can’t go by the dot on the side

English translation: can't trust/rely on/ believe the destination of train (dot) on the side

21:17 Aug 16, 2020
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
English term or phrase: can’t go by the dot on the side
Hello everyone,

Louis CK stand-up show:

Nice to be here in New York. I actually took the subway here, and ah-I had to go to the Bronx first though because the train decided I had some stuff to do there. I didn’t know about it. But… I’ve been living in the city fifteen years. I have no idea where the trains is going. I never know. ***You can’t go by the dot on the side*** ‘cause that’s meaningless. They change it. You get on. The guy’s like “This is the B train, but we’re not making local stops and we don’t know where we’re going. So just get the hell off the train. Everybody off the train. This is no longer a train.

I have to admit I'm not sure what "You can’t go by the dot on the side" means.
Could someone explain please?

Thank you.
Mikhail Korolev
Local time: 15:12
Selected answer:can't trust/rely on/ believe the destination of train (dot) on the side
Explanation:
Yes, there are coloured dots or circles to indicate local or express trains on the route maps but
IN THIS CASE the "dot" is on the SIDE OF THE TRAIN and must refer to the destination of the train.
The service line is on the front of the train but all trains have the destination = LAST STATION on the side, beside the doors. By knowing the destination passengers know the DIRECTION OF TRAIN so can be sure they are not going in the wrong direction.

When Louis CK says, "They change it." He is talking about "IT" being the destination
"...we don’t know where we’re going. So just get the hell off the train. Everybody off the train. This is no longer a train."
i.e. everyone is on the train expecting to go to the destination as shown on the side and suddenly they are being told: OK we're stopping here. Everyone off!

Remember this is stand-up comedy presumably for New Yorkers who would instantly identify and know examples of that happening. Well, it happens on every subway system really that a train is suddenly pulled out of service and doesn't finish its expected journey.

Look at end of section 4 "These displays tell you the order of trains (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.); the train service (B, 1, and 2); the last station and, hence, direction of the train

and section 5 here https://www.nycsubwayguide.com/subway/step_by_step_guide.asp...

"Trains carry the train service designation at the front of the train" =train line or route number

Most trains will have the name of the service and the name of the last station on the side of the car:
and picture


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R46_(New_York_City_Subway_car) See pic here of
The current LCD side destination sign. This replaces the original rollsign-based side destination signs on the cars prior to the cars' overhauls.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 18 hrs (2020-08-19 15:24:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

so I believe DOT= destination (=direction) of train

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days 19 hrs (2020-08-20 16:31:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Glad to have helped
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:12
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Yvonne.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +3can't rely on the destination sign on the side of the train
philgoddard
3 +3You cannot rely on the route map posted on the sidewall of the train or the train station
Kiet Bach
4can't trust/rely on/ believe the destination of train (dot) on the side
Yvonne Gallagher


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
can't rely on the destination sign on the side of the train


Explanation:
I think the "dot" must be this:
http://imgflip.com/i/33mnbf

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Helena Chavarria: destination sign = service label, aka 'bullet'
4 mins

agree  Björn Vrooman: Agree with Helena. Also note all those changes to B service over the years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_(New_York_City_Subway_servic... I guess that's what he's talking about when he says the dot aka bullet is meaningless.
1 hr

neutral  Catharine Cellier-Smart: I initially thought the dots were on the side of the train, but they're actually on the subway map and refer to local (black dot) or express (white dot) stations // not disagreeing, just saying the dot is to the side of the station name not the train
6 hrs
  -> So you're disagreeing with Louis CK? Good luck with that :-)

agree  Anastasia Andriani
1 day 8 hrs
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
You cannot rely on the route map posted on the sidewall of the train or the train station


Explanation:
The dots on the route map are stations. Sometimes the train does not stop at local stations because it may be a through train (from one station to another without stopping in between).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2020-08-16 22:08:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/NYC_subw...

Kiet Bach
United States
Local time: 05:12
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Catharine Cellier-Smart: this is correct. The dots are next to station names on the station map and refer to express or local stations (see point 8 here https://btsq.com/10-tips-to-navigate-the-subway/)
7 hrs

agree  Rebecca Reddin: https://freetoursbyfoot.com/navigating-new-york-subway/ and https://traveltips.usatoday.com/navigate-nyc-subway-109302.h...
11 hrs

neutral  philgoddard: If this were the correct interpretation, you're implying that the map is wrong and the stations aren't where it says they are.
18 hrs
  -> The map is just difficult to read, or potentially wrong. Louis CK said: "They change it".

agree  Bangyou Xiang
1 day 18 hrs

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: really a disagree. Nothing to do with the coloured circles. Also "Louis CK : "They change it"". What is "it" in your opinion?
2 days 17 hrs
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2 days 18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
can't trust/rely on/ believe the destination of train (dot) on the side


Explanation:
Yes, there are coloured dots or circles to indicate local or express trains on the route maps but
IN THIS CASE the "dot" is on the SIDE OF THE TRAIN and must refer to the destination of the train.
The service line is on the front of the train but all trains have the destination = LAST STATION on the side, beside the doors. By knowing the destination passengers know the DIRECTION OF TRAIN so can be sure they are not going in the wrong direction.

When Louis CK says, "They change it." He is talking about "IT" being the destination
"...we don’t know where we’re going. So just get the hell off the train. Everybody off the train. This is no longer a train."
i.e. everyone is on the train expecting to go to the destination as shown on the side and suddenly they are being told: OK we're stopping here. Everyone off!

Remember this is stand-up comedy presumably for New Yorkers who would instantly identify and know examples of that happening. Well, it happens on every subway system really that a train is suddenly pulled out of service and doesn't finish its expected journey.

Look at end of section 4 "These displays tell you the order of trains (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.); the train service (B, 1, and 2); the last station and, hence, direction of the train

and section 5 here https://www.nycsubwayguide.com/subway/step_by_step_guide.asp...

"Trains carry the train service designation at the front of the train" =train line or route number

Most trains will have the name of the service and the name of the last station on the side of the car:
and picture


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R46_(New_York_City_Subway_car) See pic here of
The current LCD side destination sign. This replaces the original rollsign-based side destination signs on the cars prior to the cars' overhauls.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 18 hrs (2020-08-19 15:24:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

so I believe DOT= destination (=direction) of train

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days 19 hrs (2020-08-20 16:31:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Glad to have helped

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 84
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Yvonne.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: This is the same as my answer.
4 days
  -> you need new glasses
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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