Crazy train

Sometimes, it's good to be the outsider in a foreign culture. On our way back from Daejeon Beach, we got on a packed train home. In fact, we had to buy a ticket on the black market (!) for an extra $5, through our taxi driver, just to get on the train.

Well, we took our seats and put Jack into a stroller, hoping he'd have a nice sleep on the way home. Soon, an older man ambled on the train and sat near us, in the handicapped seats. He sat in his seat, then turned the seat in front of him around and plopped his feet on the seat. Because the train was full, (and the guy only bought one ticket), the conductor asked him to give up the second seat. He would not. He started screaming about how he always travels this way and wasn't going to stop now. (Translated by Patty). Well, soon, a couple of old women got on the train. There weren't enough seats because of our pal, so they both shared one handicapped seat. That didn't work, so one of them sat on the floor. So ... I told one of them to take my seat, and then I went and plopped myself down on the seat the older man was using as a foot stool. I sat on the corner of the seat and stared at him. Most Koreans would not do this, because older people (especially older men) are revered and it is not right for a younger person to rebuke them. But I'm not Korean!!!
So, everyone got nervous when I did this, and the conductors got involved. Eventually, they asked the old woman to sit on the seat and share it with the guy's legs. This time, the guy was willing to let her. But still, he argued with the conductor the whole way, until he got off the train.