Podcast: You really can’t be too careful in a big city!

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Jul 04
Inglês - Podcast You really can’t be too careful in a big city

Hello, all. Nesse episódio do podcast Inglês Online eu vou falar sobre uma coisa que aconteceu comigo aqui em Londres. Repare em como eu uso WOULD para descrever um hábito passado!

Transcrição

people sitting at a communal table in a cafeHey, how’s it going? Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. Please subscribe to this podcast using the Podcasts app for iPhone or iPad, or listen to the episodes using the Inglesonline Android app.

Let me tell you a story today… unfortunately it’s something that actually happened. Why do I say “unfortunately”? You’ll see. So one of the first things I did after I moved to England was to get a mobile, or a cell phone. In order to do that, first I had to open a bank account. I wanted to buy a two-year contract so that I could get the phone at a discount. It’s the same thing in Brazil:  when you get an unlocked mobile, you pay full price. If you get a contract, usually for two years, then you get a discounted phone.

So I opened a bank account and then went to the phone shop and got myself a brand new phone with a two year contract. OK, so if you’ve been following Inglês Online for a while you know that I’m a podcast freak and you also know that I like going to a cafe with my laptop computer to work while I enjoy a cup of coffee. So there’s the setting for this story: I was at a Starbucks, working on my laptop. It was a Friday afternoon and the place was really busy. I was sitting at a table which is sort of a long, communal table- which means that many people can sit around it to have their beverage, or work or chat with a friend and so on.

So here’s what used to do: I would have my laptop right in front of me, and then I’d have my mobile sitting next to my laptop. The reason why I used to leave my mobile there was that it was very easy to check email from all my accounts by pressing just a couple of keys on the cell phone. So every twenty minutes or so I would go to my cell phone and check email. Very easy and convenient. Until that Friday…

There I was, very focused on some article I was reading, when two women approached the table and sat right across from me. The one in front of me put a map on the table, while the other one put a magazine next to the map. They started speaking to me in a low voice and in a language that was completely foreign to me. I thought they were begging for money or something. I kept saying “No, no” and they kept pretending they were trying to communicate with me. They even looked at each other as though they were trying to figure out what to say. After a minute or two, a Starbucks worker told them they could not stay inside to beg, and they left.

It took me about a minute to realize that when the woman in front of me pulled the map, she pulled my phone as well, which was under the map. I told the Starbucks girl what happened and she said that every week someone has their phone stolen. I left the cafe wondering why there were no surveillance cameras inside the shop, and then I walked around for five minutes trying to find the women, but no luck. Next, I went to the nearest Police Station to file a report. A police officer said that mobile theft is one of the most common types of crime in London. It’s a huge city with tons of people, both from England and from every country in the world you can imagine. You really can’t be too careful in this city when you’re out in the street or… anywhere, really! In the two months I’ve been here, I’ve already heard quite a few stories from people who have had their phones or backpacks stolen in a shop or in a department store. Just yesterday, a guy I know had his backpack stolen in a pub. So here’s my piece of advice to you if you’re coming to London or any other big city – and, unfortunately, it’s first-hand advice: never leave your stuff unattended. These thieves are pros, they know what they’re doing and they only need a few seconds to act. Sometimes you turn your head to speak to someone for ten seconds, and before you know it your bag is gone. That’s how it is for now, so it pays to keep your belongings in sight at all times.

Have you had a similar experience? Tell us in the comments and talk to you next time.

 

Glossary

an unlocked mobile = um celular desbloqueado

a podcast freak = uma pessoa louca por podcast

begging for money = pedindo (mendigando) dinheiro

theft = roubo (de algum objeto, dinheiro, etc)

you really can’t be too careful = todo cuidado é pouco

leave something unattended = deixar algo fora da sua vista

pros = profissionais

it pays to = compensa (fazer algo)

keep your belongings in sight = manter seus pertences dentro do seu campo de visão

Ana
Ana Rita 31/01/2014

Good writing! Thanks for the advice!

Eduardo 13/07/2013

Oi Ana,
Por que o aplicativo do Ingles Online para Android não está mais atualizando os recentes podcasts?
Eu adoro acompanhar os podcasts por aquele app.

Obrigado pelo otimo trabalho que voce faz!

Victor Hugo 10/07/2013

Ana,

Primeira vez que ouço seu podcast. Gostei muito e vou incluí-lo na minha rotina de estudos.

E ainda aprendi esse uso de Would que eu nunca tinha percebido.

Obrigado e parabéns pelo trabalho!

Willy 08/07/2013

Olá Ana, achei interessante seu podcast, gostaria de assina-lo por feed mas não encontrei o link do feed. Você poderia disponibilizar?

    Ana 09/07/2013

    É o link do tópico Podcasts, mais a palavra “feed” no fim.

jennifer 07/07/2013

Hi ana! I had my cell phone stole once,and I don’t know why,the feeling I felt that moment was like if I had lost some dear friend.And my cell phone was a pretty chiep one.Thanks for the post and the tip.Kisses!!!!

Ricardo 06/07/2013

Oh my gosh.i thought development country doest happen this things very often,but as you said , despite the fact that england is a very rich country there are people from all over the world and unfortunately this happen.
But look on the bright side,if you were in brazil the same cellphone would cost way more than england
So…almost the same thing happen to me, i was at universal island of adventure in orlando, and to go to the harry potter ride you have to put your stuff in the locker,and it was a mess a lot of people trying to put their things into the small locker and it was dark as well.so after a while i put my backpack right after my camera that i paid 650$one day before
And after 20 minutes that i left harry potter ride i looked for my brand new camera , and i found nothing but sadness.so i got back to HP asked for my camera,and fortunately i got it at lost and found….=), i was so greatful to have my camera back and thankful for that honest people.
*my second time at harry potter ride i found a gucci sunglasses at the locker , and needless to say i did the same thing i returned it at the lost and found.
So a tip…if you go to the HPride keep your eye on your stuff.=)

jonata fontela 06/07/2013

Ate que enfim consegui entender esse uso de would,ja tinha percebido mas me deixava mt confuso,sempre pensava que era condicional mas a traducao ficava errada nekkk…..VALEU MESMO ANA!nunca tive o celular roubado,imagino q deve dar uma raiva…..:Dmas ainda bem que vc aproveita qualquer situacao pra fazer podcasts maravilhosos!!!!thanks ana and take care!

    Ana 07/07/2013

    demais, Jonata!! Adore saber que vc entendeu esse uso de WOULD agora. Vc vai ver como daqui em diante vai ouvir muito isso (pois vai começar a reparar mais)

Kennedy Bacelar 06/07/2013

As I thought, it also happens in other countries except Brazil.

One more time thank you Ana, Next year I pretend to go to Europe. Budapest, Hungary.
And, I’ll be careful there. Because, Situations like yours can to occur again.

Ernando Sousa 05/07/2013

Poor thing, that should have been very unpleasant, I’m really sorry for you, but well, it was just your cellphone, they didn’t try to do bad things to you or to steal your documents. By the way, is it possible to block your cellphone in order to prevent the thieves from using it in England? It should be a very sophisticated mobile, maybe you can still track it down ;)

Alex 05/07/2013

You know, there and others countries in europe makes you feel a fake sence of security, of course there is safer than here so we kind of stop to take care of our stuff. So just walk there as you walk here in Brazil and you never gonna be in trouble, I mean, nobody will steal you.
I ‘ve lived in Ireland for one year, and there the ATMs are in open in the air in the sidewalk, everyone can see u getting money, but I never been robbed there, actually I’ve never heard nothing about it from anyone. But here in Brazil u just need watch Datena and u gonna see hundreds of news of people being stolen.
You had your mobile stolen, sorry for you, but belive me, you are safer there than here. A three months ago here in Brazil a youth just died shot by gun bcz the thief wants his mobile. See? You could be dead if you were here, but there it rarely hapen.

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