RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

If I have to step off the pavement and into the road to avoid a collision with an oncoming person one more time...

I don't bother avoiding the collision anymore. I just get out my phone whenever I see this nonsense and scroll through it whenever I see people coming and crowding out the sidewalk. Either THEY move, or they're going to bump into me, and I guarantee that I'm not the one who's going to lose her footing, lol.

9 times out of 10, they move. There are a lot of people here who pretend to not see you. But they do, and they're playing a game of sidewalk chicken. If there's enough room for multiple people to walk side-by-side on the sidewalk, then there's enough room for people to stay on their side of the sidewalk when passing others.

For people who're going in the same direction, I just say "excuse me" and they move over. I don't walk in the dirt or the street for anyone able-bodied.

It's one of those things that I genuinely don't remember happening in England.  I might be misremembering but I can't recall it happening every single day like it does here.  It makes me irrationally angry.

We're all the same.  We've all got front facing eyes and spatial awareness and all that, so I can't figure this one out.  When I see another person approaching, I've already prepared by moving over to the extreme edge of the pavement and shifted my body slightly sideways if necessary.  So why do I still have to step into the road to avoid a shoulder barge?  I can't get it straight in my mind!

weird innit. older guys here seem to lock on to my path and try to shoulder barge me on purpose.

Here's my rant o' the day: (repost)

Price of 1kg of beef:

South Korea: $24.75
United States: $11.48
New Zealand: $11.01
Canada: $10.90
Australia: $10.77
Ireland: $9.57
United Kingdom: $9.44
South Africa: $6.51

I don't bother avoiding the collision anymore. I just get out my phone whenever I see this nonsense and scroll through it whenever I see people coming and crowding out the sidewalk. Either THEY move, or they're going to bump into me, and I guarantee that I'm not the one who's going to lose her footing, lol.

9 times out of 10, they move. There are a lot of people here who pretend to not see you. But they do, and they're playing a game of sidewalk chicken. If there's enough room for multiple people to walk side-by-side on the sidewalk, then there's enough room for people to stay on their side of the sidewalk when passing others.

For people who're going in the same direction, I just say "excuse me" and they move over. I don't walk in the dirt or the street for anyone able-bodied.

Bingo.

That same scenario happened the other day.  The light turned green, folks started crossing the street, I'm bobbing and weaving.  But, one dumbshit Korean guy thought he was a hard-charger and kept mirroring my movements.  So, I raised my left arm to scratch my ear, having my elbow out....he caught it, right in the upper arm. 

Here's my rant o' the day: (repost)

Price of 1kg of beef:

South Korea: $24.75
United States: $11.48
New Zealand: $11.01
Canada: $10.90
Australia: $10.77
Ireland: $9.57
United Kingdom: $9.44
South Africa: $6.51

Nothing says prime cattle raising land like a densely populated mountainous country that is effectively an island in terms of trade.

Not too knowledgable on the farming there are you?

Nothing says prime cattle raising land like a densely populated mountainous country that is effectively an island in terms of trade.

Not too knowledgable on the farming there are you?

And yet, Japan has such better beef than Korea...go on pettifogger, give us some more.

And yet, Japan has such better beef than Korea...go on pettifogger, give us some more.

You weren't talking about quality, you were talking about price. But yes, Japanese beef is better and significantly more expensive.

You do realize that in order to raise cattle, you need flat open land for grazing (if grass fed) or you'd need to set aside significant amounts of land of grain and still need a decent amount of land for roaming. If not, you're going to have to import grain. Grain ain't cheap to grow a 1500 lb. animal. Then you have the transportation costs, care, facilities upkeep, labor, and what happens if there's an outbreak and you have to cull the entire herd? What do you think goes into raising cattle? Just having some cows wander around and then periodically you shoot em and sell em?

I love how ignorants think that Korea should have these massive cattle farms, rice paddies everywhere that reduce costs for rice, orchards aplenty, and all the people should live in big houses with yards and subdivisions. Do these ignorants have any concept of economics, farming, geography and real estate?

Do these ignorants have any concept of economics, farming, geography and real estate?

I'm sorry, Pettifogger....are you asking yourself a question?

could just reduce massive tariffs on imported goods. although australian beef isn't as expensive as it once was

could just reduce massive tariffs on imported goods. although australian beef isn't as expensive as it once was

That can help, but in the case of beef, there simply isn't enough possible domestic production to satisfy domestic demand for it to be low cost so the imports are the only way to cheaper beef. You're right that Australian/American beef is much cheaper these days.

But I just can't get behind this mentality-
"I want cheap beef, cheap grain to feed them with, but have it be ecologically sustainable and as humane as possible with plenty of space for the cattle to roam, have all workers make a living wage with full benefits, raised in heated ecologically friendly facilities, have them transported in green vehicles, strictly monitored to prevent contamination, have carbon offsets for the methane the cows produce, oh and also these guidelines should apply to the nation's poultry, pork, farms, and orchards, all of which should be cheap year round while everyone lives in big houses in nice subdivisions in a country that is what, 75% mountains and has 50 million people in an area the size of Indiana and has to deal with a nuclear armed nation its technically at war with on its border and no natural resources to speak of."

Like, what planet are these people living on?

That can help, but in the case of beef, there simply isn't enough possible domestic production to satisfy domestic demand for it to be low cost so the imports are the only way to cheaper beef. You're right that Australian/American beef is much cheaper these days.

But I just can't get behind this mentality-
"I want cheap beef, cheap grain to feed them with, but have it be ecologically sustainable and as humane as possible with plenty of space for the cattle to roam, have all workers make a living wage with full benefits, raised in heated ecologically friendly facilities, have them transported in green vehicles, strictly monitored to prevent contamination, have carbon offsets for the methane the cows produce, oh and also these guidelines should apply to the nation's poultry, pork, farms, and orchards, all of which should be cheap year round while everyone lives in big houses in nice subdivisions in a country that is what, 75% mountains and has 50 million people in an area the size of Indiana and has to deal with a nuclear armed nation its technically at war with on its border and no natural resources to speak of."

Like, what planet are these people living on?

Damn, LI must've gone in and edited all those criteria out of his post.  All I saw were prices per kilo of beef in different countries.  What a pettifogger that guy is!

That can help, but in the case of beef, there simply isn't enough possible domestic production to satisfy domestic demand for it to be low cost so the imports are the only way to cheaper beef. You're right that Australian/American beef is much cheaper these days.

yes but groceries here are criminally overpriced anyway- for everything. domestic and imported

One of the sentences taught in the learning numbers section of the new textbook: "The watermelon is 30,000 won."

30,000?! 

yes but groceries here are criminally overpriced anyway- for everything. domestic and imported

To some extent, it depends what you buy, and where you buy it, though. Shopping at E-Mart or HomePlus or any of those major chains for basics like vegetables is offensively expensive. But if you buy your vegetables at a local market, they're usually pretty cheap. In a lot of cases, cheaper than you'd find at a western grocery store. Especially for things like radish, bok choy, cabbage, spinach, etc. Although onions and potatoes are weirdly expensive, still. You can get really good deals on seafood and meat online, too, if you keep your eyes out for them. Groceries are overpriced here, but there are a lot of ways to mitigate how expensive they can be.

To some extent, it depends what you buy, and where you buy it, though. Shopping at E-Mart or HomePlus or any of those major chains for basics like vegetables is offensively expensive. But if you buy your vegetables at a local market, they're usually pretty cheap. In a lot of cases, cheaper than you'd find at a western grocery store. Especially for things like radish, bok choy, cabbage, spinach, etc. Although onions and potatoes are weirdly expensive, still. You can get really good deals on seafood and meat online, too, if you keep your eyes out for them. Groceries are overpriced here, but there are a lot of ways to mitigate how expensive they can be.

well, yeah, you can find places that aren't so expensive. but i'm struggling to think of a single thing i buy regularly that isn't more expensive here than it is in the uk- even at local marts or online (both of which i do anyway)

even when you buy in the marts, a lot of it isn't even fresh or good quality, either. so not only are you paying over the odds, you're also buying products that are shit quality

yes but groceries here are criminally overpriced anyway- for everything. domestic and imported

And do you think the population density and arable land as well as relative geographic isolation has something to do with that?

well, yeah, you can find places that aren't so expensive. but i'm struggling to think of a single thing i buy regularly that isn't more expensive here than it is in the uk- even at local marts or online (both of which i do anyway)

even when you buy in the marts, a lot of it isn't even fresh or good quality, either. so not only are you paying over the odds, you're also buying products that are shit quality

uhhhh soju? kimchi? gochujang? helloooo~ the staples

more likely to do with protectionist import policies

half the stuff i'd buy in the uk would be grown/made from outside the uk - often outside europe altogether.

it doesn't even have to be fresh products. i mean, look at electronics. samsung phones are more expensive in korea than what, anywhere else in the world?

more likely to do with protectionist import policies

half the stuff i'd buy in the uk would be grown/made from outside the uk - often outside europe altogether.

it doesn't even have to be fresh products. i mean, look at electronics. samsung phones are more expensive in korea than what, anywhere else in the world?

The UK has much more arable land and lower population density. Also, it is in much closer proximity to friendly trading nations. That's before you get to the legacy benefits of 400 years of Empire. Could we find ways to lower prices in Korea? Sure. But I think we should acknowledge the circumstances that the country has to deal with, especially for agriculture.

well, yeah, you can find places that aren't so expensive. but i'm struggling to think of a single thing i buy regularly that isn't more expensive here than it is in the uk- even at local marts or online (both of which i do anyway)

even when you buy in the marts, a lot of it isn't even fresh or good quality, either. so not only are you paying over the odds, you're also buying products that are shit quality

One thing that comes to mind immediately is fresh shellfish. Mussels, scallops, oysters, clams, etc are all waaaaaay cheaper here than they are in North America, at least.