NEWS OF THE DAY CNN NEWS 2. Easy Rider.

[NUKE209]

[NEW WORDS]
  ♧ wage : v. 전투 등을 수행하다

  ♧ creep : v. 기다, 느릿느릿가다

  ♧ no more than : ad. 불과, 단지, 기껏해야

  ♧ hog : n. 대형 오토바이(특히 Harley Davidson회사의 오토바이)

  ♧ mean machine : n. 모양좋은 신형차, 오토바이

  ♧ counterpart : n. 상대물, 대조물, 부본, 사본

  ♧ grind along : v. (차 등이) 느릿느릿가다

  ♧ strap : v. 묶다, 잡아 매다

  ♧ head out : v. ~를 향해 나가다

  ♧ bottom : n. 엉덩이

  ♧ courier service : n. 운송서비스

  ♧ break even : (상거래 등에서) 수입과 지출이 같아지다

  ♧ embryonic : a. 발달되지 않은, 미발달의, 걸음마 단계의

  ♧ account : n. 거래처, 은행 계좌, 이메일 등의 계정

  ♧ peril : n. 위험, 위태로움, 위기를 부르는 것

  ♧ intimacy : n. 친밀, 친교, 친밀함을 나타내는 행위

  ♧ bad breath : n. 입냄새

  ♧ cor : int. 악! 이런!(놀람, 감탄, 초조의 발성)

  ♧ stink : v. 냄새가 나다, 악취가 나다
 
 

  A British company is waging war on London traffic jams. According to recent studies, central London traffic moved along faster a hundred years ago than it does today. Sometimes it creeps along at no more than three kilometers per hour. Unless, as CNN's Margaret Lowrie reports, you ride a unique kind of taxi.

  Hardly a "hog", not even a "mean machine", but the taxi bike is London's latest answer to the traffic jam. Costs about the same as its covered counterpart, what passengers save is time. "They're used to grinding along in the traffic. They got on the bike and there in fifteen minutes, when it was... was taking them 40 minutes before. So they're impressed and enjoy it as well."

  This is how it works: jacket, helmet, strap the bags and head out on the High Street.
  "I'm sort of like any guy - I mean, I've always had a thing about bikes. I haven't got quite the bottom to ride them, but I'm quite happy to sort of sit on the back."

  Addison Lee, one of London's biggest courier services, has six taxi bikes on the street and plans four more - an operation that will break even this year, bringing in several hundred thousand dollars. "It's .. it's... it's basically in its embryonic stages at the moment. So we're not talking about a megabusiness, but we're talking about megapotential.(John Griffin, Addison Lee Taxi Bikes)

  One big account already : Virgin Airlines offers taxi-bike pickups for business-class passengers.

  "They've been operating now for 18 months, and I don't think they've had a single incident, which is probably better than most taxis could say."(William Whitehorn, Virgin Airlines)

  What about other perils - rain, miniskirts?

"I often wear short dresses, but you can either put on the protective trousers which they offer, or you can put a sort of protective blanket over."(Taxi BIke Customer2)
  Intimacy? It is kind of personal.

  "You don't need to hold on to the man. Well, you can do if you like -there are some very handsome drivers. But normally you can hold on to the side of the seat. (Taxi Bike Customer 2)

  What about bad breath?
  "Well, you just try ... you try to ignore it best as you can and not say .. you don't .. you don't say to him, 'Cor! Well, you stink!'"(Clive Murray)

  Not even under his own breath. An intercom links him to the passenger, so conversation is possible. So are telephone calls, for dealing while wheeling in London.

  Margaret Lowrie, CNN, London.