Seoul’s not always perfect

The third article we’ve chosen to publish on Prof. Kwon Yeong-Geol’s city design series shows one of the few places (few in my opinion, that is) where some smaller cities have bested Seoul. Actually, even places like Gunpo near the capital have this. Why don’t we have this right in the city again? Not that I would recommend anyone take a bus in the first place, can’t stand the bloody things. Let’s go to the article to see to what I’m referring:

Original article

Bus stop signs that make you wait all day long

Waiting for the bus is so boring. Since you never know when it’s going to come you get the privilege of waiting there like a crane with your neck stretched out as you stare off into the distance towards where it’s supposed to come.

Fearing that you might miss it, you can’t go to nearby bookstores or even convenience stores. Waiting as the dazzling summer sunshine pours down on you, or as the cold winter wind blows in is the definition of torture. “If only I knew when the bus was coming…” is the waiting passenger’s earnest wish.

The city of Gimhae and a few local autonomous districts have removed this anguish. Gimhae has changed their signs to electronic ones in places with high population density - that is, they’ve installed LED systems on their signs to let you know when the bus is going to come. People there get to wait light-heartedly for only a minute or two, and are able to make best use of their time. Shops around the station then have increased business. Three birds with one stone.

Way back when, we used to wait in long lines at the bank too. This problem as well was solved with the introduction of a numbered ticket machine for waiting customers, an act that gave people an improved ability to predict events in their daily lives. That’s an important factor for living a good life in the city.