Your great country, AMERICA ! How about in America ?
You can't see such that action in America ?
If you answer , " sure ! "
I will answer , " No ! " " America is also the same !!!!"

It would be very rare to see a truck like that in the US.

Before the big boom in Korea when the rich, taxi drivers, military vehicles and buses were about the only vehicles on the road, the tradition was that the roads belong to every one who needed to use them, for anything. Rice farmers used the roads to put there newly harvested rice on and people walked, road bikes, oxes were on the roads, the roads were for everyone and every thing. This was once actually a part of most incoming briefings for military, in those days, you know, "Watch out because everything ends up in the middle of the road". As with all booming economic stories, things like traffic safety in the new era of transportation for such countries always is in conflict with tradition until enough people get killed that the blood factor comes into play and government starts stricter enforcement. Of course, traditon in Korea lays the bulk of the responsibility on the idiot in the middle of the road and may not see a need to bring new laws into play, or enforce existing ones, like jay walking on a busy street. Sshong could probably speak about this. I would guess China and India are in the beginning of the same scenario where tradition will conflict with modern safety guidelines. Cheers.

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Turk Quid Pro Quo

For my friend Shsong:
1. The word Funny is misleading to you. We are not "Laughing at" Korea. We are saying these things look different than in our country. Not wrong, not "Funny", only very different. We notice small differences and smile. If you go to the US, you will see differences that may surprise you. Even such things as walking on the right side of the sidewalk. If you go to Japan, crossing the street, you will look right, then left, then walk across. You may be killed. In Japan, you FIRST look left, THEN look right, as the traffic on your right is CLOSER to you. Important differences.
2. The truck in the photo could not be seen anywhere in the US, as the law prohibits overloading that high, and the driver must pay a large fine ($) for overloading, and more if anything falls off. The police are very strict on that.
3. The children in the fountain should be in the Comedy forum, but it is here only because of the difference. (In the U.S., even tiny children wear pants.)

I like Turk's reference to being briefed that everything may be in the middle of the road, and that the "Blood factor" taught people to change that habit. As I have said, human life/personal safety is more a personal responsibility in Asia. The governments do NOT spend time or money on safety in general. You can be replaced. Your accident is your problem. Insurance was unknown until recently. If you're dead, so what? The Christian idea of "I am my brother's keeper," is missing. The 'Buddy system" is only for the U.S. Military. Americans should understand this.

In the 1960's, 'way before most of you were born, driving here was a real challenge. Do you think traffic is bad today? Yes, there are hundreds more cars, but the challenge is different. In those days, in the country especially, you could see drunks walking and even passed out, sleeping in the road! If it was night time, you would drive much slower if you didn't want to be jailed for manslaughter! This was especially true in Jeju-Do (Cheju-Do) where the customs were different. The women were the laborers-they worked on the roads-building and repairing the narrow "highway" circling the entire island. The men stayed home, taking care of the children, some carried on their back, "Papoose" style, as American Indians did. The men also were involved in the making of sweet potato wine, and rice wine. Driving at night on that island road was something you don't want to know about. I enjoyed the greatest pheasant hunting, but at night, we went to the movie at the AF hunting lodge in So -Gwie- Po, ate Rock Lobster at the NCO Club, and did not drive at night.

You alwasys say me,' America is different with Korea.'
But my very close American friend don't say like you.
Im asking a lot of things them but they are don't say like you.
Your country, AMERICA, you shooting gun somebody on the road.
I saw this action really in your media , NBC.
Is that just differences ?
I never think your culture is great. And you need not say about our past histroy. It is just the past.
We are not take a pot shot somebody like America.
'There is no a great culture in the world'
So, you need to Respect our long culture with more than 5000 years history.



* take a pot-shot = at random shtooing.

My Amrican friend who lives in Colorado said me, 'You always have to look at around when you are walking on the road in U.S. Because of you can hit by somebody's gun.' 'so, you even have to take your Gun when you go to the supermarket.'
I think it is very funny story .

YOU need to take your own advice shsong....

To earn respect you need to give respect....

Even though you want to learn about America, and in your mind you may not think you are disrespecting us, you are....when you have asked some of the questions you have asked on this board...

This thread was about funny HA HA....

This thread was not about disrespect of Korea.

If you were to go to the states you would also laugh (funny ha ha) at some of our culture differences.

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CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

The only reason there aren't random shootings in Korea is because the population doesn't have access to guns like Americans do. It is nothing to do with your ancient culture. If every Korean had a gun or two in their possession, I guarantee you would be shooting eachother. You do however have knives and there are always people getting cut in korea during drunken arguments and such. Why? Because you have knives. I live in Colorado at the present time and your friend is full of crap.

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Turk Quid Pro Quo

O.K. so educate us, what were your people doing 5000 years ago compared to other cultures that existed then and why does it matter that you even existed as a people 5000 years ago, so did we all, somewhere on this planet. What are the greatest cultural contributions that Korean culture has given to the world and influenced the rest of humanity with?

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Turk Quid Pro Quo

All people are violent in the world. It's a matter of what options they have available at the time they are pissed off.

HEY MAN ? We are different with you.
I'd like to ask Columbus. "Maybe, Do you like a Gun ? "

And , don't insulting for my friend !
He is a very good person. He doesn't tell a lie.
If Columbus is lives now, he will dislike now America's state.
Now, you need to throw your gun and then, respect other countries people !
We are one ! You never a great people in the world.