Traffic means movement of goods, as in the movie Traffic, about drug trafficking

The movie Traffic tells me that ‘traffic’ means to trade or deal in a commodity or service (definition). Did the police man make a ‘traffic’ stop? Not if I’m not trading or dealing in goods. They call it a traffic stop to convert traveling into a commercial activity, called trafficking, they can then regulate. Trafficking is not just about drugs or humans; it’s trading or dealing in any goods.

Movie poster for Traffic

Similar words that are turned into terms and are abused in everyday language are ‘driving’ and ‘passenger’.

Am I driving? Not if I’m not for hire.

Do I have passengers? Not if I’m not for hire and not if they’re not also paying me.

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One comment on “Traffic means movement of goods, as in the movie Traffic, about drug trafficking

  1. There are many words that have different meanings yet are spelled the same. They’re called homographs. For example – pool, bat, lie, discount, fair, and -gasp- traffic! Or do the laws of the English language also not apply to you?

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