Unit 9 Commuting

Unit 9 Commuting

Take off (to work) to depart immediately, to leave quickly

             Also: rush off

             ▪ I’m going to be late for work if I don’t take off right now.

             ▪ Before Leroy could ask another question, Brenda rushed off to work.

Buckle up to fasten one’s seatbelt

             ▪ Some drivers of cars with airbags think it’s unnecessary to buckle up too.

             ▪ Signs on the highways remind people that buckling up can save lives.

Drop off to deliver someone to a place

             Opposite meaning: pick up (to take someone from a place)

             GRAMMAR NOTE: This idiom is separable, and the object is usually placed after the verb.

             ▪ My son Elijah asked to drop him off at school on my way to work because it was raining.

             ▪ He also wanted me to pick him and his friend up if it was still raining after school.

Give a lift to transport someone in one’s vehicle

             Also: give a ride

             GRAMMAR NOTE: These idioms must be separated by a noun or pronoun after the verb.

             ▪ The young woman hitchhiking on the highway looked nice, so Vince gave her a lift.

             ▪ Could you give me a ride to the airport next Wednesday? I’d appreciate it.

On one’s way in the direction that one is going

             Opposite meaning: out of one’s way (not in the direction that one is going)

             ▪ Since the post office was on my way to the supermarket, I stopped there for some stamps.

             ▪ It’s no problem for William to give you a ride there. It’s not out of his way.

Rush hour the busiest commuting time (usually 6-9 A.M. and 4-7 P.M.)

             GRAMMAR NOTE: This compound noun can be hyphenated (-) to make an adjective form preceding the noun traffic.

             ▪ It takes Olilip three hours to commute to work during rush hour.

             ▪ Rush-hour traffic is generally lighter on Friday afternoons.

Share a ride to commute with one or more persons in the same car

             Also: rideshare

             Related form: ridesharing (noun)

             ▪ Some companies provide special benefits when employes agree to share a ride to work.

             ▪ The university maintains a list of people who want to rideshare to school.

             ▪ Ridesharing is one of the best ways to reduce air pollution caused by automobiles.

Carpool lane a special lane on city highways for cars with at least two people inside

             Related form: carpool (verb)

             ▪ You will have to pay a large fine if yhou drive in the carpool lane with out at least one other passenger.

             ▪ The office workers carpooled to avoid the heavy traffic in the other highway lanes.

Double-park to park in the street illegally next to a car that is parked legally along the curb

             Related form: double-parking (noun)

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is used to describe what happens when there are no available parking spaces along the curb of a street.

             ▪ Frank double-parked in front of the bakery in order to pick up the cake.

             ▪ Double-parking is unavoidable in some American cities where it is too crowded to park legally.