Vocabulary:
| parking lots | your ass = you | to take longer |
| to get one = to bother one very much | territorial | to lean on one's horn |
| to drive | powerless | to slow down |
| to pull into | areas of our lives | to get out of one's way |
| a waiting (= an available) spot | control | to honk at s.o. |
| Batman | to go to our heads | to yell at s.o. |
| to pull up | to play God | to pull up |
| Batmobile (Batman's car) | Honda Civic | in such a way |
| the curb (Brit: kerb) | Porsche | to be boxed in |
| City Hall | to afford | what the hell... |
| to hop out | to valet park | bumper |
| Commissioner Gordon (character in Batman TV series) | to back out | How do you expect... |
| to double park | to block out | to get sheepish |
| around the block | 'Mr. Porsche' | to back up |
| space = parking space | to leave a path for | what a...you are |
| to roam | 'Mr. Honda' | son of a bitch |
| decent | to slide right into | to get that (= to understand) |
| to linger | for a bond to form | Honey |
| to give s.t. up | rich asshole | to chill out = to relax |
| the next guy | Bill Gates | to figure out |
| power | behind the wheel (driving a car) | to take one's time |
| to come down to | fucking (a vulgar intensifier) | to get in one's (parking) spot |
| gene | to make noise | that's it |
| in the corner of our brains | to rush s.o. |
Listening comprehension questions:
1. What happened in the Batman TV series that, Whoopi says,
doesn't happen in real life?
2. Why might you pick a different parking space after finding one?
3. Why might you take longer than necessary when leaving your parking space?
4. What is one reason Whoopi says we like to exercise our 'power' in controlling
who gets our parking space?
5. Why are we more likely to give our space to a man in a Honda Civic than to
someone driving a Porsche?
6. Where might one find valet parking in Taiwan?
7. What should someone who is waiting for Whoopi's parking space do?
8. How is Whoopi's description of parking a car in the US similar to parking
a car in Taipei?
9. How is Whoopi's experience different from parking in Taipei?
10. What do you think is Whoopi's main point in discussing parking problems?