The Beat December 2002

By M. R. Bradie Translation and interpretation by Jay Kim

I see them in every part of town, all the time, racing down sidewalks and in between cars. Bearing gigantic loads of toilet paper and propane tanks that look like bundles of dynamite, stacked above their heads, they straddle strangely modified small engine Korean bikes. An unconventional breed of worker in a society that encourages conformity, these riders live fast and loud, up and down the city streets in an endless flow of chaotic grace.

Having driven alongside them for the last two and a half years on my own bike, I began to wonder what the men and women underneath the helmets are truly like. I had expectations of pill-popping, gang-banging, grease monkey moto-psycho fiends when I invited one 007 Quick Service rider to accompany me to a samgyeopsal dinner in Seomyeon. What I found instead was a gang of seven riders and their boss hitching along for a free meal that nearly broke my bank account. I felt like I‘d had my wallet raided by a crew of suspiciously wholesome pirates…
Beat: What does Quick Service do?
007: Mainly we are delivering material things such as flowers, business documents, identification papers, etc. in emergency situations. When the costumer needs us to deliver anything, except a person, we can do it. It is illegal to ride people on the back seat in our business.
B: What is the strangest thing that you ever had to deliver?
007: Once we delivered a dog and he threw up on the motorcycle.
B: What kind of motorcycles do you guys use?
007: You‘ve got to have your own bike to do this work. Usually we are driving normal 300cc motorbikes.
B: Who is the boss of 007?
007: (Everybody points at the woman.) She is the boss!
B: Is she the boss of all in Busan?
007: No. Just the Jin-gu area.
B: Who is the owner of the company?
007: An advertising company owns 007 so the CEO of that company has all the power.
B: How long has 007 been in business?
007: About five years. Fifteen years ago there were some people who delivered goods between the markets. So the actual history of motorbike couriers in Busan is about 15 years. But 007 opened 5 years ago as a proper organization.
B: How many branches does 007 have in Busan and in Korea?
007: About 12 just in Busan, and 5 branches in Korea.
B: Is 007 is the first to open as a business in Busan?
007: Yes we started the quick service business in Busan.
B: Who is the major competitor these days?
007: Maybe City Bike is our major competitor.
B: How long have you worked for 007?
007: I have been working here for 5 years.
B: During time you‘ve been driving, were there any major problems?
007: Yes. I had to memorize all the places and roads. I got lost a lot.
B: How old were you when you first started driving?
007: When I was 18, I learned to drive a motorcycle.
B: What was your first motorbike?
007: The first one was a dirt bike. I used to drive in the mountains in Gaya. It was pretty wild to drive up there.
B: What sort of motorcycle do you guys use?
007: Hyosung 150cc.
B: What kind of motorcycle do you want to get?
007: I want to ride a 1300cc.
B: How much does that cost?
007: In Korean currency it costs about 15,000,000 won ($14,000)
B: Do you guys drive motorcycles when you are not working?
007: Once a month we are traveling out of Busan for about 3 hours.
B: Where do you go?
007: Eoleumgul (“Ice Cave”) in Miryang .
B: In America there are some motorcycle gangs like the Hell‘s Angels. Are there any motorcycle gangs in Korea?
007: There are only teenagers doing those kinds of gang things. But after you grow up enough to think wisely and maturely, you eventually become a motorcycle lover.
B: How much are you driving in an average day?
007: Between 200 and 250 kilometers per day.
B: How many hours a day do you guys drive?
007: About 9 hours a day.
B: I have been a quick service English teacher.
007: (laughter)
B: Do you have a lot of modifications to the motorbikes?
007: Some people do that to speed up their motorbikes.
B: Have any of you guys ever modified your motorbike?
007: No. We‘ve got certain rules and policies to not to tune the vehicle. Because it is against the law.
B: I saw many motorbikes with funny horns and stereo systems and sparks. Is that against the law?
007: Hell yeah! It is against the law. But as I said before, 007 always follow the law.
B: But many riders still do that! I see a lot of people do it on the road!
007: Not 007. Maybe other companies do that.
B: Have any of you guys put a stereo system on your bike?
007: Our boss is very strict about that kind of thing, so we can‘t do it.
B: How much do you guys get paid?
007: It depends on your ability and how long you have been working.
B: So what is the average? When you first start how much do you get paid?
007: On average, about 450,000 won (US$360) per week. But if you are really expert you can get paid 950,000 won ($760) per week.
B: Does everybody have health insurance?
007: Yes we do.
B: While you are driving, have you guys ever had an accident?
007: (Everybody points to one guy) A car did an illegal u-turn so he hit me on the left.
B: How badly were you hurt? Was your bike damaged?
007: I got 4 stitches near my eye. Also 1,500,000 won in damage to my bike.
B: Any accidents other than that?
007: Some people died while they were delivering, but it never happened in 007. We have the highest safety rates.
B: Do you ever deliver propane gas?
007: No, never.
B: But I see many guys delivering propane on motorbikes.
007: The gas company hires them. It is not our part of business.
B: Is it dangerous when a motorbike with propane hits a car? Is it going to explode?
007: Not that I know. It won't explode.
B: Do you ever deliver, like, a big amount of toilet paper?
007: Only people who drive in the market do that kind of work, not us. Also they have a limit to what you can put on the back of a motorbike.
B: What is the limit?
007: Usually they carry about 30kg but 50kg is the maximum.
B: What are most dangerous situations on the road?
007: Mostly illegal u-turns.
B: What kind of driver do you like most and least?
007: The good people are the ones who open the way for us when we drive between cars. Some bad people block the way on purpose.
B: Do you like taxi drivers?
007: Oh no. Taxi drivers are always looking for customers, as soon as they find one, they move unexpectedly. So it is really dangerous.
B: I am wondering if everybody here has had an accident at least once?
007: Yes. Most of us have had minor accidents, not that serious.
B: After you have an accident, do you guys get kind of superstitious?
007: No I don't think so. Instead we buy more safety protection, because once you have an accident, you don't want the same thing to happen again.
B: What are the best and worst areas to drive in Busan?
007: The worst areas are Youngdo and Gammandong. And Nopodong is best place to drive.
B: Why is Youngdo the worst to drive?
007: Because Youngdo is the wharf side, there are a lot of dump trucks around there, so it is really hard to drive over there.
B: Why do you like to drive in Nopodong?
007: There are not many cars over there so you can completely open the throttle.
B: What is the most beautiful place to drive in Busan?
007: Taejongdae and Dalmaji.
B: Do you ever deliver outside of Busan?
007: Just inside the Kyoungnam area.
B: Do you ever go to Seoul?
007: No. It is impossible to go to Seoul with a bike. You can‘t drive on the highway in Korea.
B: Besides cars, what are the other hazards?
007: Other motorbikes are the most dangerous.
B: Why?
007: Because there are no traffic lanes for motorcycles.
B: Do you ever race with other motorbikes?
007: Of course, all the time. All the other quick service riders think that 007 is their competitor. I race maybe 10 times a day. While I am driving, sometimes some rider passes me and I feel kind of excited, so I try to beat him.
B: Do you guys ever physically fight?
007: Between the motorbikes it‘s not a big deal, but between cars and motorbikes it happens constantly.
B: Really?
007: Frankly, once I was driving beside a bus, and the bus driver stopped the in the middle of the road to let off passengers. I fell down really bad. But the problem was that the driver didn't even apologize to me. We got in a physical fight.
B: Anybody here ever hit a pedestrian?
007: Almost hit but not actually hit them.
B: How long do you guys to plan to do this work?
007: I will do this work until I make enough money to have my own business.
007(Woman chief): The twenty-somethings are doing this to get their pocket money and the forty-somethings do this job for their living.
B: What is your dream job?
007(1): I want to have my own business.
007(2): I want to be a flight attendant.
007(Woman Chief): Half of the people in 007 are the students, and over 70% graduated from college.
B: What is required to be a 007 quick service driver?
007: You ought to have a bike license and own a motorcycle.
B: Any of you guys have engineering or mechanical skills?
007(Second chief): I do. I used to work at a motorcycle repair place.
B: What do you think is the best brand of motorcycle?
007: Harley Davidson is the best.
B: Why is it the best?
007: Because it is expensive.
B: Is this the most dangerous job in Korea?
007: Yes, certainly it is. We‘ve got the highest risk.
B: How long does it take to get for example from Nampodong to Haeundae?
007: About 25 minutes.
B: How about Beomeosa to Dadaep‘o?
007: About 30 minutes.
B: Wow. How about Kimhae to Kijang? It is the longest distance you can do in Busan.
007: About fifty minutes to one hour.
B: What is the farthest distance 007 would deliver from Seomyeon?
007: Ulsan.
B: How long does it take?
007: If you‘re lucky it only takes 40~50 minutes. If you‘re unlucky it takes about 1 hour because of traffic.
B: Why do you like motorcycles so much?
007: There is no reason. Maybe I love speeding.
B: Why do you like speeding?
007: I can get rid of all of my stress!
B: What do you like better, women or motorcycles?
007: I like both of them.
B: If you were in a situation where you had to choose just one of them, which would you choose?
007: Frankly, a motorcycle.
B: Are you married?
007: No.
B: Do you have a girlfriend?
007: Yes.
B: Does your girlfriend like to ride on your back of the motorcycle?
007: Yes, she loves to.
B: Do you guys have to wear a helmet?
007: We have to.
B: What about when you are not working and driving?
007: Yes we do.
B: Do you ever drive without a helmet?
007: Yes, because somebody stole my helmet while I was working. Usually we leave the helmet on the motorcycle out of respect for the customer.
B: Honestly, do any of you ever steal helmets from others?
007: We do not have time to do that!
B: Do you drive in bad conditions like ice and snow?
007: We are working 365 days a year.
B: What is the most beautiful place to drive in Busan?
007: Taejongdae and Dalmaji.
B: What kind of personalities does this job attract?
007: Maybe people who really have a mania for motorbikes.
B: Have you ever had women quick service riders in 007?
007: Yes, we have 2 women in our company.
B: Are they as good as the male drivers?
007: Yes they are.
B: Could you explain more about them?
007: They have different personalities. One is a tomboy and the other is really an ordinary type of woman.
B: Do you guys ever race between yourselves?
007: Yes, a lot. Once every six months we are traveling in Busan, then we go to other places to race for fun.
B: Where is the best place to race?
007: Yangsan and Tongdosa.
B: Do they have proper racing track?
007: No, you have to go to Kyungnam for that.
B: What is the best place to go fast in Busan?
007: Nakdong riverside!
B: Near Dadaep‘o?
007: Near Hadan.
B: Who usually wins the races?
007: Second chief always wins the race!
B: What is the best way to build your motorcycle skills?
007: Riding the bike a lot and getting hurt a lot.
B: What is the most important skill to learn when you‘re riding motorcycle?
007: Self-defense reaction (slang: Weolch‘igi) is the most important.
B: Is it illegal to drive on the sidewalk?
007: Yes, it is.
B: Do you guys break a lot of traffic laws?
007: Yes, we do. If it is a real emergency situation we have to.
B: What kind of situation?
007: Such as delivering parts or tools for an operation.
B: Have you ever delivered organs to the hospital?
007: Never. They use a helicopter.
B: Do you think women are attracted to men who drive a motorcycle?
007: Some women like it but mostly they don't because it is too dangerous.
B: What kind of women like it?
007: Mostly the teenagers who don‘t go to school.
B: What are your hobbies?
007(3): Writing letters to girls.
007(Second chief): Motorbikes.
007(4): Making a motorbike model toy.
007(5): Dancing.
B: Is there any night club where many quick service man hang out?
007: No, there‘s no such place like that.
B: What is your favorite motorcycle movie?
007: Chun-jang ji gu. It is a Chinese gangster movie.
B: Do you know the American motorcycle gang called the Hell‘s Angels?
007: Never heard about it.
B: Have you ever watched the motorcycle movie "Easy Rider"?
007: No.
B: Anything else you want to say?
007: Thanks for interviewing us.