Okay so this is roughly the size of many of the cars here in Korea. They are surprisingly roomy on the inside. Yes, you see a majority of Kia and Hyundai here but there are a few others of all shapes and sizes. There are many reasons you don't get great big vehicles for the most part. Basically the rules of the road in South Korea (SoKo) are really just implied. It is best to have something you can maneuver around in easily if you are to survive.
They drive on the right hand side of the road here. For some reason I thought they didn't. I can't for the life of me tell you why I thought it different. But I find it odd that they drive on the right but prefer to walk down the left hand side of the sidewalks and hallways. But I digress...
Now as a pedestrian it is much more crucial to understand that there are no real rules here. So if you come to Korea, keep these thoughts in mind.
Red lights are only suggestions. If there is nobody coming then it is perfectly okay to go through the red light. You will get honked at from three cars back if you don't do this actually.
Crosswalks are a life or death kind of thing. I know those of you from the East Coast of the states are saying "no big" but I am telling you it is different. You can cross, but there isn't a guarantee they are going to stop. If you make eye contact with the driver it just means that you understand what he or she is about to do. It does not mean they are going to stop.
It is perfectly normal to be in the furthest right hand lane and cross for lanes of traffic going left for no apparent reason whatsoever.
South Korean drivers could give the Italian population a run for their money in hand gestures.
Don't bother coming if you can't parallel park in the smallest of spaces.
Motor scooters can and do go anywhere. Sidewalks or street markets will not protect you.
Not even the crossing guard at school will step out into the street to guide you to school. Just a big stick with a flag on it is all that keeps you safe.
Odds are at some point you will get hit by a car while walking here. When this happens, do not expect the car to stop or even slow down.
My advice? Don't buy new. I mean what is the point really. It is a 99.99% probability that you will get sideswiped or something within days of rolling out.
With that in mind....feel free to come on over and take a walk with me!
Will you be a walker for your entire journey, or are you prepared to be armed with a vehicle eventually and join the masses of chaos?!
ReplyDeleteI would like to say I would never do it but I cannot say that in maybe a year or so I wouldn't do it. There are definitely times when I would like to have a car to use to get around in. I just don't know if I could handle the stress. That coming from me of all people!
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