An underdeveloped country

By Park Moo-jong

Last week, I read a contribution by a man to a leading Korean newspaper about the deteriorating traffic disorder caused by what we call "autobi," a Konglish word coined from "auto" from automobile and "bi" from bicycle, meaning motorcycle.

Among other things, the contributor complained that police seldom crack down on the violent driving of motorcyclists on the grounds that the two-wheel vehicle is a means of living, for mostly low-income people.

Not to speak of roaring noises and exhaust fumes, many motorcyclists, in everyday matters, violate traffic rules and laws by speeding on sidewalks and crosswalks for pedestrians or driving over the centerline, he wrote.

Some years ago, a foreign ambassador from an advanced country, asked me. "Is the Republic of Korea, which impressed the world by achieving such great economic growth for such a short period from the ashes of the Korean War, an advanced country?"

I hesitated for a moment, and replied, "Nope, not for now."

I was concerned about our sense of order, especially order on the street, and particularly compared to that of the Japanese.

The main culprit of the deep-rooted street disorder is the motorcycle, most of whose drivers do not think their vehicles are automobiles.

Three years ago, I wrote in this column about a 1969 U.S. film, "Easy Rider," featuring two modern cowboys (Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper) who travel on Harley-Davidson choppers to the rock beat of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild."

The article continues, "As if born to be wild, Fonda and Hopper search for freedom or the illusion of freedom on their motorbikes in the midst of paranoia, bigotry and violence."

Half a century later, so many "easy riders" driving "autobi" are still threatening the safety of citizens here, there and everywhere.

The ever-flourishing door-to-door delivery service industry is adding fuel to the violent driving of motorcycles. At night, the situation gets worse as the number of night workers and couch potatoes are on the rise producing a sharp increase in orders for home delivery of fried chicken, pizza, steamed pig feet and leg ("jokbal"), etc. as midnight snacks.

Seoul taxi drivers' testimony proves the seriousness of the situation, raising a question about what law-enforcement authorities are doing against such illegal operation of motorcycles.

I asked three of them about who their first enemy on the road is.

An individual taxi cab in his late 60s said, "I am very happy at the wheel when it rains cats and dogs. The number of outlaws of the road, namely motorbikes, sharply decreases."

A company taxi driver in his late 50s with a career of about 20 years complained, "The most dreadful thing on Seoul streets is the violent driving of motorcycle couriers working in the express courier service and fast food delivery businesses."

A young cabbie in his late 20s who began to take the wheel just a month ago said, "I was really surprised and shocked. They are almost street stuntmen. They drive so dangerously between the bumper-to-bumper cars, not to mention their rampant invasion into the lanes of four-wheel vehicles."

"It is questionable how such motorbikers could get a driving license. What they are doing on roads is totally against traffic laws. And nothing has been done to stop them," he said.

Indeed, it is a piece of cake to find such violent motorcycles on Seoul roads. Virtually most of the couriers on the two-wheel vehicles seem to be red-blind. They do not care at all about red lights, even at intersections. But traffic cops and city officials just look on with folded arms, although they are able to catch them.

One of the worse habits of the motorcyclists takes place at almost every crosswalk, even at crowded ones. The Road Transportation Law rules that a motorcyclist (like biker) shall get off the vehicle and pull it across when they cross at a crosswalk. There is definitely no one who keeps this rule for the safety of pedestrians at present.

It is already a truth that foreign visitors and residents in Seoul do not hesitate to cite the violent driving of motorcyclists as one of the most surprising things they encounter in the modern city of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea.

What startles them most is the "acrobatic" bikers passing through sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, despite warnings written on banners at these places. The Road Transportation Law clearly stipulates in Clause 12 of Chapter 3 that all vehicles are prohibited from operating on sidewalks. What is seen on the road now proves the law is dead.

The absolute majority of motorcycle drivers are deliverymen, who have to meet the demand of their customers on time. They used to claim that they have to violate the law to make their living because they are unable to do their job on time if they fully abide by traffic rules due to the around-the-clock traffic congestion in the city.

It is bizarre to see traffic policemen just standing by without taking any action against the illegal activities of the motorcyclists. This means an ever-weakening of the law enforcement authorities' power as shown in various law violation cases in this society, such as illegal street demonstrations and sit-ins and the prosperous sex industry.

It is never too late to do something to correct a wrong. We have to take lessons from Vietnam and Taiwan with so many motorcycles on the roads. As far as autobi are concerned, the Republic of Korea is an underdeveloped country.

Park Moo-jong is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper founded in 1951 from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974. He can be reached at moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com.