Seoul Taxi Cab Driver Sets Himself on Fire to Protest Ride Sharing App
South Korea unfortunately has a long history of people setting themselves on fire during protests:
A taxi driver has died after setting himself on fire in protest of the launch of a commercial carpool service app.
KBS World Radio
Police say a 57-year-old known only by his surname Choi, sustained severe burns and later died after pulling his taxi over near the National Assembly Monday afternoon and setting himself on fire.
They say he initially tried to drive through the main gate of the assembly, but turned around after a guard noticed a strong gasoline odor and requested an inspection.
He reportedly called a senior official of his union earlier in the day to make his plan known.
Last Friday, Kakao Mobility, the transportation service arm of Kakao Corporation, launched its pilot carpooling service involving a group of randomly selected users.
You can read more at the link, but as I have maintained on this issue, instead of trying to get the government to give them special treatment, the taxi companies should improve their business model to compete with the ride sharing apps instead.
@GI
Japanese taxi cab companies actually did what you suggested and people are happier with the service and ease of use. USBs chargers, credit card readers, an app and Uber Japan is pretty much a non-factor there.
It isn’t necessarily about special treatment. It may be about unequal treatment.
Taxis have a great deal of regulation and expense that ride share does not.
For example, it requires time and money just to be a taxi driver… lots of it to own your own taxi. There is a great deal of memorization and testing.
It requires a car and a navigator to work as a ride share.
I’ll stick with the black taxis in Seoul and various well-known bus routes elsewhere. Except when in-laws decide to drive. Then I’m a captive audience.
He could have found lots of work in front of Seoul station Saturday evening; got off the train at 1800, went to the front of the station and line waiting was off the island but not a taxi in sight; should have called an uber.
Also, not sure what the taxi drivers memorize, either they don’t know or pretend not to know the location and refuse service half the time.
Flyingsword wrote:
Correct! That’s what it takes to drive a silver* taxi. But they need to remember to only act that way for waygooks.
Note: When I was in Korea last, I realized there were more than Black and Silver; but I used them all so infrequently I hope you’ll forgive my not knowing the current color scheme.
And I have always had a rule to avoid taxis where the driver is on fire.
“And I have always had a rule to avoid taxis where the driver is on fire.”
Not me.
I think the fresh smell of cooking meat compliments the existing smell of soju.