Planes, Trains and Automobiles Pt. 2

Ok, Im going to cover public transportation in the second installment of this series. Included are buses and subway trains; up first: the subway.

Having never really ridden an established and extensive subway system before this summer in NYC, I have to say they are really beneficial when done right. Atlanta's is not done well, as evidenced by the fact that no one really takes it unless they are going downtown, to the airport or trying to find somewhere to sleep. New York's and Seoul's are far better, encompassing the entire city with entrances every few blocks. I have give the edge to Seoul's system though, but only because the platforms dont smell like urine and the stations are extremely well maintained.

I probably take the subway here at least once a week and have never had a bad experience, save for the random times I show up as the doors are closing or inability to get a seat as seen here:

The subways run pretty regularly, and even if you miss a train, there is always one a few minutes behind with it's position shown on an electronic board. Every stop is announced in both Korean and English and the map of stops is written in both, ensuring that you have to be asleep or a moron to miss yours.

The only downfall to the subway is that the trains dont run all night, they stop around 11 or 12, but since taxis are so cheap (I will elaborate in pt. 3), getting home is never too expensive.

Ok, now for the buses. There is a wonderful piece of technology that links the subway system and bus system together, its called a T-Money card and is about the size of a piece of gum. This card either goes in your wallet or attaches to your phone via a cord and is rechargeable at every subway station. While you can use cash, Id say more than 90% of Koreans use their T-Money card to pay for subways and buses. In addition to convenience, one of the best incentives to use it is that it gives you free transfers. For example, whenever I take the subway home, I also have to take a 5 min bus ride, but that bus ride is free since I use my T-Money card. I can also use this card to pay for some taxis and in select convenience stores.

Like the subway, every bus stop is announced in English and Korean and you simply push a button to signal to the driver that you want off. While much of Seoul looks similar, one of the best things about the bus is the view. This, paired with the recent implementation of a HOV lane just for buses makes this mode of transportation more appealing than being stuck underground.

There are two major flaws in the bus system though, the first is that while the stops are announced in English, the maps at the stops are only in Korea. This means that unless you know which bus to take or know Korean, its going to be pretty hard to figure out which bus goes where.

The second is the driver's sense of entitlement. According to their posted licenses, many of these drivers have been in the game for many years and have the ego to go with it. What does an egotistical bus driver do? Anything he wants. Since Ive been here, Ive almost been hit when crossing the street at the appropriate time, been cut off numerous times while in a taxi and witnessed buses refuse to yield to emergency vehicles. Its goes both ways though, because I obviously enjoy the driver making haste while Im aboard, but some of their actions surprise me at best.