Search Results for: taxi cab related incidents

This is definitely one of these only in Yongsan type of stories. From the Stars and Stripes:

Some nannies, maids and other household workers whom military families hired in South Korea may lose their base privileges in coming months as U.S. Forces Korea begins limiting access to workers violating local immigration and labor standards.

This stricter enforcement policy — described by USFK’s top spokesman as an educational campaign rather than a crackdown — most likely will affect families who live in South Korea under a status-of-forces-agreement visa and who have hired Filipinas or other non-South Koreans as nannies or maids.

“We’re not on a witch hunt here,” Col. Franklin Childress, USFK’s public affairs officer, said Friday. “We want to make sure we educate our personnel adequately about this situation.”

The situation is this: South Korea’s government, in most circumstances, does not allow foreigners to take household jobs such as maids, nannies or gardeners in the homes of SOFA personnel, according to Childress and the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Those SOFA personnel include servicemembers, Department of Defense workers and contractors and their family members living both on and off military bases, he said.

First we had alcohol related incidents, then taxi cab related incidents, now housekeeping related incidents!

I didn’t even know an illegal Fillipina immigrant could even get an ID to get on post? This just doesn’t sound like a very good force protection policy? Don’t let the soldiers know about this, because before you know it every soldier will have their own Fillipina “maid” in the barracks with an ID card.

This obviously has less to do with upholding Korean law and more to do with protecting Korean jobs and allowing access to more Koreans on post to play the slot machines and golf courses. I’m only half joking here because those who live on USFK base know there is definitely some truth to it.

These taxi cab related incidents are happening even more frequently than major alcohol related incidents though I wouldn’t be surprised alcohol was involved in this:

A U.S. soldier was detained and questioned by South Korean police Sunday for allegedly robbing a taxi driver and allegedly attempting to rob a second driver in Seoul, according to police officials.

The soldier, who police identified only as Private W, was released to U.S. military custody after the initial round of questions, police said.

They said the soldier threatened a taxi driver with a knife and a chunk of brick around 11:20 a.m. Sunday in Seoul’s Gangnam district. After stealing 70,000 won (about $70) from the man, police said he hailed a second cab and attempted to rob that driver. Police said they detained him on the scene.

Didn’t anyone learn anything from the sentence the Stuff ’em in the Trunk Gang received from the Korean courts? This idiot will rightfully go to jail if he did in fact commit the crime, but the important thing is that USFK needs to educate soldiers on what will happen to them if they mess with these cab drivers. I’m curious if this guy knew about what happened to the Stuff ’em in the Trunk gang? I have been saying this for awhile but it may be time to put non-AAFES taxi’s off limits from about 8PM to 6AM to keep the drunks away from the cab drivers at night. Pretty sad but that appears to be the best solution to solve this on going problem.

Not to be out done by the Marine Corps in taxi cab related incidents, 2ID has stepped up to the plate again and executed the mother of all taxi cab related incidents:

Kim said he agreed to let five men squeeze into his cab about 11 p.m. Sunday. They said they’d give a good tip for a ride to Stanley, the driver said Tuesday.

Kim agreed to take the men for 15,000 won, or about $15; the metered fare for that ride usually is about 6,000 won, he said. As Kim got close to a turnoff for Camp Stanley, the passengers, saying they had a Christmas party to attend, told him to stay on his current route. As they got further from town, Kim said, he began to worry.

“But it was Christmas,” he remembered thinking, and he kept following their directions. Then some of the passengers asked him to pull over so they could urinate, Kim said. When three left the car, the two others put him in a headlock and began to beat him with a bottle and their fists, he said.

The passengers took Kim’s cell phone and 180,000 won — about $180 — from his wallet and taxi, then put him in the trunk, he said. When one of the passengers began to drive, Kim said, he decided to run. His Hyundai Sonata taxi has a release lever inside the trunk, he said. While the cab was moving, he opened the trunk, leapt out and began to run. “I just ran and ran until I felt like dying,” he said through a translator.

He ran until he got to a Korean police office near Camp Stanley. He told the police what happened and described the five suspects. The passengers continued to drive for about half a mile, then got out and hailed another cab, said Kwon O-hyun, the detective in charge of violent crimes for Uijeongbu police. That taxi took them back to the Uijeongbu station, Kwon said.

Korean police throughout Uijeongbu were looking for five men. Police spotted the men at the station, Kwon said. By 11:40 p.m., the Korean police had apprehended one man. Kim, who had gone to a nearby hospital to be examined, went to the police station to identify the man, he said.

This is by far the most outrageous taxi cab related incident yet. Let’s go through this story step by step. He is one of the taxi cab drivers that wait for soldiers at the bottom steps of Uijongbu station and the extra $9 is not a tip but the typical extortion of GI’s by the cab drivers in Uijongbu. If you don’t believe go to the steps at Uijongbu station and try to get a ride by the metered fair.

The units these guys belong to are based on Camp Casey which leads me to believe they were not familar with the area because they could have walked over to the taxi stand area across from the station and the cab drivers there will usually give you the metered fair if you can speak a little Korean.

These guys probably were down in Itaewon partying because no train from Dongducheon runs at 11PM. Now what would lead these five soldiers to rob the cab driver? Maybe they ran out of money to get to Camp Casey and didn’t want to be late for curfew, so they rob the cabbie.

Now the next question that needs to be determined is why did these soldiers go back to the Uijongbu train station after committing the crime? They know he got out of the trunk and ran away, so obviously he would have gone straight to the police. So why go to the most visible place in all of Uijongbu, the train station, after committing the crime knowing that there are cops all around the train station and they are probably looking for you?

Maybe you can blame it on being drunk, but usually committing a crime sobers you up really quick. Maybe since they are from Camp Casey they went to the train station to get a train to Dongducheon because they were not on pass. However, the last train to Dongducheon leaves at 9:45PM. You would think they would have checked the schedule before leaving the station the first time. If they took this guy’s money; why didn’t they just pay another taxi cab driver to take them back to Dongducheon instead?

If these soldiers did in fact commit the crime as described by the cab driver they are by far one of the stupidest criminals in 2ID history. Maybe 2ID needs to create a Hall of Shame at the 2ID musuem on CRC to recognize 2ID stupidest criminals.

This whole story is just extremely strange even by 2ID standards, so I’m going to hold judgement until more facts come out. If people know more facts about this from the Korean media please feel free to comment on it.

One thing is for sure though; the cab driver is going to play this one out for all it’s worth:

Kim, who is 42 and has driven a taxi for seven years in Uijeongbu, was being treated at the hospital Tuesday afternoon. He said he has fatigue and headaches and his neck is swollen. He also said he’s afraid to sleep at night.

He is supposed to meet with a counselor within the next week, he said, and on Wednesday he was to meet with the military’s Criminal Investigation Division.

He said he didn’t know when he would return to work but when he did he would think twice before picking up U.S. soldiers. But, he acknowledged, he needs the American customers — typically big tippers — to make ends meet.

I don’t think he means Americans are big tippers, but big suckers. I have no doubt Mr. Kim will be back working the steps of Uijongbu Station in no time at all.

It looks like there was another taxi cab related incident in Uijongbu:

U.S. soldier was detained by South Korean police after a taxi driver in Uijeongbu reportedly was assaulted Friday, 8th Army officials confirmed.

An 8th Army spokesman said the Camp Casey Provost Marshal office was notified of a reported assault on a taxi driver at 12:05 a.m. that morning by a soldier stationed in Uijeongbu.

The spokesman said the assault allegedly resulted in facial injuries to the driver.

“The accused soldier was apprehended and detained by Korean National Police, then released to the Camp Red Cloud Provost Marshal office for further processing,?the spokesman said.

This is not the first taxi cab related incident in 2ID and I assure you that it won’t be the last. You can read more about taxi cab related incidents here, here, and here.

As I have chronicled before the taxi cab drivers in Uijongbu are vultures who are looking to rip off GI’s. 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.

I have long advocated that it is best to swallow your pride and walk away from incidents with Korean nationals because you cannot win. Looks like another soldier will find this out the hard way.

I can hear the calls of the unfair SOFA agreement already.

It appears that 2ID is even exporting our taxi cab related incidents to Japan:

A 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier from South Korea pleaded guilty Friday in Naha District Court to robbing a cab driver of about $55.

Pvt. James Joiner Jr. of Camp Red Cloud, Uijongbu, South Korea, said he regretted his actions.

“Had I not been drinking, I would never have done that,” he told the court.

Joiner was charged with robbing Sakae Kuba, 56, at 3:35 a.m. May 11 in Okinawa City. He hailed Kuba’s taxi on Gate Two Street near Kadena Air Base to go to the Uechi bar district. As Joiner left the taxi, police said, he grabbed the driver from behind and fled with 5,000 yen (about $45) and $10 in U.S. currency.

If cab drivers in your area are pissing you off, and you think it is time to do something about it, well you to can have 2ID’s finest in your area to teach those cab drivers a lesson. Feel free to contact the 2ID Public Affairs Office so they can get some TDY orders cut, so your area can enjoy 2ID’s finest as well. Our rates are competitive and the taxi dancing show is as always free of charge.

The Assignment Incentive Program (AIP) more commonly known as the Avoid Iraq Program is finally getting a much needed change:

Army officials are considering changes to an incentive program that rewards soldiers who extend their tours in South Korea, the senior enlisted soldier said Wednesday during a monthly American Forces Network radio call-in program.

While “nothing is in print” yet, U.S. Forces Korea Command Sgt. Maj. Barry Wheeler said he suspects modifications to the Assignment Incentive Pay program are on the way. The program pays soldiers $300 extra per month if they extend for a year and $400 extra a month if they extend for two years.

One thought is that soldiers who haven’t deployed could be prevented from taking the 24-month extension option, Wheeler said.

“If you haven’t been on a deployment, it could be that you’re limited to (one additional) 12-month tour” in South Korea, he said. He said he couldn’t provide full details Wednesday because guessing a “final outcome would be pure speculation.”

This clause should have been implemented from the start of the program, but credit CSM Wheeler for finally implementing this much needed fix.  Also CSM Wheeler had this to say about taxi cab related incidents:

A South Korean law targeted to those who attack public transportation drivers: “There is no excuse for assaulting someone providing service to you,” Wheeler said. “It’s not OK … that’s the bottom line.” He said South Korea has stiffened the penalties for those found guilty of assaulting these workers. Offenders face a minimum three-year jail sentence or $20,000 fine.

Several U.S. troops have found themselves in the South Korean court system for attacking taxi drivers in recent months. “It’s unmilitary and it’s undisciplined,” Wheeler said. But those who break the rules will find the punishments are “very, very severe. They’re playing hardball with you,” Wheeler warned.

Wheeler is absolutely correct, taxi cab related incidents now have harsher punishments due to new laws passed by the Korean government I first reported about here.  However, I’m still waiting for a law to pass that implements harsher penalties for taxi cab drivers who overcharge GIs with outrageous cab fares.  I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath to long waiting for that to happen.

For those who thought that the change in the Marine Corps drinking age from 21 to 20 for Marines stationed on Okinawa would be a prelude to change for soldiers stationed in Korea as well, will be sadly disappointed:

U.S. Forces Korea officials said Thursday that the drinking age for its personnel is 21 ¿ and it¿s going to stay that way.

¿USFK is not considering a revision of the current policy,¿ spokesman Dave Oten replied via e-mail when asked whether the command planned to mirror a new U.S. Marine Corps policy announced Thursday for Okinawa and Japan.

Lt. Gen. Joseph F. Weber, commander of Marine Corps Bases Japan, lowered the drinking age for his troops from 21 to 20 effective this coming Monday. Marine officials said the change ensures the Corps¿ policy is consistent with Japanese law and that the Marines will be treated like other U.S. servicemembers and the Japanese public.

Here is the common complaint from US soldiers about the drinking age policy:

Pfc. Cristin Baughman, 21, was 19 when she first arrived in South Korea.

¿It¿s all about personal responsibility,¿ said Baughman, of Area I headquarters company. ¿There are plenty of people over 21 who can¿t handle their alcohol, just like people under 21 ¿ is a year really going to make that much of a difference?¿

Yes, it does make a difference.  Despite all the hoopla over taxi cab related incidents, USFK servicemembers statistically have been much better behaved overall since the drinking policy was raised to 21 years of age.  It is the same reason why E6’s and below will not be given back their driving privileges as well, because by percentage DUI’s dropped dramatically in USFK.  It is a fact of life that certain demographics cause more incidents than others.  This is not your daddy’s 1980 Korea anymore; today in Korea these incidents have strategic consequences for the alliance overall due to the increased media attention and public demagoging of these incidents by opportunistic South Korean NGO’s and politicians.

So to answer the young soldier’s question, yes that one year does matter.

2ID soldiers may excel at taxi cab related incidents, but the airmen in Osan have quite a record of stupid crimes themselves. The latest is a pair of government travel card fraud cases:

Two airmen were sentenced in separate trials here Wednesday for putting thousands of dollars in wrongful charges on their government credit cards, officials said.

Senior Airman Duane Jones of the 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron was sentenced to reduction to the lowest military pay grade, E-1, and a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force. Jones, 33, had been in the Air Force six years.

A four-member jury found Jones guilty of putting $8,400 in unauthorized charges on his government travel card between January and December 2005.

Staff Sgt. Michael D. Glover of the 51st Communications Squadron received a court reprimand after pleading guilty to putting $4,200 in unauthorized charges on his government travel card between May 2005 and this February.

These guys are not the first and most assuredly will not be the last to commit government travel card fraud. I don’t know how they expected to get away with the crimes when the command has visibility over travel card purchases. I’m actually surprised they got away with it as long as they did.

Careers and lives ruined over a few thousand dollars.

There has been a change of leadership for the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea:

The 2nd Infantry Division soldiers came out to salute their outgoing and incoming commanding generals at Camp Casey Indianhead Field on Thursday.

Maj. Gen. James Coggin accepted the ceremonial colors from outgoing Maj. Gen. George Higgins in front of dignitaries and the division parading units.

Coggin previously was assistant chief of staff for operations of the U.N. Command, the Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea. Higgins heads to Washington, D.C., to become Army assistant deputy chief of staff.

Coggin thanked the Army leadership for trusting him with the division command.

General Higgins is actually leaving command a little bit earlier than most Division Commanders. Usually Division Commanders serve for two years. MG Higgins took command in September 2004. His early departure is probably due to the timing of the job opening at the Pentagon that he heading to next.

MG Higgins really is one of the good guys in the Army. What I liked about MG Higgins the most was that he wasn’t an arrogant cigar smoking MacArthur wanna be, as I have seen many other generals give the persona of wanting to be. MG Higgins is extremely intelligent and the fact that he used to be a West Point instructor is quite evident because he is always trying to teach and educate soldiers that he interacts with. Plus he has spent a lot of time in Korea and understood the country very well. He also advocated very hard for soldiers to take part in all the Good Neighbor Projects in hopes of improving relations with the surrounding communities.

MG Higgins was a good commander and will be missed. It is to bad that MG Higgins tenure will be most remembered for taxi cab related incidents.

MG Coggins during his tenure as commander will most assuredly be faced with moving the 2nd ID to Camp Humphreys once the expansion of the facility is complete. This will be huge logistical undertaking that is sure to keep him up at night. Not to mention dealing with the anti-US protests that are sure to continue as the division makes the move. The next two years could be an interesting time to serve for the new 2ID Commander. Good Luck.

Despite what the anti-US hate groups say the SOFA Agreement continues to work just fine:

Five soldiers were found guilty and sentenced to prison in Uijeongbu court on Tuesday for the Christmas-night assault and robbery of a taxi driver.

Pvt. Kidrem Cortez Porter, 21, received four years in prison, minus 67 days of time served at a Seoul detention center.

Four others received sentences of three and a half years in prison: Spc. Nicholas John Durkin, 21; Pfc. John D. McCall Jr., 21; Pvt. Javon Joshua Reid, 20; and Spc. Ivey Nathaniel Westbrook, 21, who received credit for two days of time served in detention.

You are all military personnel of the U.S. Army and therefore must respect Korean law,lead judge Cho Yun-shin said through an interpreter.

Pretty stiff sentences because I have seen plenty of people do far worse and receive less punishment through the Korean courts, but I really don’t feel sorry for them. Hopefully this will send a message and end these taxi cab related incidents.