IN or ON?

Plane, taxi, bus, bike — when do we say in, and when on?

Grandma Dot's 1-second test

Can you stand up and walk? ON. Can't? IN.

If you can stand up and walk around inside, use on. If you can only sit, use in.

— Grandma Dot, 35 years in the sky

More rulesWhere else it works

Big transport → on
Planes, buses, trains, ships: you can walk inside, so it's on.
on the planeon the buson the trainon the subwayon the ship
Small transport → in
Cars, taxis, small boats: you only sit, so it's in.
in the carin a taxiin an Uberin a small boatin a helicopter
You sit on top → on
Bikes, motorbikes, horses: you are on top of it.
on a bikeon a motorbikeon a horseon a scooter
The verbs follow the same rule
get on / get off for big transport, get in / get out of for small.
get on / get off the busget in / get out of the car
Just how you travel → by
No the, no in or on: by plane, by car. Walking is on foot.
by planeby carby buson foot

Say it right

✕I'm in the plane!✓I'm on the plane!
✕After — on the taxi.✓After — in the taxi.
✕Get in the bus.✓Get on the bus.
✕Get out from the plane.✓Get off the plane.
✕I go with car.✓I go by car.
✕I came by foot.✓I came on foot.

Quick testIN or ON?

Flight attendant secret

Why do we say on the plane?

Planes copied ships. Captain, crew, cabin, galley, on board — all sea words. And we board on the left side, like ships that docked on their left, the port side.

Bonus: why “Mayday”?

In 1923 Frederick Mockford, a radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, needed a help word every pilot would understand. He chose “Mayday” — from French “m'aider”: help me!

Sources: afar.com, islands.com, Wikipedia: Mayday