Steve Tomasko

S t e v e   T o m a s k o

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the bus

So, I had this idea when I got on the bus this morning. Well, that’s what we say—I got on the bus. But really I got in the bus. And except for those biplane-wing-walking daredevils, no one gets on a plane. Think about it—why do we get on a bus or on a plane but we get in a car (which makes sense). It also makes sense to get on a bike—but not on a train. So, it baffles me that we are grammatically correct for some modes of transport, but not others. Does this bother you? Should I let it bother me? Should I get one of those shirts that say, “Does anal-retentive have a hyphen?” So, anyway, I had this idea when I got in the bus today.