Taxis

Second in the roadway hierarchy are taxis. Taxis are more aggressive and agile than a bus, but they rank second due to size. When I first came to Korea, I tried to avoid riding in taxis as often as possible. Initially when forced to catch a cab I would spend the entire ride clutching the seat while intently watching the traffic.

Eventually I became desensitized to the perils of riding in a taxi. I reasoned that taxis were a prime opportunity to accept situations beyond my control. Once I made a decision to get in a taxi, almost nothing else was in my control. I couldn’t control poor driving by the cabbie or the fellow motorists so I would actively try to remain calm even while the occasional driver watched TV in his car instead of looking at the road. 

Taxis are abundant and affordable on Jeju. If you’re going somewhere within 15 minutes with one or two friends it is often cheaper and definitely more convenient to share a cab than to take a bus. A 50 minute taxi ride over the mountain and across the island is the equivalent of $30. This makes for a reasonable night out when you’re sharing the cab and the bill with your favorite dancing buddies.