Monday, July 2, 2012

Taxicab Dialogues (Part V) - Taxi Drivers on Strike

I hope everyone recovered from the aftermath of the storm that hit the mid-Atlantic.  I can't imagine what you guys are going through--100+ degree days and no electricity.  I'm following the news since my parents lost power and were living in the comforts of the cool basement for the past couple of days.  Thankfully, Pepco got electricity to them Sunday evening and I heard little Cleo was conserving her energy by not acting like a crazy dog for two days.

The Korean taxi drivers went on strike for a day on June 20, so it was Wear Walking Shoes Day.  The cab drivers had a list of grievances that Bloomberg covered, so I won't be repetitive here.  Thankfully, the Seoul Metro added more trains and increased the frequency, so the subway wasn't as crowded during the morning commute.  But I met some people up for dinner, so when I was on the subway at 11pm, it was crowded and I wanted to puke from the stench of all the drunk people.  Ewwww.

Actually, I didn't even know the cab drivers were going to be on strike.  I haven't really been following the Korean news, and it just so happened that I was cabbing back home the day before.  I was starving so was eating some White Cheddar Cheez-Its (not readily available to Koreans) and offered the driver some. He thanked me, and then I guess he was feeling guilty, so asked if I knew that the cabbies were going to be on strike the next day.  I told him I wasn't aware of anything, so he explained that almost all the Korean cab drivers were not going to be on the road.  But he said that he owns his taxi instead of being part of a company, so he gave me his card and said if I needed a cab the next day, he would come pick me up.  And it all started with Cheez-Its, which I think should now be called Friendship Cracker or UN Biscuit.  (I also noticed that salt and vinegar chips have the same effect.)


Speaking of foreign food, I moved into a new place in the Itaewon neighborhood over the weekend. The foreign market that I frequent is within a three minute walk, and I have access to different types of international food (even Uzbekistan and Egyptian cuisine) and street kebabs, all within walking distance. I'm closer to work and it'll save me a lot on taxi that I used to spend to go to Itaewon, my weekend playground. Win-win!

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