Observations on traffic

Driving here is dangerous to think about. While I haven't seen any accidents during my two months in Korea, I have imagined dozens. People drive here with an aggression I stereotype Californians as possessing. I've been on a bus that was simultaneously occupying 4 lanes of traffic. That made for scary thoughts.

Last weekend I stayed out too late in Seoul and found that the subways stop running at midnight. This seems ridiculous in a country that so into partying. Whatever the case, I was faced with the need to get home and this meant I'd be biting the bullet and taking a cab all the way back to Anyang. This was the longest I'd spent in a taxi cab and I don't think I ever want to do it again. Either I go home before midnight or I crash wherever I'm at. I am like Cinderella.

I was really lucky because my taxi driver was an escaped convict who spent his time in prison studying Nascar crashes. He drove dual-footed, alternating between gas and brake at about the same pace Neil Peart goes between the snare and kick drum. The goal of driving is apparently to take up the slack between you and the car in front as quickly as possible. This also applies when approaching a red light.

The funny thing was when a mini-van attempted a rather aggressive passing/cutting-off maneuver which prompted my driver and all other taxi men on the road to start honking vigorously. No one rolls like a cab unless you're a cab, word is bond.

I also recently passed by some couch sections and office furniture on the side of the road. My buddy and I considered this a sign and so we loaded a loveseat onto two rolling chairs and proceeded to ferry it back to my apartment. This was definitely a strange sight for passers-by, enhanced by our curious appearance. Yeah, two white guys stand out here. Plus we were awkwardly manhandling furniture down the street. Plus I am tall and slender and my friend is short and stout, so we kind of look like a pair of Disney movie henchmen. No doubt bringing the couch back for our boss to use for kidnapping puppies.