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Traffic Tickets

Traffic Tickets

Date: Aug 28 2009

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Passive Voice

Intro

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Even the most well-behaved citizens occasionally get into trouble with the police over the way they drive. As a result, the highway patrol is probably one of the least popular institutions in the U.S. But the IRS, the agency that collects taxes, is probably still the most unpopular.

There are a lot of different reasons why people get traffic tickets. Some get in trouble for going through red lights and stop signs. Others make illegal turns or other dangerous maneuvers. But you can also get a ticket for making smaller mistakes, like forgetting to signal before you change lanes. Mason has another problem. Listen to him explain to Dale why he’s gotten so many traffic tickets over the years.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Dale

Dale

Mason

Mason

Dale:  Hey Mason, have you ever gotten a ticket?

Mason:  Yeah, I’ve gotten a few in my day to be honest.

Dale:  Really? What was the infraction?

Mason:  Speeding. I’ve got kind of a lead foot. What can I say?

Dale:  Were you pulled over by the highway patrol or the city cops or…?

Mason:  I’ve pretty much seen them all. The worst one is when you get pulled over by some highway patrol guy ‘cause that means you’re like out in the middle of nowhere. And one time that happened to me and I had to go drive like two hours to this remote circuit court sort of place just to plead guilty. ‘Cause when you do that they reduce the fine.

Dale:  So you did plead guilty, you didn’t even try to get rid of it?

Mason:  No. I mean at that point, I was like twenty miles an hour over, you just…you can’t. There’s no arguing with that.

Dale:  So did it stay on your permanent record at all?

Mason:  I think I had it expunged. That’s the legal term.

Dale:  How long does it usually take for it to be expunged?

Mason:  You know actually all of my infractions were prior to being 18. So, when you hit 18 that’s the reset button.

Dale:  OK. Well at least you learned your lesson, I hope.

Mason:  So far. Cross my fingers.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Dale asks Mason if he’s ever gotten a ticket. It turns out that Mason has a lead foot and got more than one speeding ticket when he was a teenager. Fortunately, he got them all before he was 18, so they didn’t stay on his permanent record.

Mason thinks it’s worst when you get a ticket in the middle of nowhere. On country roads when there aren’t a lot of other cars around, it’s hard not to drive fast. But if you get a speeding ticket, you might have to go back to the place where you got it in order to appear in court like Mason did.

Have you ever gotten a ticket? Are the laws about driving strict in your country?

 

Comments

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Christoph07

Germany

Sometimes i have luck and sometimes i have to pay. But i dont drive so fast than i was younger ;-). Often i have to pay here for wrong parking. In some situations its better you don't pay money for the parking clock because its expensive when you will not back in time at your car. Its cheaper when you say: sorry i did not seen the parking clock and you ignore it. But to pay money is not so terrible than to loose the driver license. That can be happen if you are too fast often or you dont stopping at red light signal. 

11:18 AM Aug 28 2009 |

N1col@y

N1col@y

Russian Federation

Give them money and go away)))

08:59 AM Aug 28 2009 |

N1col@y

N1col@y

Russian Federation

In our country if you make illegal turns or your speed too fast and you get pulled over you just give money police and go away)))

08:58 AM Aug 28 2009 |

only_rock

only_rock

Azerbaijan

hmmmmm…/

08:11 AM Aug 28 2009 |

lulika

China

Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. Everyone must be obey traffic rules to avoid accidents.

07:32 AM Aug 28 2009 |

PoisonEmoGirl^^

Finland

In hungary <3 emo 4 evaaaSealed

07:28 AM Aug 28 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

Never, because I don't have a drive license. Luckily I don't have to fight with all the driving rules.

 

In China, there's a lot of rules in driving, but sometimes or some places, there's no police or camera, so people might easily speed. But you never know when they become strict, maybe before the new year, so you get tickets.

05:48 AM Aug 28 2009 |

Yeraen.Ma

Yeraen.Ma

China

coz u r the policman

05:42 AM Aug 28 2009 |

pagecai

pagecai

China

I HAVE EVER GONE THROUGH THE RED LIGHTS MANY TIMES JUST IN FRONT OF THE POLICEMAN .BUT HE DIDN'T STOP ME .DO YOU KNOW WHY ?HAHA```

05:32 AM Aug 28 2009 |

constance1986

China

i can't drive,so i never get a traffic ticket.

03:21 AM Aug 28 2009 |

santapom

Germany

  •  

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

02:07 AM Aug 28 2009 |

santapom

Germany

vvv_sss@msn.fr

02:02 AM Aug 28 2009 |

santapom

Germany

      

 

02:02 AM Aug 28 2009 |

santapom

Germany

 

02:00 AM Aug 28 2009 |

taha 007

Morocco

gay me i have never got a traffic ticket .in my country

01:30 AM Aug 28 2009 |

taha 007

Morocco

gay me i have never got a traffic ticket .in my country

01:30 AM Aug 28 2009 |

Shugopy

Shugopy

Paraguay

In my country the laws aren't strict, a big number of drivers doesn't obey the signs, in concecuence that produce many accidents. I get a ticket one time, because I didn't have my driving licence with me… so embarasing… but that will never hapend again!

01:28 AM Aug 28 2009 |

shad84

shad84

United States

I HATE THEM POLICE….............THEY SUCKFrown

01:02 AM Aug 28 2009 |

taha 007

Morocco

hi

i am a new member of this forum,and i hope to accept traffic      tnx

01:01 AM Aug 28 2009 |

My own myth

China

I have never got a traffic ticket. In my country ,Law minors not driving and laws we must obey.

12:51 AM Aug 28 2009 |

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