T minus 3 days and counting.

[baratron]

As some people have asked, here's the link to my wish list. Only get me something if you're a close friend and can afford it, please.

So this isn't a totally pointless livejournal entry, something that's been bothering me for a few days. In French at school, we learned the phrase "Excusez-moi, je descends a la prochaine." as something to say on public transport when you're trying to get to the doors. ("Excuse me, I'm getting out at the next stop"). Right. So, I have spent many, many hours in my life on buses, tubes and trams, in English-speaking and French-speaking parts of the world, and never, ever have I heard anyone use this phrase in either French or English. I've heard lots of "Excuse me", the occasional "'Scuse me, I'm trying to get out", and the odd sarcastic "Let the passengers off first please!". But I've never heard anyone say "Excuse me, I'm getting out at the next stop" - let alone having the other person reply with "Moi aussi" ("Me too").

So I'm just wondering whether anyone here has ever heard this phrase used on public transport outside of a French lesson. Yep.

Comments

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

I've never heard anyone say that in English or any other language (though I guess if that happened I wouldn't really be able to tell since I don't have much knowledge of langages other than English)--"Excuse me" accompanied by standing up, shuffling forward (or attempting to) is most typically.

Ocasionally when someone obviously getting out at the next stop is too agressive in their moves forward (like pretty much pushing me out of the way) I'll say something (none too politely) to indicate "I am also getting off here" and that they should chill out, as I (and often many other people) am also getting off at the next stop (so they should stop being pushy and follow the flow rather than push past us all prematurely).

[geminigirl]

Cayne says, he'd say "Pardon moi...je debarque a la prochaine." He speaks Canuck French not Continental French, so there are some variations.

[redbird]

Oui, "debarque"! Merci.

I knew "descends" sounded slightly off, but I wasn't sure why until I got to your comment; the French I'm picking up is from Quebec, not France.

[geminigirl]

I'd probably have used "debarque" as well, but I studied French in New York, and it was an interesting combination of Canadian and European. We speak a mix of English and French in the house, and it tends more towards Canadian, at this point, which is fine with me, and will probably end up more useful in the long run, considering our regular trips to Canada.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I say things like that (a whole sentence, though I don't recall the exact wording) if someone blocking me doesn't seem to grasp why I am closing my book, putting it away, and sitting poised to move.

[hattifattener]

I sometimes say "'Scuse me, I'm getting off here". I might have actually said "I'm getting off at the next stop" a time or two, if it looked like it would take me a while to get to the door. (The bus I take in the morning tends to be very full of students at the point I get off, and they're all going a few more stops than I am and aren't really expecting people to get off yet. Other than on that bus, a bit of body language is almost always sufficient to let people know I'm getting off at the next stop.)

[m31andy.livejournal.com]

Yup - I use the phrase a lot on crowded buses to the person who is in the aisle seat.

Not sure it's ever been used on me apart from oop north though.

[ailbhe]

I've had to shout "Stop! That was my stop!" a few times, when the bus is crowded, the driver opens the door for a second to let someone on, and I'm still trying to release the brakes on the buggy. This often happens even though I've pressed the bell and stood up looking "ready to disembark".