In and On

[Spink]

Hi

I just want some help with this...

Why is it that in English we can say ( On the bus or in the bus, yet can't be on the car! but In the car...)
What is the difference

[David L.]

Note that with public transport, we mostly use 'on'.
We ride on a bus.
We get on a ship. We get in a canoe, rowing boat.
We get on a train, plane, wild west stage coach.

With the size of a car, we really do get 'into' it; and when cars were so part of our lives that we then had taxis, it included them.

We ride on a bike, on a horse, because we really do sit on them. We don't sit on a car.

[engee30]

Hi

I just want some help with this...

Why is it that in English we can say ( On the bus or in the bus, yet can't be on the car! but In the car...)
What is the difference

That is some question!

Normally while travelling you say on the bus, or in a car. That's the way it is.
If you wanted to say in the bus, or on a car, then the first one would imply an action taken by someone not involved in travelling, say firefighters trying to get into a bus to distinguish a fire in it; the second one would only mean that you are physically on the roof of a car.