Views #731 | Intermediate 5

The Taxi Ride

Todd talks about a taxi ride in Thailand that ended up not like he expected.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Greg	Todd

Todd: You know, Greg, you were talking about being lost in Thailand. I have my own story about being lost in Bangkok.

Greg: Really?

Todd: Yeah, I was supposed to go and stay with some Thai friends in Thailand and I was coming from America and I had a business card, like you suggested and so I got in the cab and I just showed the guy the business card and he took off. And he was this really old taxi driver. Kind of a sweet guy but I didn't know anything about Thailand. And we get in the cab and in the cab he had this smell like an orchid flower or something and it was really strong and it was really making me sick.

Greg: Probably jasmine flower.

Todd: Maybe yeah. That could have been it. And so we are driving and driving and we get out of the city and we're way out in the countryside in like rice fields and things like that. Now, I've only been in Thailand for about an hour.

Greg: And you're probably getting worried

Todd: Yeah.

Greg: Thinking, maybe you are going to get ripped off.

Todd: Right, like I'm thinking, "Oh, no!" This guy's gonna take me somewhere and take advantage of me or he's lost and he doesn't know, and I'm just getting really, really skeptical, so before we had left I had negotiated a price and I think I said I'd pay him a thousand baht or something like forty dollars and he was very happy with the price.

Greg: That's a lot of money in Thailand,

Todd: Yeah, and I didn't know that. So this guy is driving here, driving there. He's stopping the cab. He's asking people. He can't find the business, so eventually, I'm getting sick cause of the flowers, it's been like three hours, we've been driving around in the cab and I'm worried that I don't have enough money for the cab fare. So I feel really, reallyy worried so I just tell the guy, "back to the airport" cause he doesn't know any English, and I don't know any Thai, so I just sort of communicate, "back to the airport." The guy is like, "Huh! Alright", so he takes me back.

Listen to Interview #732 for the second half of the story.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

supposed to

I was supposed to go and stay with some Thai friends.

Used like this, 'supposed to' do something means that it was your original plan, but your plans changed.

Notice the following:

You told me that we were supposed to arrive 30 minutes early.
I was supposed to leave at 4 o'clock, but I didn't leave until 5.

way out

We get out of the city and we're way out in the countryside in rice fields.

When you are 'way out' from a place, it means that you are a long way from that location.

Notice the following:

We have always wanted to live way out in the mountains.
She lives way out in the middle of nowhere.

get ripped off

You thought you were going to get ripped off.

If you 'get ripped off,' it means that someone cheats you out of your money.

Notice the following:

I try not to buy off the internet, as I always worry that I will get ripped off.
If you are not careful, you will get ripped off.

take advantage

This guy's going to take me somewhere and take advantage of me.

When you 'take advantage of' something or somebody, it means that you take the opportunity to use something or someone to improve your own situation.

Notice the following:

I am trying to take advantage of the discounts, and I am buying as much as I can fit into my car.
I am going to spend the day outside today and take advantage of the sunshine.

I'm getting sick