"You should never do this in Korea!" A foreigner's experience of bus culture in Korea sparks a wa...
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I'd like to share with you some posts and videos by foreigners living in Korea that have recently become a hot topic.
Livestreams and videos by foreigners living in Korea are reportedly popular among foreigners. One recently uploaded video
garnered a lot of attention, with thousands of comments. The post is titled "Characteristics of Korean Buses/Bus Stops."
The content reveals that Korea has its own unique bus culture, and that there are bus stops
unseen anywhere else in the world. When you travel to Korea, you'll often use buses, but if you behave like you do in your hometown,
you won't be able to catch a bus.
This might be less common outside of Seoul, but if you're traveling to Seoul,
you should definitely heed my advice.
When you arrive at the bus stop,
check which bus you're taking.
You'll probably be surprised by Korea's technological prowess for the first time here.
The route map is in Korean, but you'll see touchscreens nearby.
Koreans are very English-friendly. Even if you don't speak Korean, it won't be difficult if you know English.
Once you know the bus number you want to take, check the estimated arrival time on the electronic display or touchscreen.
Korean public transportation schedules are quite accurate.
However, there's an important point to note. In Korea,
if it's not your bus,
you shouldn't make eye contact with the bus driver. This is crucial.
In most countries, people stop at designated stops without raising their hand or saying anything.
But not in Korea. If you don't say anything even though it's a designated stop,
the driver will pass you by.
Conversely, if you look him in the eye, he'll think you're taking the bus he's driving.
The problem is that sometimes, if the bus driver mistakenly stops and you don't get on,
they might say something rude to you.
Ah, since I don't know Korean anyway, it probably doesn't matter...
Even if you don't know what Korean swear words mean,
you'll know right away, "Oh, that person is swearing at me." If they have an 'S' in them,
and their voice is a little louder than usual, and their face looks irritated,
then it's definitely annoying, even if you don't know what they mean.
So, unless you're supposed to be on the bus, avoid eye contact with the bus driver. Additionally,
be careful not to make eye contact, but also be careful if you stand up from your seat,
touch your wallet, put your hands in your pockets,
or get too close to the road, as the bus may stop. If you follow these guidelines,
I guarantee you'll enjoy riding the bus in Korea.
Avoid rush hour when you take the bus. If you have access to the subway,
take it. Considering Seoul is a large city,
it's home to over 10 million people. You might see at least 60 people, more than double the capacity of a 30-seat bus.
When you think it's full, Koreans still
think it can fit more than 10.
They're already used to such situations,
so competing with them is like resisting someone in a fighter jet with a broom.
But this situation won't happen to you anyway. Even before the bus arrives, countless people will be gathering,
like vultures, observing the license plate in the distance, anticipating the bus's likely stop.
Since you're just a worm among these vultures, it's better to take a taxi with peace of mind.
It might cost more, but that price buys you happiness and time. But if you take the bus in any other time,
you'll be amazed once again by Korean technology.
I don't know where you live,
but I'm sure most people have used empty bus stops. But Korea is different.
They've done some really crazy things at the bus stop.
I don't know the exact name of this thing, but it's nice to have a chair,
but if you sit down, you might get a fly in your mouth. It's cold in the summer, and
warm in the winter. I don't know if this is used for bus fares or taxes, but it's just great.
There was a time when my phone battery ran low while I was live-streaming, but there was a place to charge it at the bus stop,
and I was able to finish safely. This feature is also available in Paris, where I live, and it's also great.
All bus stops have electronic displays, so you can tell when the bus will arrive.
While not many, you might see bus stops with a breeze blowing in the summer.
And these days, there's a lot of this kind of bus stop. Fine dust has been a problem in Korea for several years, and results show that a lot of it comes from buses and cars,
so bus stops are easily exposed.
However, Korean bus stops have a designated area where you can avoid this. There's an air purifier running here. I was curious whether this was tax-exempt or included in the bus fare,
but it was great. Apparently, there are many other technologies in use that I'm not aware of.
Finally, in Korea, you have to be up before getting off at the stop. Even if you ring the bell,
if you're not up, the bus driver might just pass you by or even get angry. This needs ...