ME: To Daechi Station, please.
CABBIE: Hmmm... Daechi Station...
ME: [polite silence as the cabbie tries to figure things out]
We reach a crucial intersection. The cabbie seems to hesitate.
ME: Please turn right here, then turn left at the next intersection.
CABBIE (wounded pride, using formal Korean to indicate icy politeness): Yes, I know.
We successfully turn right, then left at the following intersection. We drive a bit farther...
ME: Please drop me off at the first traffic light.
CABBIE: Okay.
We stop.
GPS VOICE (belatedly): You have reached your destination.
Motherfucker.
Moral of the story: Korean pride, especially for Korean men, means never admitting wrongness or incompetence. If you're a cabbie who doesn't know the way, this means quietly turning on your GPS and letting it guide you, all the while pretending that you actually know the way, so that when your rider politely tries to give you directions, you can act offended that the rider suspects you don't know the way.
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