How often do you have to yell out to prevent a Korean walking into you?

I don't yell or anything. I just ready myself for impact and let fate decide.

9 times out of 10, they notice me at the last minute and move. The very few handful of times when they actually end up bumping into me, I just smile at them after they jump back and stare at the human-shaped thing that came at them from out of nowhere, and head back on my way.

I really, really, really try to stay away from people on sidewalks when I ride my bike. And it makes me so annoyed when they make a startled sound every time I pass them. But I swear, not a single person can look forward and see anything, and I swear, no matter what way I go, they walk straight towards where I am going. I care less and less about scaring people who are on their phones and have no idea what is happening around them. I don't slow down anymore.

Bikes are supposed to be on the road, technically, so you don't have much of a right to be angry.

Bikes are supposed to be on the road, technically, so you don't have much of a right to be angry.

Not in Korea.  One section is for pedestrians and one if for cyclists.  The sidewalks are also quite wide here for that reason.  Roads and most lanes here are quit narrow compared to back home.  (It's like the whole country once had small cars and now drive big cars and the Koreans never changed the lanes nor parking spaces to update that.  It's like common sense got lost at the bottom of the Han RIver.)  Anyways, cycling on the side of a busy city road is a suicide wish. 

I don't yell or anything. I just ready myself for impact and let fate decide.

9 times out of 10, they notice me at the last minute and move. The very few handful of times when they actually end up bumping into me, I just smile at them after they jump back and stare at the human-shaped thing that came at them from out of nowhere, and head back on my way.

Get a brass bell and ding it a ways back.  That helps with 90 per cent nowadays.  A few stubbornly won't move due to their belief in ajosshi power. 

Brass bells are very loud.  I have a big one like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Crane-13165-Riten-Brass-Bell/dp/B005YOMCCQ?ref_=ast_sto_dp

But any will do I suppose.  Preferably brass.

It's like the whole country once had small cars and now drive big cars and the Koreans never changed the lanes nor parking spaces to update that.  It's like common sense got lost at the bottom of the Han RIver.) 

In newer developments they did.

In other places the government is not allowed to seize property and flatten people's homes/businesses in order to widen roads.

You seem to have a video game cheat mode view of how the world works where this all powerful controlling government can just do massive projects overnight with little regard for legal restrictions or cost.

I've started driving here in the last few months and I HATE kakao navigation. It's so fukking intrusive.

"A CAMERA IS COMNG UP THAT MEASURES AND READS TRAFFIC CONDITIONS."

OK? How does that affect me?

"IT DOESN'T"

STFU then. It tells me so many useless things. If it's dangerous or a change in route, tell me. Other than that, STFU.

you can turn the audio off.  that way all youll get is the flashing red when theres an upcoming speed trap and youre going over the limit

you can turn the audio off.  that way all youll get is the flashing red when theres an upcoming speed trap and youre going over the limit

But then I miss the offramp. hahaha

You know, cuz I'm looking at the road.

But then I miss the offramp. hahaha

You know, cuz I'm looking at the road.

hahaha  bottom left corner tells you how far off your turns are.   glance down, say 3.4km turn right..   have another look in 3 mins.  I believe in you!  i love kakao navi for the ease of sending someone a location in kakao chat and being able to just click the link to open the navigation. but i live in a moderate city of 700,000 so its pretty easy getting around.  really only use it on trips out of town.  just never use naver maps!  ive got a healthy hate for naver.

Bikes are supposed to be on the road, technically, so you don't have much of a right to be angry.

Yeah, that's definitely not a rule or by-law here. 

Get a brass bell and ding it a ways back.

Nope, I prefer to keep power-walking into them until they learn.

I biked on a two lane road in rural Uiwang once in the BLOODY GUTTER and I had 6 cars behind me doing the same speed I was. No oncoming traffic, just pootering along.

Like.......... Go around? The hell is wrong with people?

In newer developments they did.

In other places the government is not allowed to seize property and flatten people's homes/businesses in order to widen roads.

You seem to have a video game cheat mode view of how the world works where this all powerful controlling government can just do massive projects overnight with little regard for legal restrictions or cost.

The newer developments certaintly did not.  Lanes and parking spaces narrow plus not enough parking lots or parking garages built as discussed before. 

I biked on a two lane road in rural Uiwang once in the BLOODY GUTTER and I had 6 cars behind me doing the same speed I was. No oncoming traffic, just pootering along.

Like.......... Go around? The hell is wrong with people?

That explains a lot.  I was driving on a country road not too long ago and speed limit 60 with a small truck driving 30 or 40 in front of me and others.  Guy never pulled over to let cars pass either.  Eventually we started passing him illegally.  No common sense at all.  Though in the country I bike on a smaller road, cars can drive around and pass me no problems.   

The newer developments certaintly did not.  Lanes and parking spaces narrow plus not enough parking lots or parking garages built as discussed before.

Again, you can't just seize private property to build a government parking garage. If you're going to use land that someone owns, the government has to pay them for it. Usually that eats all the money so you don't have anything left over for parking garages.

Also, money spent on parking garages is money not spent on "Other Project X you complain about and think the government should throw money at". Money doesn't grow on trees.

Honestly, your approach to urban planning comes across as very video gamey/unrealistic.

Again, you can't just seize private property to build a government parking garage. If you're going to use land that someone owns, the government has to pay them for it. Usually that eats all the money so you don't have anything left over for parking garages.

Also, money spent on parking garages is money not spent on "Other Project X you complain about and think the government should throw money at". Money doesn't grow on trees.

Honestly, your approach to urban planning comes across as very video gamey/unrealistic.

Usually in the west in order to approve a large new development, the government would mandate certain things be built into it as a condition to approve the permit take it or leave it.  In one case a government military base was relocated meaning the housing development was built on public lands to begin with.  So, it certainly could have been mandated.  No parking lots hence cars parking on the side of the road blocking traffic on the sidewalk etc.  No common sense.

It's been a long time coming, but I think that driving safety has come a very long way in a very short period of time.

The main problem is the motorcycles.

Driving courtesy as for sure improved

Cars dawdle too much in residential areas though.

Waiting 5 minutes for a car to pass just so that you can cross the road gets a bit annoying.

Koreans have superior visual spatial intelligence. So they can easily dodge collisions even when looking at phone. They are also so good at golf.

To the people arguing that riding a bike on the pavement ('sidewalk') is legal, you are wrong.

It is illegal to ride a bike on the pavement unless you're on a bike lane. This is a nationwide law and you're going to have a problem if you hit someone. Most people cycle on the sidewalk anyway, including me sometimes. Nonetheless, it's illegal and you have no right to complain about pedestrians getting in your way. On the other hand, if pedestrians are walking in a bike lane and they get hit, that's their fault.

On the other hand, if pedestrians are walking in a bike lane and they get hit, that's their fault.

By law, I doubt that can be held 100% at fault; in fact, it's probably closer to 0% due to the law being in favor of pedestrians wherever they go. Unless someone can point to some law with precise details that puts them 100% at fault. For instance, a pedestrian crosses the road on a red light and get hits by a car, I think, the car is still majority blamed because of the way the law is written.

Pedestrians get to act like dicks in a lot of situations and avoid full punishment when they are 100% at fault.

To the people arguing that riding a bike on the pavement ('sidewalk') is legal, you are wrong.

No.  You are wrong. You said bikes are supposed to be on the road. Clearly with all of the bike lanes that are built up alongside the sidewalk, they are supposed to be OFF the road in numerous places.  Those bike paths are everywhere in newish areas.  In older areas where there are no bike paths, there are also no sidewalks.  Everyone is sharing the road.