Dialogue/Story
Slow Speed begins at: 1:11
Explanation begins at: 3:53
Normal Speed begins at: 17:18
Complete Transcript
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,277 – Inconsiderate Subway and Train Passengers.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,277. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
This episode is a dialogue between Amanda and Felix about riding on a subway or train with other people who aren’t very nice. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
Amanda: I love the subway.
Felix: I do, too, but it really annoys me when people hog more than one seat, like that guy over there.
Amanda: Yeah, and I hate it when you’re trying to get on the train and the passengers who are blocking the doors won’t move out of the way.
Felix: Oh, even worse is when you’re trying to get off the train and people who want to get on won’t wait until you get off.
Amanda: That’s totally annoying!
Felix: Even worse is when the train is full and people squeeze to get on when there’s no more room!
Amanda: So true! I also hate it when people fall asleep and start invading my space. Last week, a guy fell asleep next to me and dropped into my lap. Gross!
Felix: What about when you’re holding onto a pole and somebody’s hand bumps yours and they don’t move away? That’s really annoying.
Amanda: Oh look, there’s a pregnant woman on the other end of the train and those guys aren’t giving up their seats for her. What jerks!
Felix: Yeah, what jerks! At least we don’t have any singers, dancers, or loud entertainers on this train. I hate it when they start performing.
Amanda: Actually, I kind of like it when people perform. It helps to pass the time.
Felix: Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess I do, too. I love the subway.
Amanda: Me, too.
[end of dialogue]
Amanda begins our episode by saying to Felix, “I love the subway.” The “subway” (subway) is an underground train – usually underground – that is used to move people around a large city. Many cities have subway systems. Even Los Angeles has a subway system, but it isn’t very big. New York, London, Paris, Tokyo – almost every major city has a subway system.
Nowadays we usually refer to the things you travel in in a subway as a “train,” although the word “train” (train) can also refer to something that takes you a long distance, from one city to another. So when someone says, “I’m going to take the train,” you have to know what he’s talking about to understand if he means a subway train or a train that is going to travel a long distance to another city. Felix says he loves the subway too. “But,” he continues, “it really annoys me when people hog more than one seat, like that guy over there.”
Obviously Amanda and Felix are having this conversation on a subway train. Felix says he’s “annoyed.” “To annoy” (annoy) means to bother or frustrate someone, to make someone a little angry. Felix says it annoys him when people “hog” (hog) more than one seat. “To hog” means to use all of something and not let anyone else use it or have it, especially when we are referring to using more than what you should. “To hog” means not to share with other people. If someone is “hogging the seats,” they’re using more than one seat, more than what they need.
Amanda says, “Yeah, I hate it when you’re trying to get on the train and the passengers who are blocking the doors won’t move out of the way.” Amanda is talking about something else that bothers her. She’s bothered by the fact that sometimes when you are trying to get on a subway train, there are passengers who block the doors. A “passenger” (passenger) is someone who is like you, riding on the train to go from one place to another.
You can talk about a passenger in a car, in a bus, on a train, in a boat, on an airplane, or in any vehicle or machine that moves someone from one place to another. A “passenger” is a person who is not driving or directing the vehicle. Everyone else is a passenger. In a car, the person who drives the car is called, of course, the “driver.” Everyone else is a passenger. Amanda doesn’t like passengers who “block (block) the door.” “To block” means to be in the way of someone else so that the other person cannot pass through or go by you.
These passengers, Amanda complains, don’t “move out of the way.” “To move” or “to be out of the way” means not to be blocking someone else, not to be preventing someone else from being in that same space. Felix says, “Oh, even worse is when you’re trying to get off the train and people who want to get on won’t wait until you get off.” Amanda says, “That’s totally annoying.” The word “totally” is an informal way of saying “very” or “completely.”
Felix then gives another complaint. He says, “Even worse,” meaning even worse than what he just complained about, “is when the train is full,” meaning all of the places in the train are taken, “and people squeeze to get on when there’s no more room.” “To squeeze” (squeeze) means to try to put more into a space than there is room for. If you squeeze onto a train, you are trying to get onto the train even though there isn’t enough room on the train. So you have to push other people, of course.
That’s what Felix is referring to when he says there’s no more “room” (room). In this sentence, “room” means space, or unused, available, empty space. Amanda says, “So true,” meaning yes, I agree with you. “I also hate it when people fall asleep and start invading my space.” “To invade (invade) someone’s space” means to be too close to another person so that that person feels crowded or uncomfortable.
In the United States, there is a certain, what we would call, “personal space distance” between you and another person that you are supposed to respect, that you’re not supposed to invade or go into. These personal spaces are different in different cultures. In the U.S., the personal space is probably a little bigger than in some other cultures, at least ones I’ve been to where it’s not unusual for a person to be very close to you and not think that he is invading your space.
Amanda hates it when people fall asleep on the subway and invade her space. She says, “Last week, a guy fell asleep next to me and dropped,” or fell into, “my lap” (lap). Your “lap” is the top of your legs, the flat area made by your legs when you are sitting, the area above your knees. Amanda also says, “Gross” (gross). “Gross” is an adjective we use for something that we think is disgusting or something that makes us feel very uncomfortable. She is expressing her dislike of what happened last week, or her disgust at what happened last week, when this man fell into her lap on the subway.
Felix says, “What about when you’re holding onto a pole and somebody’s hand bumps yours and they don’t move away. That’s really annoying.” Most trains on the subway have “poles” (poles). A “pole” is a tall, vertical, usually, piece of metal that goes from the floor to the ceiling or top of the train that you can hold onto in case you are standing. You don’t want to fall over when the train moves.
Felix is referring to what happens when someone else’s hand “bumps” (bumps) your hand. The verb “to bump” here means to accidentally, not on purpose, touch something or someone else. If another person’s hand bumps yours or bumps into yours, that means the other hand touches yours. Amanda says, “Oh look, there’s a pregnant woman at the other end of the train and those guys aren’t giving up their seats for her. What jerks!”
A “pregnant (pregnant) woman” is a woman who is expecting a child, a baby, but the baby hasn’t been born yet. It’s still inside the body of the woman. The guys on the other end of the train “aren’t giving up their seats for her,” Amanda says. “To give up your seat” for someone is to stand up and let another person sit where you were sitting, usually because the train is crowded and there are no more seats left. Felix and Amanda both think these guys, these men or boys, are “jerks.” A jerk is a terrible person. It’s an insulting word for a bad person.
Felix says, “At least we don’t have any singers, dancers, or loud entertainers on this train. I hate it when they start performing.” In some subways, people will come on the train and sing or dance to try to get money from you, to try to get you to give them some money. These are “entertainers” (entertainers). An entertainer is anyone who provides amusement or fun for another person. A singer, a dancer, an actor – all of these people are entertainers. Felix doesn’t like it went entertainers come on the train and start entertaining or performing.
Amanda disagrees. She says, “Actually I kind of like it when people perform. It helps pass the time.” “To pass (pass) the time” means to spend time doing something so you don’t get bored. Some people on a subway pass the time by reading, some people listen to English lessons. Felix says, “Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess I do, too. I love the subway.” Amanda says, “Me, too.” Of course, they’ve just complained about the subway for the last few minutes, and now they end by saying that they actually love taking the subway.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
[start of dialogue]
Amanda: I love the subway.
Felix: I do, too, but it really annoys me when people hog more than one seat, like that guy over there.
Amanda: Yeah, and I hate it when you’re trying to get on the train and the passengers who are blocking the doors won’t move out of the way.
Felix: Oh, even worse is when you’re trying to get off the train and people who want to get on won’t wait until you get off.
Amanda: That’s totally annoying!
Felix: Even worse is when the train is full and people squeeze to get on when there’s no more room!
Amanda: So true! I also hate it when people fall asleep and start invading my space. Last week, a guy fell asleep next to me and dropped into my lap. Gross!
Felix: What about when you’re holding onto a pole and somebody’s hand bumps yours and they don’t move away? That’s really annoying.
Amanda: Oh look, there’s a pregnant woman on the other end of the train and those guys aren’t giving up their seats for her. What jerks!
Felix: Yeah, what jerks! At least we don’t have any singers, dancers, or loud entertainers on this train. I hate it when they start performing.
Amanda: Actually, I kind of like it when people perform. It helps to pass the time.
Felix: Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess I do, too. I love the subway.
Amanda: Me, too.
[end of dialogue]
There’s nothing annoying about our scriptwriter. She’s the best scriptwriter on the Internet. I speak, of course, of the wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse.
From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2016 by the Center for Educational Development.
Glossary
subway – an underground train used to move people around and through large cities
* If the city had a subway system, we’d have less traffic and air pollution.
to annoy – to bother or irritate; to make someone frustrated or a little bit angry
* It really annoys me when my roommate leaves his dirty dishes in the sink.
to hog – to use all of something and not let others have it, especially to use more than one should; to not share
* Stop hogging the bathroom! I need to take a shower and get ready for work.
passenger – a person who is being transported in a car, bus, train, boat, airplane, or another vehicle, but is not driving it
* I’d rather be a passenger than a driver. That way I can look around and enjoy the scenery.
to block – to be in the way and not let someone have access to something; to not let someone have or do something
* The person sitting in front of me wore a big hat that blocked my view of the stage.
out of the way – making space for someone or something else
* Could you please move those boxes out of the way? I want to put this bookshelf there.
to squeeze – to try to put a large amount of something or a large number of people into a small space, with little or no extra room
* How are you going to squeeze all those clothes and shoes into a single suitcase?
room – available or empty space; unused space
* Do you have room to store these boxes in your office?
to invade (one’s) space – to stand very close to another person so that he or she feels crowded and uncomfortable
* Why does Penny stand so close to people when she speaks to them? She needs to take a step back to avoid invading their space.
lap – the top of one’s legs and the flat area made between one’s knees and hips when one is sitting down
* The little boy always wants to sit on his mother’s lap.
gross – yucky; disgusting; dirty and unpleasant, making one feel uncomfortable or sick
* Adrian sneezed at the dining table over everyone’s food. That was so gross!
pole – a tall, vertical post or cylinder, usually extending from the floor to the ceiling to provide support
* To decorate for the outdoor birthday party, they tied balloons to the poles holding up the tent.
to bump – to move and accidentally touch something else; for two objects to hit each other gently
* Two people were looking at their phones instead of watching where they were going, and they accidentally bumped into each other while crossing the street.
pregnant – expecting a baby; with a baby growing inside a woman’s body
* Did you feel sick while you were pregnant?
to give up (one’s) seat – to stand up so that another person can use one’s seat or chair, especially when offering it to a pregnant woman, an older person, or a disabled person on a bus or train
* Jack always gives up his seat when he sees an elderly person get on his bus.
entertainer – someone who provides enjoyment or amusement for other people, especially a singer, dancer, musician, or comedian
* The company has hired a few entertainers to perform on the first evening of the conference.
to pass the time – to spend time doing something so that one does not feel bored; to do something that is not meaningful or purposeful, but that is pleasant and enjoyable
* They played cards and games to pass the time on their long flight to Melbourne.
Comprehension Questions
1. Why is Felix annoyed when people hog the seats?
a) Because they leave behind their garbage for others to clean up.
b) Because they make too much noise that distracts other passengers.
c) Because they don’t make room for other people to sit down.
2. Why does Amanda like the entertainers?
a) Because their performances are very short.
b) Because they help her learn more about modern culture.
c) Because they prevent her from getting bored.
Answers at bottom.
What Else Does It Mean?
to hog
The verb “to hog,” in this podcast, means to use all of something and not let others have it, especially to use more than one should: “Bryan complained that he couldn’t do his homework because his sister was hogging the computer.” The phrase “to go hog wild” means to do something in an uncontrollable, very enthusiastic way: “All the kids went hog wild at the birthday party.” The phrase “to go the whole hog” means to do something fully and to an extreme, much more than one normally would: “The event planners decided to go the whole hog and rent the most expensive restaurant in town.” Finally, calling someone a “hog” is a rude way to say that he or she is selfish, greedy, and/or eats too much: “Camilo ate the entire pizza in one sitting. What a hog!”
pole
In this podcast, the word “pole” means a tall, vertical post or cylinder, usually extending from the floor to the ceiling to provide support: “Their home has an open floor plan with connected rooms, and only a few poles supporting the ceiling.” The “North/South Poles” are the northernmost and southernmost points on the planet: “In 1911, Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian, became the first person to reach the South Pole.” A “totem pole” is a tall wooden pole that has been carved (with images cut into the surface) and/or painted for cultural or religious reasons: “Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest often covered totem poles with images of salmon.” Finally, the “low man on the totem pole” is someone who has little power or influence within an organization: “As the most recent hire, Dan was the low man on the totem pole.”
Culture Note
Common Subway Rules and Prohibitions
Many large “metropolitan” (city) areas have subways, but “commuters” (people who travel to and from work) have to agree to follow rules in order to ride the subways. Many of the rules are intended to keep the subway system clean and free of “rodents” (rats, mice, and other small mammals that are attracted by garbage) and insects. For example, subways “prohibit” (forbid; do not allow) smoking to “maintain” (keep at its current level) “air quality” (how clean the air is). Most subway systems also prohibit eating and drinking. Passengers may carry food in “closed” (unopened) containers, but they may not “consume” (eat or drink) it while they are in the subway system.
Other rules are “enforced” (with people being made to follow the rules) for passengers’ safety. For example, subway systems prohibit guns, knives, and other weapons. Subways systems “reserve the right” (are allowed) to ask people to leave if they are “inebriated” (drunk; under the influence of alcohol) or obviously under the influence of drugs. People are asked to report “unattended items” (objects that do not appear to belong to a passenger) so that employees can determine whether they are “explosive devices” (bombs or similar objects that can catch on fire and cause damage and injuries or death).
“Still other” (Additional) rules are designed to “promote” (encourage) the passengers’ comfort and enjoyment. People are asked or required to give up their seats for the “elderly” (older people, usually more than
65 years old), the “disabled” (people who do not have full use of part of their body), and pregnant women. Radios and other musical devices are prohibited unless the passenger is using “headphones” (small pieces that enter the ears and are attached to the source of music with wires, so that only one person hears the music).
Comprehension Answers
1 - c
2 - c