EnBooo Podcast

Episode 30 • Crime

30

Hit

Hit-and-run

Get pulled over

Speed

Give a ticket

Story

I’m not a great driver, okay? I’ve never been but I try to drive safely. Yesterday I got distracted, only for a second, I promise. I checked my phone and as I did… BOOM. I hit something or… someone with my car. I panicked and instead of stopping I started driving even faster. I know that’s considered a hit-and-run but I got so scared I couldn’t even think properly! I drove a couple more miles and I thought maybe I had imagined it all. But I hadn’t, right behind me there was a police car getting closer and closer. Just as I’d expected, I got pulled over. I waited for the officer to come talk to me. I was about to cry, to tell him that yes, it had been me, that I was guilty, that I was a horrible person. But, to my surprise, he simply said ‘I don’t know if you realize it, miss, but you were speeding so, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to give you a ticket. Oh and, by the way, you should check your car, make sure it’s fine, I noticed you hit a big rock back there.’ That’s right. A stupid rock!

Questions

Okey dokes. Let's take a look at today's expressions and let's begin with word number one.

Hit

'I hit something or... someone with my car.'

• If you hit someone with your car, is it because the car was moving quickly or slowly?

If you say that you hit someone with your car or something with your car, it means that your car was moving quickly. It was moving fast at the time of the impact.

• Can you die if a car hits you?

If the car was going really fast, yes, but not necessarily. You can also get hit by a car or a car can hit you and you can survive.

• Have you ever been hit by a car? Or have you ever hit someone?

Hope not. I've never hit someone. I don't think I can really say that I've been hit by a car. It did happen to me once. I almost got hit by a car. I was in New York with my sister. I was crossing the street and this guy was coming from around the corner. He was in the car, obviously. He wasn't going fast. So, I don't think I can say that his car hit me, but it gently pushed me for a second, to which both my sister and I turned around and we're like, "What the hell are you doing?," because he was doing it so slowly that I don't know if he was just distracted and he couldn't see it, or he was just enjoying doing that. I don't really know, but that was a weird experience.

Hit-and-run

'I know that’s considered a hit-and-run...'

• If an accident is a hit-and-run, does the driver stop to help the victim?

Well, it's a hit and run, so no, you do not stop to help the victim.

• What are the reasons for not stopping?

Maybe just like in the story, you're scared. You panic. You can't think properly and you just want to run away, or maybe you do it because you don't want to get caught by the police. You try to leave the scene of the crime as soon as possible. That could be another reason.

• Have you ever witnessed a hit-and-run? Have you ever seen a hit and run? What do you think the punishment should be?

Luckily, I've never witnessed, I've never seen a hit and run. I think it's a pretty serious crime because an accident can always happen, but not stopping to help the victim is pretty bad. Obviously, so easy to judge when you haven't been in that position. I think some of the punishments are obviously jail time if the consequences of the hit and run are really serious, but if not, things like a fine, and also maybe taking away your driver's license for a while could be a good idea to teach you a lesson and turn you into a more responsible driver.

Get pulled over

'I got pulled over.'

• If you get pulled over, do you stop the car or go faster?

If you get pulled over, that means that you stop the car.

• Where do you stop the car, in the middle of the street or on the side?

Well, you don't want to be in the way of other people, of other cars. When you get pulled over, that means that you stop your car on the side of the street.

• By whom can you get pulled over?

It's usually authorities. So, people who have the right and the authority to stop you while you're driving your car. It can be a policeman or any other type of law enforcement agent.

• Have you ever gotten pulled over?

This is a funny story because I have gotten pulled over, but funnily enough, not while I was driving, but while I was riding my bike. I was in Florida and it was really late at night. My bike didn't have any lights or anything. This police officer pulled me over. He was really nice. He wasn't mean. He was more concerned about my safety than anything. I really appreciated that. When I got pulled over, I was so scared because it was my first time getting pulled over, but he was fine.

Speed

'You were speeding...'

• If you are speeding, are you going slower or faster than legally allowed?

If you're speeding, that means that you're going faster than the legal limit. Let's say that the limit is 30 miles per hour. Then, if you're going 40, you're speeding.

• Can you speed while driving? What about riding a bike? And walking?

Yes, it's very easy to speed while driving because a lot of times you are not really aware of how fast you're going, especially if there aren't many other cars around. What about while riding a bike? Yes, technically you can. It's not as easy, but you could speed while riding a bike. What about walking? Uh. Walking's a little harder. I don't know how fast you walk, but I don't think you're ever going to get stopped for speeding while walking.

• What’s a good punishment for speeding?

I think that the punishments that are commonly used for speeding are also the most effective ones. So, fine. Having you pay money for speeding is a good way because it makes people not want to do it. Then, maybe taking away your driver's license. If you've done it multiple times, it could also be a possible form of punishment.

Give a ticket

'I’m going to have to give you a ticket.'

• If someone gives you a ticket, do you have to pay money or not?

Yes, that is the thing about the ticket. We're not talking about, "Ooh, I got a ticket to the movies or to a concert." No, this is a bad ticket. It means you have to pay money.

• Who can give you a ticket?

It's usually a police officer.

• Why would someone give you a ticket?

There's all sorts of reasons. If you're driving and you're speeding, you could get a ticket. If you park in a spot where you're not allowed to park, you could also get a ticket. Let's say, if you throw trash on the ground and they catch you, guess what? Ticket. I don't know if they actually do it, but technically it could happen.

• Has a police officer ever given you a ticket?

Not personally, he didn't hand it to me, but this one time when I was in California, I parked in the wrong spot. I left my car for too long in a spot where I could only leave it for 30 minutes. When I got back to the car, I saw that I'd gotten a ticket. It was like $40. It wasn't terrible, but still--I remember the feeling.

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