Because then it would be carboard
You board a train, board a bus, and board a ship, but you don't board a car
Submitted 2 months ago by lonefighter@sh.itjust.works to showerthoughts@lemmy.world
Comments
RickyRigatoni@piefed.social 2 months ago
fizzle@quokk.au 2 months ago
Not true. When you’re in a car you’re “onboard”.
remon@ani.social 2 months ago
Sure you d. It’s just not something people commonly say.
But boarding and disembarking a car is totally valid language.
NachBarcelona@piefed.social 2 months ago
I disembark the beamer babyeah-oh! I disembark the Bee Emm Double You!
Flax_vert@feddit.uk 2 months ago
You board a taxi, though.
shiftymccool@piefed.ca 2 months ago
You also ride on a bus or on a ship but you ride in a car
melfie@lemy.lol 2 months ago
Also motorcycles and bicycles.
schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
I think it has to do with the fact that in the first three, you can (and do right after entering) stand up (like on a ship, probably where this was first used), while in a car you immediately sit down?
But ultimately this is a trait of the English language, in my first language (German) we “steigen ein” in all of these.
Diddlydee@feddit.uk 2 months ago
You board something you can move around in or on. You get in or on smaller methods of transport.
hansolo@lemmy.today 2 months ago
I’ll agree that it comes down to the personal vs. group nature of the vehicle. Maybe also who is controlling the vehicle (professional vs. amateur)
You don’t board a motorcycle or a horse. You don’t board a unicycle or bicycle. You don’t board a kayak or conoe or a jetski or a dingy.
You DO board a stagecoach, pulled by horses. You do board a trawler or a fishing vessel.
I don’t board my own van. I do board the intercity bush taxi (the same van with staff and better paint).
Likely all related to use of “board” for ships and devolved from there.
Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
You definitely board a taxi though
ivanvector@piefed.ca 2 months ago
Not with that attitude
NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You also can’t “squeeze into” a bus, ship or train, but you can into a car. It’s a matter of scale.
remon@ani.social 2 months ago
You can absolutely squeeze into a train or bus … they tend to be quite full sometimes.
NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Fair point…
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Ever tried to get on a bus or the tram/tube/metro at rush hour?!
hoch@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No, because I live in the US and have no concept of public transportation.
Alwaysnownevernotme@lemmy.world 2 months ago
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
but you can board (up) a house
(like boarding up the windows)
HubertManne@piefed.social 2 months ago
Most of the time anyone who travels by care are or can be the driver of the conveyance. That is very rare for people who travel by train, bus, ship, plane.
medicsofanarchy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Perhaps it has something to do with trains, buses, and ships being operated/driven by others? You also board an aircraft, a ferry (okay, that’s a ship, but still), hot-air balloons…
Lag@piefed.world 2 months ago
You used to need to cross a board or a plank to get on the ship or train but you don’t need that for a car.
JoShmoe@ani.social 2 months ago
Witness me!!
ShaggyBlarney@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
You can walk on board a bus, boat or train. You sit down into a car.
Admetus@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
I’m getting because it’s a process in which you need to show a valid ticket of travel (or buy it) while boarding.
Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If you had seen my lemon yellow 1983 Cadillac you wouldn’t say that.
aeronmelon@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Probably because cars are personal and the rest are mass transit. It’s not yours, but you pay to get on board when needed.
I have to explain to non-English speakers why you get in a car or a taxi but get on a bus or train.
tychosmoose@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It seems to me that the preposition usage corresponds to the boarding language pretty closely. Where “on” sounds most natural is also where “boarding” seems most appropriate.
Here is one linguist’s take, with proposed usage cases at the end: itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/…/005224.html
The schedule/route condition makes a lot of sense to me. Consider a bus converted to personal use as an rv:
“I boarded my bus and drove to the mountains” is a valid English sentence, but it sounds odd to me. But if it’s still a regular bus and drove->rode it works.
“I drove to the mountains in my bus” sounds better. Same vehicle as a city/school bus, different context. Change to a regular bus and drove->rode doesn’t sound right without also changing “in my” to “on the”.
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Interesting approach, but where does that leave taxis?
NachBarcelona@piefed.social 2 months ago
You board a coach, even if it’s your own coach with them HOERSENS IN FRONTA DEM!!!