Oh ! My God Story NO. 45    


Taxi Trouble

If you want to get a taxi in New York, you raise your hand.
A taxi will stop for you.

Then I have to say where I want to go.
For example, if you want to go to Bloomingdale's,
"Bloomingdale's, please."
That's it. The driver will take you there.

As long as you don't speak to the driver, he won't bother you.
Don't worry.

Every time I take a taxi,

I always think that the back seat doesn't have enough room.
There is a window between the front and the back seat.
It is for a robbery protection.

I feel crammed.
Even a Japanese feel uncomfortable, so American must feel miserable.
They patiently sit with their knees bent.

But it has a good point.
The taxi fare in America is less than a half of what will cost in Japan.
I'm very happy about this.

You pay a tip for about 10 to 15 % of the fare.
It will be about one dollar most of the time.

By the way, when you take a taxi,

there is one thing you have to pay attention to.
US one dollar and ten dollar bills look almost the same.
The color, the design and the size are the same.

There was a Japanese tourist like this.
When she took a taxi in New York for the first time,
  she gave a driver a ten dollar bill as a tip by mistake.
The driver was so glad that he sang a song to please her.
It was a song of Pakistan which was his mother country.

She realized that she had lost her ten dollar.
That was after she already got off the taxi.
She paid five dollar fare and ten dollar tip.

Oh ! My God
They are still thinking that Japanese are very prosperous.



 How to〜=〜の仕方  How to take a taxi=タクシーの乗リ方  
take a taxi=タクシーに乗る  get a taxi =タクシーを拾う
raise=上げる  hand=手   Then=その時  For example,=例えば  
Bloomingdale's=ブルーミングデールズ(ニューヨークの中心地、
マンハッタンの有名なデパート)  take=連れて行く  
As long as 〜 =〜の間中  bother=面倒をかける  
won't=will notの縮約形  Don't worry=心配ない、大丈夫だ
Every time =毎回  always=いつも  enough=十分  
window=窓  between=間  the front and the back seat=運転席と後部席
for〜 =〜の為に  robbery =強盗  protection= 〜からの保護
feel=感じる  crammed=詰め込む  I feel crammed=窮屈だ  Even=でさえ
uncomfortable=心地よくない  so=だから  miserable=悲惨
patiently=辛抱強い  knee =ひざ  bent=曲げて  good point=長所
fare=乗車料金  less than a half =半分以下  cost=費用、コスト
tip=チップ  about =大体  10 to 15 % of the fare=乗車料金の10〜15%  
most of the time=多くの場合  By the way,=ところで  there is〜=〜がある
pay =払う  attention=注意  have to 〜=〜の必要
bill =紙幣、札  almost=ほとんど  same=同じ  look almost the same=似ている  
Japanese tourist =日本人旅行客  like this=このような  
for the first time=初めて  gave=与えた(give与える の過去)
by mistake=間違えて  so glad =すごく喜んで  sang =歌った(sing歌うの過去形)
to please =喜ばせる為に、サービスに  a song of Pakistan =パキスタンの歌
mother country=母国  realize=理解する  lost=失くした(lose失う の過去)
after=後  already=すでに   got off =降りた、下車した  
paid =払った(pay払う の過去)  are still thinking =今でも思っている
prosperous=繁栄する、好景気


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