Comments on: Subway Adventures: Was that Me?

By: sewing

sewing — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:58:53 +0000

…Maybe something like, 안 기다리고 먼저 타? (Which I’m sure is not idiomatic, despite my best intentions): “You get on first without waiting!?” Or to end the sentence politely (!), 안 기다리고 먼저 타요?

…But I’d want to make sure first that three of his 동창 (classmate) buddies weren’t just behind him!

By: sewing

sewing — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:53:54 +0000

It must have been a bit awkward. Had you been your age (or preferably a bit older) and Korean, everyone would have understood—not so much that you were trying to teach him some manners, but that you were asserting your prerogative as his senior to get on first! No doubt some middle-aged or elderly people who saw you understood your intention. But to the student—and possibly to some other silly whippersnappers, sadly you might have just came across as a rude foreigner (as Wanderer28 mentioned). Had I done what you did (not that I would have had the guts to), I would have wanted to an explanation in Korean (like, “Learn some manners!” or if I were a native Korean ajeossi or harabeoji, “Show some respect to your elders!”), but since off the top of my head I can’t think of the words for “manners” or “respect” that wouldn’t have worked out anyhow…. (end rambling mode).

By: Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:20:04 +0000

Gentlemen, I’m glad I’m not alone!

By: Wyatt

Wyatt — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 05:04:50 +0000

I’m with sumiyoshipilgrim! I’ve taken to exiting the subway like I have the biggest arms in the world: elbows out professional weight-lifter style.

By: sumiyoshipilgrim

sumiyoshipilgrim — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:23:29 +0000

I like to through an elbow on my way out of the subway when people inevitably try to get on before anyone has even left the car.

By: Wanderer28

Wanderer28 — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 22:33:56 +0000

The sad thing is that he won’t have learned anything. If he thought about it at all, he would just be left shaking his head that some weird foreigner pulled/pushed him out of the way so that the foreigner could get on the subway first – just reinforcing his belief that foreigners have no manners. But, I’ve been there too, Nathan. Your big test will be when the offender is the same height and weight as you.

By: Fred Shannon

Fred Shannon — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:40:14 +0000

Nathan,

I’ve done the same thing in Tokyo a few times.

However, You should see how the Chinese form a line! I don’t think they’ve been taught how to line up to get into a train. It can be a pretty awful site. Same goes for boarding buses.

By: San Nakji

San Nakji — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 03:03:10 +0000

Good on you Nathan. Have to teach these young people a lesson! I would have done just the same and probably would have felt a bit bad, but only for a second!