Happy Humpday Haiku #34

Ode to the Taxi Driver

Unbearably slow.

Spritely on occasion. Why?

They'll never tell me.

            Like most things I've noticed in Korea so far, I have no comparable experiences back home in the states. Not because I am in want of experiences, but because I've never been one to passively observe the mundane. Such is like taking the taxi, or riding the bus, or going to the supermarket. You know, like everyday ordinary stuff. The reason I highlight this is because the first time you get in a taxi here you really hope you're going to make it to your desired destination, patiently waiting for familiar markers to set you at ease. Not once has this ever happened to me back home. Anyways...

            Most drivers here are lamentably slow (look how I'm lamenting about it). However, the slow ones come in a variety of slow. There's the average run of the mill I-operate-my-being-noticeably slower-than-you-please-be-patient-with-me driver. Then there's the slow driver who thinks he always has the opportunity to pass someone, jolting the car as if to make a move around someone, and then halting the car for failure to check his mirror to see that yes there was in fact another car coming. Then there's the Forrest Gump Momma-always-said-I-was-a-little slow. Total space cadet. Couldn't find your address even if you were to speak it in flawless Korean. Couldn't find your address even if you handed him a piece of paper with your address in korean on it. 

            Then there are the drivers who give new meaning to the word 'professional'. You can spot these fellows by the fingerless driving gloves that adorn their hands, replete with worn in groove across the palms. Ain't nothing stopping these driver. On one occasion, I had a driver turn a nearly 20-25 minute trip into less than ten. At one point he reached 140kph. He also drove through three red lights. That might sound dangerous, because it probably was. But here was a man who exhibited a firm grasp on client turnover and rate of return. At the time I could do nothing but smile and laugh, wondering what motivated this driver differently from the rest. There probably is no answer, and I'd be satisfied all the same.