No bike for you.
Update 2 (Nov. 3, 2009):
We have access! Only two weeks after the launch Daejeon City has come through and given access to people with Alien Registration Cards. With your phone it’s quite easy to borrow a bike. In fact, I did it just tonight!
Update:
It just struck me that if lots of foreigners take the time to approach the “helpers” that are out at the bike posts right now introducing the system, maybe we can show through sheer numbers that we’re interested and want access. If you see someone helping people with the bikes, go up and try to get one. Maybe we can put a fire under their butts to take some action on this.
Original post:
It seems that unless you hold a Korean ID card you can’t use the system as of yet. While at the bus stop this morning the City’s bike and road infrastructure teams were out in full force to help launch the new program to the public.
I spoke with Mr. Gwak from the city who tried to run me through the phone authorization at the kiosk at Seogu Health Center. Everything went well until I tried to confirm my Alien Registration Number. We tried it twice but the system returned an error (please retry your registration number, this number isn’t recognised.) To his credit, Mr. Gwak quickly made a phone call to the systems help desk and inquired about our use of the new Ta-shu~ system. At the moment we don’t seem to be able to register.
I gave my business card to Mr. Gwak explaining that I had already translated the system instructions for everyone translated and posted here. I asked him to please call me with information as to when the service would be available for foreigners to use. He gave his card to me as well, so I’ve got his number. We’ll see if he’s able to get any information.
While this system of ID-registration may have been a simple solution for the City, it failed to take into account a few considerations. This, unfortunately, is symptomatic of an epidemic in Korean systems design. While the Registration ID system is great to monitor and keep track of Korean users of websites and public systems such as Ta-shu~, it almost always fails to consider that there are a growing number of foreigners who would like to play their games online, shop online, interact and otherwise use services that Koreans take for granted are available to them.
The Ta-shu~ system, should it be expanded as there are indications that it will be, should also be available to tourists. Not simply Western tourists, but here in Daejeon there are many Japanese tourists as well. With the Astronautics conference in town as well, I can imagine that taking a bike for a ride along the rivers might be a nice evening activity to get a view of the city. None of these people, however, would be able to use the system with its current setup. An acceptance of credit card payments (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) via RFID chip would likely be a bit more difficult to set up, but in the long run would serve anyone, domestic or foreign.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow – that sounds like the super-huge-tank from Idiocracy – the one that was so HUUUGE that it broke down while trying to break through the stadium.
Seriously, though – Mr. Gwak should be getting calls and e-mails from any Daejeon foreigners that would use the system, but can’t because of the system’s implementation.
I was talking to some friends today (including some Koreans) about how I feel that Korea is becoming less welcoming to foreigners.
Well, I don’t know that it’s Mr Gwak’s fault per se- he was quite surprised that I was unable to check out a bike. Calling him may help although speaking in Korean may be necessary, and being polite and nice of course may be helpful.
If everyone who goes by these helpful people and tries to check out a bike with their help, maybe they’ll get the point that we’re interested.
If not, then we go to City Hall. There used to be a foreigner’s council that met monthly, and if they still do this issue should be on the agenda. I’m not asking for English at the Kiosks, but access to them at all.
As for your comment, Helen, I don’t find that to be so at all. I find there are asshats everywhere and sometimes you go through a long string of them before you get a string of good people to deal with. Things have kind of averaged out over seven years, and really, being able to speak Korean at an acceptable (while still pidgen) level will get you a lot of grace. I’m not suggesting that’s your problem, but I’ve noticed it certainly helps!