Take A Cab: South Korean woman fails driving test... 771 times
Most people pass the driving exam on the first try, with a select few failing once or twice before finally getting it right. In South Korea, one woman has been trying to pass the written test since 2005 and has yet to pass. In all, the 68 year-old woman, known only as Cha, has failed the exam 771 times. Okay, so you're thinking that South Korea has some wicked-hard test that takes a MENSA certificate to pass. Probably not. Actually, you only need a 60% to pass, and Cha typically lands in the 30-50% range. Unfortunately, the test isn't cheap, either. Each and every failure costs Cha 6,000 won, which equals about $4.69 in U.S. funds. That doesn't sound like much, but spread over 771 failures, we're talking about $3,600. Cha is hoping to get a car to help her business. She sells food and household items door to door.
Well, Cha, we're pulling for you and we don't want you to give up. And we're proud of you for not cheating, too. We hear some people cheat by writing answers on their arms or hooking up their Bluetooth and getting answers from someone on the other end of the line. That would be wrong. But seriously, Cha... what's wrong with taking taxis?
[Source: Yahoo | Image: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Spike 8:35PM (2/06/2009)
Wow
Reply
krasmo 9:27PM (2/06/2009)
Why can't helen keller drive a car?
...because she's a woman.
MemphisNET 9:44PM (2/06/2009)
Say it with me now everyone...
EPIC
.....
James 11:07AM (2/07/2009)
"...we're talking about $3,600. Cha is hoping to get a car to help her business. She sells food and household items door to door.
Wasted $3.6k (not to mention 4yrs time/effort, etc)...
Rather hire and pay for an employee/driver instead.
arturo 2:58PM (2/07/2009)
And I though that practice makes perfection, in this case she got really good at failing the test. hey maybe this is her strategy to open her business internationally!! :)
jmt1991 8:58AM (2/08/2009)
Jared and chc,
When I had my test to get my license at the end of my "behind the wheel" training portion of my learners (I'd already aced the written), in Virginia (At least Chesterfield County), I had to drive about 20 miles (from one end of the county to the other). We took the longer way so that we had to go on poor, thin backroads, through four way intersections with stop signs, then go on a busy main street, do a u-turn there, merge onto and off of a highway, and then once at the end point, do a three-point turn, and parallel park. (and during behind the wheel, we had already practiced serpentines (foward at 35 mph, reverse much slower), and sudden obstacle avoidance at the same speed). You must pass with NO demerits and no corrections.
I've been told my County/State's program is much much harder than most.
jmt1991 9:02AM (2/08/2009)
sorry! my comment was meant in response to a lower post on this page! please ignore!
SimbaDogg 6:16PM (2/08/2009)
i'll never forget the good words of my great first year anthro teacher mr carter, "its better to cheat, than to repeat"
why this lady hasn't devised a wicked cheating system after all this time is really beyond me. i mean, what is it at best, a 15-20 min test? its not exactly the SATs or BAR we're talking about. write a couple cheats on your palm and get this over with lady.
Rex 1:54AM (2/13/2009)
At least she is consistent :)
Geekengineer 8:36PM (2/06/2009)
Good.
Reply
Geekengineer 8:41PM (2/06/2009)
As in: keep failing the broad. Do NOT send her to the US... there are enough idiots here who are unable to drive, but actually have been granted licenses.
I am a strong advocate of an "autocross course" at licensing time: if you don't ace the course, you get no license.
Unfortunately, states need license and registration fees as funding sources. They'll give just about any jackass a license, but only because it means cash in the coffers.
As an actual driver, I desperately want unsafe jerks off the road. I use my signals religiously, I pass only on the left (errr... most of the time), and I do NOT run red lights. Here in N. Virginia, it's a free-for-all. I have a two (2) block commute, and praise the FSM each and every time I make it home safe (either walking or driving).
Ummmm... _____ drivers of the _____ gender in minivans can stick it.
chconline 1:20AM (2/07/2009)
I don't agree. I failed my driving test twice and passed on the third time (I aced my written on first attempt though). It isn't really a matter of skill -- and in reality the rules of the road are very much different than what you learn in driving lessons, as well as the mood of the examiner. The whole GDL thing is annoying as I've been driving for over one year on a daily basis with my dad (He takes me to school and goes to work, and I get to drive with him on the way to school) and to be honest it wasn't a lot of help haha. Either way, I've never been in an accident, and I don't drive dangerously. There are people who passed their tests on the first try and are very poor drivers.
Of course we cannot generalize here.
k.w.a 1:27PM (2/07/2009)
chc,
the truth is you've only been driving for a year, with your parents...give it some more time before you say you've never been in an accident due to poor driving skills. my driver's license test literally consisted of me driving out of the business complex and driving back in. Even as an excited 17 year old i was still wondering "that's it???" when the instructor said "congratulations, you passed." 3 years later I got into an accident.
Point is you drive very differently when your parents are in the car, and trust me, every jerk on the road thinks they're the best driver. If this lady failed 771 times she should just give up because like you said, everything you learned for the test goes out the window when you're driving alone, and if she couldnt even pretend she knew enough to pass the test (that really isn't that hard) then she has no business driving.
chconline 6:55PM (2/07/2009)
That was BEFORE when I got a license. I've been driving for quite a while now.
Jared 7:34PM (2/07/2009)
Honestly, if you fail the drivers test in any state, you either cant park, or cant listen to direction. Both are a reason to keep you off the road. The drivers test in SC was a 3 mile loop. Had 2 stop signs, a traffic light, then basic parking lot navigation keeping a 15mph speed. Then finally a parallel park. If you failed any section (didn't signal properly, didn't come to 2 complete stops, hit a barrier on the parallel park, etc.) you failed.
In Florida, all you gotta do is a 3 point turn, park forwards and backwards, drive through a parking lot, drive a 3-5 mile loop, and then show you can brake well by accelerating then braking when the instructor says "BRAKE!"
I tested in Florida, and went with my sister the two times she had to take the SC drivers test. My sister failed a test, and still to this day she cant drive. She's been in 3 wrecks so far I believe. I passed my test on my first try, perfect 100%, and even though I only have 5 years under my belt, i've never been in a wreck (although my next door neighbor is 70 and has never gotten a ticket or wrecked a vehicle).
I reconfirm my statement that if you fail a drivers test in any state, you can say your a good driver all you want, but until proven wrong, I will maintain my opinion that you fail @ driving.
chconline 8:08PM (2/07/2009)
I would then assume driving tests based on your observations that in US is very different than in Canada. I passed with 15 demerits. (3x5 for left turn hand positions.)
jmt1991 9:00AM (2/08/2009)
Jared and chc,
When I had my test to get my license at the end of my "behind the wheel" training portion of my learners (I'd already aced the written), in Virginia (At least Chesterfield County), I had to drive about 20 miles (from one end of the county to the other). We took the longer way so that we had to go on poor, thin backroads, through four way intersections with stop signs, then go on a busy main street, do a u-turn there, merge onto and off of a highway, and then once at the end point, do a three-point turn, and parallel park. (and during behind the wheel, we had already practiced serpentines (foward at 35 mph, reverse much slower), and sudden obstacle avoidance at the same speed). You must pass with NO demerits and no corrections.
I've been told my County/State's program is much much harder than most.
MrCha 9:39AM (2/07/2009)
lol. Ironically, 'Cha' means 'Car' (or Cart, in the traditional definition) in Korean. My last name too. :P
Reply
XLR8 1:22AM (2/07/2009)
as well as tea...
my last name sounds the same as 'seaweed' lol
Mike W 8:46PM (2/06/2009)
She's worse than Spongebob at driving! lol
Reply