to take a taxi home. At that time I lived in CheongDam dong (in Kangnam for those of you who know Seoul) and was coming from Anyang. Normally that trip, about 25 km, takes about 40~45 minutes in good traffic. Granted, it was after midnight so the traffic was fairly light, but this night the journey took only about 20 minutes. Why you ask? Bullet taxi!!!

The experience was like riding with a stock car driver at the wheel. Pedal to the metal with the speedo pinging off of the max then, without warning, hard on the brakes until our speed was less than 80 kph. So why the on/off the gas and brakes? It wasn't like we were making left turns (as the stock car drivers do). Instead, we were slowing down for traffic cameras. Yes, the GPS system was telling the driver where the next camera was. And sure enough, just a few hundred meters before the camera the driver got on the brakes hard. A few seconds later the GPS system told the driver he successfully negotiated the camera and back on the gas it was. Don't get me wrong... I really enjoy riding with a driver who doesn't mind being aggressive (actually, I enjoy powerful cars, the more the better) so I really enjoyed the ride. However the fun part came at the traffic lights. We slowed to maybe 50 kph, but the driver had no intention of stopping for any red light unless absolutely necessary. The ped x-ings rated a mere 80 kph.

Anyway, the next day I described the experience to one of my colleagues at work and I was told that I had taken a "Bullet Taxi". Hmm... can you pay extra for that?

I'd like to use my lifeline please!

File this one under "WTF". I was checking out the new place where I am staying. It is on the 10th floor of a 15 floor building. My last place was on the 22nd floor of a 27 floor building and apparently did not have the need for one of these. The box is marked "Simple Descending Lifeline" in English or "간이완강기" in Korean. OK, so the name is descriptive enough... I look closer and find it is tethered to the wall with a very large anchor bolt. I guess that is to support my weight (as well as a theft deterrent). OK, everything makes sense so far, so I say to myself "How do I get out of here if I need to use it?" Ah, yes, the window has a handle and voila over the side we go. However, the only small problem is that the window is set to open only a few millimiters at the bottom and about 10cm at the top. WTF?

Taxi!

So I wanted to catch a taxi in Seoul. At first it was not easy and there were lots of rules to learn. I will tell you about my first attempt in a later post, but first, let me tell you one of the most important rules.

The Wave.
Anyone who has ever hailed a taxi knows that "the wave" is a gesture that all taxi drivers know and to which they respond. However, in Korea, whether trying to get the attention of a taxi driver or your Korean friend down the hall, there is a specific wave that will work. On the other hand, if you are looking piss off the taxi driver (or your friend for that matter), the US version of the wave will do quite fine. Put your arm at a 90 degree angle with palm facing you and gesture with your hand "come hither" style. It turns out that in Korea, that kind of wave is only used for calling animals -- your pet, a stray dog, etc. The taxi driver (or your friend) will not take kindly to such a gesture. Instead, extend your arm straight out parallel to the ground with your palm down and subtly flap your hand up and down.

So, what is it about Korea that is so interesting?

My first trip to Korea was in May of 2001. It was a bit of an inauspicious start. I was overwhelmed by the "foreign-ness" of Korea. Everything was foreign to me -- the food, the language, the customs -- how was I to function here? However, I soon let go of my fears and started to enjoy my surroundings. I have had many experiences here in Korea and most were very positive. Now, as my assignment is coming to an end here in Korea, I have decided to blog about my experiences in Korea. Some will be about things that happened in the past, however, most will be about my everyday happenings as they happen. I hope that you will enjoy what I have to say. Also, if you want to know more about Korea -- people, places, pics, etc. -- just let me know and either I will answer or I will find someone with an answer.

Tim