By Park Moo-jong
The door-to-door delivery business is flourishing thanks to the stubborn COVID-19 pandemic. The boom naturally causes the shortage of motorbike-riding delivery persons.
All the food delivery platforms, either small or big, are all out to secure riders with the number of orders increasing sharply as social distancing measures have continued to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The rush of the riders in this time of unemployment, however, is adding fuel to the already serious traffic problems caused by motorcycle delivery rider, often dubbed, "street outlaws."
The outlaws of today in Seoul reminded me of the 1969 U.S. film "Easy Rider," featuring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper who travel on Harley-Davidson choppers to the rock beat of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild," carrying the proceeds from a cocaine deal.
As if born to be wild, the two riders search for freedom ― or the illusion of freedom ― on their motorbikes in the midst of paranoia, bigotry and violence, exploring the societal landscape, issues and tensions in the United States during the 1960s, such as the rise of the hippie movement, drug use and communal lifestyle.
Half a century later, our riders on their "otobai" (meaning motorcycle as a Konglish word coined from a portmanteau of "auto" from automobile and "bi" from bicycle) are threatening the safety of citizens here, there and everywhere, even at the risk of their life.
These riders have appeared to be the "most" dreadful thing on Seoul streets for they drive so dangerously, zigzagging between lanes and between bumper-to-bumper cars "to save time," even though Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), one of the founding fathers of the United States, coined the phrase "Time is Money" in his book, "Advice to a Young Tradesman" (1746).
The riders' purpose is quite simple: not to deliver cold food and to get more orders for delivery. It is a piece of cake for them to run red lights. Some even joke that the riders are color-blind or stuntmen.
What startles people most is the "acrobatic" bikers passing through sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. What is more serious is that few take issue with such illegal behavior threatening their safety.
The sharp increase of the riders following the outbreak of the epidemic is worsening the traffic conditions in major cities and threatening their own safety, especially on rain-soaked slippery roads.
Statistics show the seriousness of the situation. Over the past eight months of this year, as many as 336 riders were killed in accidents, 1.4 persons per day on average. More than 20,000 motorbike accidents took place last year alone, according to related transportation authorities.
It is true that many citizens complain of the aggressive riding of delivery riders, posting petitions on various government sites, including the presidential office's online board. They argue over what the law enforcement authorities are doing against the illegal behavior of the riders.
The riders claim that they have to meet the demands of their customers on time and they are unable to do so if they fully abide by traffic rules due to the around-the-clock traffic congestion of the city. But many of them change lanes without signaling and ignore traffic signs, as if doing so is a matter of course on that excuse. Engine noise has also appeared as a major public nuisance.
Of course, there are traffic police and related law enforcement officials from the ward offices on streets. But it seems that they are helpless because there are really "too many" violators to crack down on. They complain of "difficulty" in stopping the speeding motorbikes.
Yet, it is never too late to do something to correct the wrong. Government authorities and major platforms like Coupang, Baemin and Yogiyo have to roll up their sleeves at once to help prevent accidents and thus to ensure safety.
What is urgent to effectively fight against the street outlaws is safety education provided by the delivery platforms for their riders.
Street order is the very basis of any society where people from different spectrums of life are supposed to get along together peacefully. Thus abiding by traffic rules is a fundamental part of a democratic society and a form of respect to other citizens to guarantee peaceful coexistence.
Even if the Western proverb says "there is no rule without exception," there can be no excuse for delivery riders defiance of traffic rules.
In this difficult time when all of us are fighting the pandemic, delivery riders who bring food and other necessities to our doors are a thankful existence. They should not be seen as a "necessary evil."
Park Moo-jong (emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974.
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All the food delivery platforms, either small or big, are all out to secure riders with the number of orders increasing sharply as social distancing measures have continued to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The rush of the riders in this time of unemployment, however, is adding fuel to the already serious traffic problems caused by motorcycle delivery rider, often dubbed, "street outlaws."
The outlaws of today in Seoul reminded me of the 1969 U.S. film "Easy Rider," featuring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper who travel on Harley-Davidson choppers to the rock beat of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild," carrying the proceeds from a cocaine deal.
As if born to be wild, the two riders search for freedom ― or the illusion of freedom ― on their motorbikes in the midst of paranoia, bigotry and violence, exploring the societal landscape, issues and tensions in the United States during the 1960s, such as the rise of the hippie movement, drug use and communal lifestyle.
Half a century later, our riders on their "otobai" (meaning motorcycle as a Konglish word coined from a portmanteau of "auto" from automobile and "bi" from bicycle) are threatening the safety of citizens here, there and everywhere, even at the risk of their life.
These riders have appeared to be the "most" dreadful thing on Seoul streets for they drive so dangerously, zigzagging between lanes and between bumper-to-bumper cars "to save time," even though Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), one of the founding fathers of the United States, coined the phrase "Time is Money" in his book, "Advice to a Young Tradesman" (1746).
The riders' purpose is quite simple: not to deliver cold food and to get more orders for delivery. It is a piece of cake for them to run red lights. Some even joke that the riders are color-blind or stuntmen.
What startles people most is the "acrobatic" bikers passing through sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. What is more serious is that few take issue with such illegal behavior threatening their safety.
The sharp increase of the riders following the outbreak of the epidemic is worsening the traffic conditions in major cities and threatening their own safety, especially on rain-soaked slippery roads.
Statistics show the seriousness of the situation. Over the past eight months of this year, as many as 336 riders were killed in accidents, 1.4 persons per day on average. More than 20,000 motorbike accidents took place last year alone, according to related transportation authorities.
It is true that many citizens complain of the aggressive riding of delivery riders, posting petitions on various government sites, including the presidential office's online board. They argue over what the law enforcement authorities are doing against the illegal behavior of the riders.
The riders claim that they have to meet the demands of their customers on time and they are unable to do so if they fully abide by traffic rules due to the around-the-clock traffic congestion of the city. But many of them change lanes without signaling and ignore traffic signs, as if doing so is a matter of course on that excuse. Engine noise has also appeared as a major public nuisance.
Of course, there are traffic police and related law enforcement officials from the ward offices on streets. But it seems that they are helpless because there are really "too many" violators to crack down on. They complain of "difficulty" in stopping the speeding motorbikes.
Yet, it is never too late to do something to correct the wrong. Government authorities and major platforms like Coupang, Baemin and Yogiyo have to roll up their sleeves at once to help prevent accidents and thus to ensure safety.
What is urgent to effectively fight against the street outlaws is safety education provided by the delivery platforms for their riders.
Street order is the very basis of any society where people from different spectrums of life are supposed to get along together peacefully. Thus abiding by traffic rules is a fundamental part of a democratic society and a form of respect to other citizens to guarantee peaceful coexistence.
Even if the Western proverb says "there is no rule without exception," there can be no excuse for delivery riders defiance of traffic rules.
In this difficult time when all of us are fighting the pandemic, delivery riders who bring food and other necessities to our doors are a thankful existence. They should not be seen as a "necessary evil."
Park Moo-jong (emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974.
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