The journey to work

Whichever form of transport you take, getting to work can be difficult…

Talking about travelling to work

Mark: It’s just taken me three hours to! Get here. I’ve been waiting on the platform for 50 minutes - frozen points and the wrong kind of snow, apparently. They’d already cancelled one train so mine was packed. I stood all the way.

Louise: Well, driving in wasn’t much I better. It took me ten minutes to scrape the ice off the windscreen, then the traffic was crawling all the way up the dual carriageway and I nearly skidded on black ice. The council never grits the roads quickly enough! Did you have to walk from the station?

Mark: No, but when my train finally got into town there was a huge queue at the bus stop. And those roadworks in Oxford Street mean that we go on a diversion that takes twice as long.

Louise: Tell me about it! It was nose to tail all the way up to that junction and I can’t use the bus lane, remember! Then there was only one lane open on the flyover so there was a jam there, too.

Mark: Well at least your car takes you door! To door and you can put the heater on - I’m frozen from being on a draughty old bus. And I don’t want to use the Tube in case there is a security alert over a suspect package.

Louise: Well, you must understand the need for precautions on public transport.

Mark: I suppose so. But it’s so expensive. My season ticket costs a fortune and fares are going up again next month.

Louise: Think yourself lucky. You don’t have to pay the congestion charge, or for parking.

Mark: Well we’re both here now. We’ve got a meeting with Liz at 10.30, haven’t we?

Louise: Yes, but she’s just phoned to say she’s running late and to ask if we can make it 11 instead.

Mark: What’s her excuse? She only lives a couple of miles away. And, anyway, she cycles in doesn’t she?

Louise: She’s got a puncture!

Words and phrases from the passage

wait on the platform = attendre sur le quai

frozen points = (GB) aiguillage gelé

wrong kind of snow ! (it’s the... ) = ce n’est pas la bonne sorte de neige (le genre d’excuse donnée par les chemins de fer anglais)

cancelled = annulé

packed = bondé

windscreen = pare-brise

crawl = ici, avancer au pas

dual carriageway = (GB) (route à) quatre-voies

skid on black ice = déraper sur le verglas

council = municipalité

grit the roads = (GB) sabler les routes

roadworks = travaux

diversion = déviation

junction = carrefour

bus lane = couloir de bus

flyover = (GB) autopont

jam = embouteillage

heater = ici, chauffage

draughty = plein de courants d’air

Tube = (GB) métro

precautions = mesures de sécurité

season ticket = carte d’abonnement

fare = prix du billet

congestion charge = (GB) taxe d’embouteillage

parking = stationnement

running late = en retard

puncture = crevaison

nose to tail = pare-chocs contre pare-chocs

More work journey words and phrases

car pool = système de covoiturage

cycle path = piste cyclable

delays = retards

heavy traffic = forte circulation

on time = à l’heure

park-and-ride = se garer hors d’une agglomération afin de s’y rendre par les transport en commun

rush hour = heures de pointe

tailback = bouchon

The train runs once an hour = Les trains passent toutes les heures

traffic calming = mesures de ralentissement de la circulation en ville

My bus broke down = Mon bus est tombé en panne

There was signal failure at Clapham = Il y a eu un problème de signalisation à Clapham

No buses were running = Il n’y avait pas de bus

The train drivers were on strike = Les conducteurs de train étaient en grève

There was a bomb scare = Il y a eu une alerte à la bombe

My car was stolen = On m’a volé ma voiture

My car was clamped = On a mis un sabot de Denver à ma voiture

I ran out of petrol = Je suis. tombé en panne d’essence

Sleeping policeman/speed hump = ralentisseur