The Night Three Taxis Drove Past Me Like I Was Invisible


My arm was up. The taxi had its light on. The driver looked right at me. Then he drove past.


I thought, "Okay, maybe he didn’t see me." Then the second one did the same thing. And the third.

I was standing in the rain in Seoul, getting completely ignored by three empty-looking taxis. I felt like I was in a prank show. Was there a sign on my forehead? Did I smell?


I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I just wanted to go home. It was cold. My phone was dying. I was this close to just sitting on the curb and crying.



A yellow Korean taxi cab stopped at a rainy Seoul street corner at night, neon reflections on wet pavement, passenger approaching

The Lights Had Different Colors and I Picked Wrong Every Time


The ones that drove past me had a green light. The one that finally stopped had a red light.


At home, green means go. Red means stop. Here, apparently, it’s the opposite? I don’t know. I’m not a taxi expert.


I just remember seeing the red light and thinking “Oh no, that one’s busy.” So I ignored it. Like an idiot. I kept waving at the green ones because they felt “friendlier.”


Turns out I was doing the exact opposite of what I was supposed to do. For like 20 minutes. In the rain. I felt so dumb when my friend finally texted me “red means empty, dummy.”


A standard orange Korean taxi and a premium black Korean taxi parked side by side on a busy Seoul street


I Got in the Fancy Black One By Accident


I was so cold and wet that when a taxi finally stopped, I just jumped in. Didn’t even look.


It was black inside. And clean. Like, really clean. The driver was wearing a suit. He gave me a bottle of water. I panicked. I thought I got into a limo by mistake.


I tried to give him cash at the end. He pointed at a machine. I tapped my card. It worked. I still don’t know if I paid extra for the suit and the water. I was too embarrassed to ask.


All I know is I got home warm and dry. And I never waved at a green light again.


A passenger tapping a credit card on the payment terminal inside a Korean taxi cab, city streets visible through the window


Summary


I thought hailing a taxi was universal. It’s not.


I stood in the rain for 20 minutes because I didn’t understand the lights. I got into a fancy car by accident. I still don’t know how the payment thing works.


📌 Things I Noticed


  • The light colors confused me: Red and green meant the opposite of what I thought. I learned that the hard way.
  • There are different colored cars: I got in a black one. It was nice. I don’t know why.
  • If you’re new: Just watch what locals do for 2 minutes before you try. I didn’t, and I got rained on.

This is just what happened to me one night. I don’t know the real rules. I’m not a taxi expert. Don’t ask me how much it costs. I still don’t know.



👉 [Next in this series]:  The Day I Realized the Subway Was a Library and I Was the Loudest Person Alive

👉 [Previously in this series]: The Day I Stood in Front of Four Bins for 30 Seconds Doing Nothing

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