Did you ride the subway to work this morning?
What’s the most crowded train in your city?
What do you do when you need to get off the train?
Today we’ll show you what to do and what to say in English to make sure that you get off at your stop when you take the train to work.
A New York Insider Secret:
When I lived in New York I used to ride the N/R which is the line New Yorkers refer to as the “Never/Rarely.”
The R was never crowded because it’s so slow, but sometimes the N was packed with a lot of people because it’s an Express Train in the morning.
Today we’re talking about what to do to signal that you want to get out if you’re in a crowded train.
This might seem basic or like something you learned in the beginner level, but we’re taking a look at some of these basic tasks to see how we can make your language more nuanced.
I guarantee you’ll find something new in today’s episode.
We challenge you to use these phrases that are new and push yourself out of your comfort zone when it comes to your English.
For our 8 lucky listeners who are coming to Boston in a few weeks, you’ll be able to use these right away!
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Here is today’s question:
“What should I say when I am on the train and my stop comes and I need to get off the train.
How do you ask people to move?”
Let’s imagine you’re on the N train in New York City and it’s a crowded Monday morning.
People are either half asleep or rushing to work.
They are nervous, anxious, and high strung like many New Yorkers are but you need to make your voice heard.
You need to get off the train and you can’t afford to miss a stop.
Things you can say:
- Excuse me, this is my stop.
- Sorry I need to get by.
- Excuse (Scuse me) could I squeeze by?
- Can I get by?
- Can you let me by?
- Sorry + gesture
What not to say:
- Pardon
- Pardon me (sounds too old fashioned0
- Please move (this is too direct and it sounds hostile)
What questions do you have today?
Let us know in the comments below.
