Search Results for: taxi cab related incidents

The Korean government is taking a harsher stance against anyone who assaults taxi cab drivers:

Physically assault a South Korea taxi or bus driver and you’ll face a minimum three-year jail term or a $20,000 fine, officials said Wednesday.

A Ministry of Construction and Transportation official confirmed Wednesday that a revised bill addressing the assault of public transportation drivers recently passed South Korea’s National Assembly and is to go into effect in February.

Several U.S. military community personnel found themselves entangled in the South Korean legal system after tangling with taxi drivers in the last year.

“The law was designed to boost people’s safety,” an unnamed ministry official told The Korea Times.

“We will sternly punish those using violence against public transportation drivers that threatens the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians.”

Killing a driver will bring a sentence of five years to life in prison, the official said.

I am all for punishing idiots who assault taxi cab drivers, but I do have to wonder if this law is solely meant for USFK personnel or will it be enforced on the general Korean population as well because I have personally seen many times cab drivers getting into confrontations with other Koreans.  With the selective nature of enforcing laws in Korea, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is solely a law focused on punishing USFK personnel.  I would also love to see increased penalties as well for taxi cab drivers who break the law by overcharging and even sometimes assaulting customers who will not pay them the overcharged price. 

Just to show taxi cab related incidents aren’t a purely 2ID thing, from the Stars and Stripes:

South Korean police said they are investigating two U.S. soldiers for assaulting a taxi driver Friday night.

The 51-year-old taxi driver said he was attacked in a public rest- room in Itaewon at about 11:20 p.m.

Police said the driver, Park Gwang-yong, remained hospitalized Monday and might require surgery.

Police said the soldiers fled to nearby Yongsan Garrison after the assault, and that U.S. military authorities brought them to the off-base police station for questioning about 11 hours later.

Remember this is Korea, guilty until proven innocent.

HT: Nomad

The Marines do not like to be out done by the Army at anything. Well the Marines are now making their move at surpassing 2ID in taxi cab related incidents:

According to a police report, the Marine became upset at 4:55 a.m. when the cabbie told him his taxi was not authorized to take him on nearby Kadena Air Base, and he struck the $100 sign with his fist. He was apprehended by police officers patrolling the area and was released from custody Sunday after police referred a misdemeanor charge of vandalism to the prosecutor’s office.

The third incident reportedly began about 1:30 a.m. Saturday in the Kumoji district of Naha, where two lance corporals assigned to Camp Kinser were allegedly involved in another incident involving a cab. According to a police spokesman, a 22-year-old Marine was being arrested for vandalism for jumping up and down on the roof of the cab when his 25-year-old friend grabbed a policeman’s arm. Both appeared to be drunk, a police spokesman said.

Two taxi cab related incidents in one night. That is pretty good, that matches 2ID’s record. It looks like the Marines still have some more work to do though.

It looks like someone got really stupid in Itaewon this weekend and caused yet another Taxi Cab Related Incident. Via U.S. Army WTF Moments:

Here is what the USFK commander General Abrams had to say about this incident:

Being a good battlebuddy includes being with your battle buddy and not letting them wander off.

We are guests here. We are also Ambassadors who represent our country on and off duty. Below is an example of not being a good Ambassador. https://t.co/Dw4FVkxMAd

— Robert Abrams (@DogFaceSoldier) July 21, 2019

As I have always said every time the curfew has been lifted, is that just the large number of U.S. troops in Korea means that eventually a stupid or criminal incident will happen. If the command is not willing to absorb blowback from incidents like this, then why the lift the curfew in the first place?

I guess we will see if the curfew returns or not.

I posted a couple of months ago about the KBS report I saw on television about Incheon International Airport taxi drivers overcharging foreigners.  Courtesy of the Marmot he has translated a Hankyoreh report of an investigation they have done as well into the corruption of the airport taxi drivers. 

For instance, a taxi ride from Incheon Airport to Seoul City Hall normally costs 40,000 won (by normal taxi) and 70,000 won (by call van), but these jokers were charging 150,000 won.

Police said that the “bonbang” would not allow other taxi drivers to work in their turf, assaulting drivers who tried. In May, gang members beat the crap out of a taxi driver who didn’t belong to the “bonbang,” leaving the victim with wounds that took four weeks to heal.

Police are investigating whether the “bonbang” used violence or threats on the foreigners they overcharged as well.

An employee at a hotel in Myeongdong said there are at least one or two arguments a week between foreigners and “call van” taxi drivers over fares. He also said — sit down for this — that taxi drivers regularly overcharge US soldiers (!), referring to the hapless GIs as “butter.”

Just for the record the vast majority of taxi cab drivers in Seoul and Korea in general are quite honest and will give you no problems.  However, there are certain areas where the cab drivers are some of the lowest scum you will find in Korea and Incheon airport is just one of those places.  If you are a foreigner, do not take a taxi from Incheon airport; take either the bus or the new installed train.  The bus is much cheaper than a taxi and more comfortable as well with its large, spacious seats.  The train is also cheap, quite comfortable, and uncrowded.  The only downside with the train is that it only goes as far as Kimpo Airport where you have to transfer on to the subway, but construction is continuing on the line to take the train all the way to downtown Seoul.  Both these options are much better than taking a taxi cab. 

I have long pointed out on this blog that other places to watch out for dishonest cab drivers is Uijongbu, particularly the Uijongbu train station and Stanleyville, as well as in the city of Dongducheon.  These cab drivers regularly rip off soldiers and even try to provoke incidents in hopes of big payoffs. 

These taxi drivers are vultures who are looking to rip off GIs. They know that the GI’s are desperate to get back to camp before curfew, so they feel free to charge exuberant fees, knowing full well that the soldier will more than likely pay it because they have to get back to camp. However, sometimes when you got a GI that is drunk and the cab driver tries to rip him off, tensions mount and the incidents occur. It is not an excuse for a soldier to get in a scuffle with a taxi driver, but it is just the reality of what is happening.  The foreigners at the airport are just getting a taste of what soldiers in Uijongbu and Dongducheon have to regulary deal with in regards to cab drivers.  So will there ever be undercover investigation of the cab drivers in Uijongbu and Dongducheon?  Probably not, but the uncovering of the corrupt cab drivers at Incheon airport is at least a start.

The Stars and Stripes has the latest on a drunk GI in Itaewon and a taxi cab related incident.  Nomad has more.

Just when you thought you had seen it all in regards to taxi cab related incidents you find out you in fact haven’t. From the Stars and Stripes:

A nude U.S. soldier was struck and killed by an off-base taxi Saturday night, officials said Monday.

U.S. and South Korean officials are investigating the incident in which Spc. Vang B. Her, a 22-year-old fire control repairman with Company B, 302nd Brigade Support Battalion, was killed around 10:30 p.m. near Mount Soyo, about 3 miles north of Camp Casey.

The 46-year-old taxi driver is being held in South Korean police custody because he waited about 30 minutes before reporting the incident, Yangju police said Monday.

Police said the driver reported that a naked soldier dashed in front of his taxi and that he was unable to stop before hitting him.

Witnesses, however, gave conflicting reports that Her was lying in the roadway when hit, according to police.

This is really weird because the area around Mt. Soyo has no clubs or drinking establishments that would attract a GI. The only thing around Mt. Soyo are a few hotels and stores for tourists going to visit the mountain. Possibly he was riding on the subway and fell asleep and woke up at the last stop which is the Soyo Mountain station. He would need to cross the street from the station to get on the sidewalk that would lead south back to Camp Casey.

The only way I see the cab driver getting in trouble is if he was speeding which on that portion of Highway 3. Cab drivers and other vehicles are notorious for speeding and running red lights in that part of town because of the light traffic at night due to it not being a night life area. So you may have a case (if he was drinking) of a drunk soldier walking across the street being hit by a speeding taxi cab running a red light. How the heck he got naked though is anyone guess. Whatever happened it is definitely very weird and hopefully the toxicology results and a full investigation will uncover what happened.

In response to this USFK Commander General B.B. Bell issued this Bells Sends message in regards to this accident. General Bell emphasizes the battle buddy policy and the dangers of over alcohol consumption. However, I know the General means well, but do you have to include in the message reminders to look both ways and check for traffic before crossing the road to a bunch of grown adults? Anyway, no matter what happened the loss of life of a soldier is always tragic and I wish this deceased soldier’s family all the best.

You can read more over at Lost Nomad.

Everyone in USFK is getting into taxi cab related incidents now, even the GNC employees:

Kunsan Air Base’s commander restricted all airmen to the base Monday after two Air Force police officers and a third American allegedly pummeled a local cab driver and tried to make off with his car early that morning.

Col. Jeffrey Lofgren, 8th Fighter Wing commander, also pledged a “thorough investigation” and “appropriate action” against those involved in the assault, according to a news release.

The 48-year-old driver, identified only by his surname of Lee, was treated for bruises at a hospital and released after the 1:30 a.m. attack in Kunsan City, South Korean police told Stars and Stripes.

Police said two of the suspects are two members of Kunsan’s 8th Security Forces squadron. The third American is a 23-year-old of Korean descent who works at a GNC health products store on base, police said.

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This just goes to show once again, it isn’t just 2ID who has taxi cab related incidents:

Park, interviewed by phone on Monday, said he picked up the boys near the main gate of Camp Carroll at about 2 a.m. and took them to downtown Waegwan — about a $2.50 fare.

When they arrived, the teens bolted without paying, Park said. He gave chase and managed to catch them with the help of a bystander.

They began to scuffle and Park said he saw that one teen was wielding something in his hand before striking the driver in the stomach.

“At first I didn’t realize what happened,” said Park. He grabbed his midsection and his hands came away bloody.

“The blood was coming out of my jacket, it was dripping on the street,” he said. “It was then that I realized I had been stabbed with a knife.”

This is actually one of the most vicious attacks on a cab driver yet in Korea.  Truly despicable to stab some in the gut for a $2.50 taxi fare.  It will be interesting to see how Korean law is applied to these two dependents of US servicemembers, but hopefully the new taxi cab law applies to them as well and they see some jail time. 

Additionally, why were they out at 2AM to begin with?  Their parents will probably have a lot of explaining to do this week.

You can read more over at Lost Nomad and the Marmot’s Hole.

UPDATE #2: The Stars and Stripes now has an English language report out that clarifies what happened. It was just one soldier involved in the incident and this soldier was in fact and MP and is a 8th Army soldier stationed in Yongsan. The 2ID bashing can stop now.

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