It’s a cliche: When someone wants to convey how irreplaceable someone is, they generally ask “What if they were hit by a bus tomorrow?” Chaos, of course, ensues.
But: Why a bus?
Why is a bus-on-pedestrian accident the usual mishap of choice? When did that become the standard?
Why don’t we ask what would happen if that Very Important Person fell down a well, or got hit by a meteor, or was eaten by wolves, or choked on a doughnut?
Theory: A bus accident is a plausible accident that’s suitably random. It doesn’t sound like you’re wishing that fate upon them, as it might if you asked “What if you shot yourself while cleaning your gun?” It doesn’t dwell on the macabre: “What if a serial killer carved your belly into human bacon?” And it’s not too common: “What if you keel over at your desk from a heart attack?”
But that’s just a theory. Is there more info on the origins and spread of the “hit by a bus” meme?
In the various offices I’ve worked we’ve also used “Hit by a beer truck” or “Wins the lottery” so it is not universal. Still, the bus is the most common I’ve heard.
I’m sure lots of variations have been used, but as tim-n-va notes, “hit by a bus” seems to be the most common.
Then again, that’s an interesting question itself: Is “being hit by a bus” really the most common hypothetical death, or am I just noticing it at the moment?
Working in the medical field, I find myself using the “gets hit by a bus” example a lot when giving an example of a death not related to the treatment the patient is undergoing. I’m not entirely sure why - it seems kind of funny, I guess, and is very quick and to-the-point to say. I guess I’m interested if there was some classic “hit by a bus” example that is subconsciously influencing me.
Because buses are a common, everyday thing that people brush up against in their daily lives. Everyday people walk down the street just inches away from a crushing death. The temptation to push someone under a bus is always there. :eek: And if you miss your chance theres always another one coming.
Wolves on the other hand just are not that common in metropolitian areas, at least the four legged ones that is.
The only one I can think of that occurs with similar frequency (IME at least) is “mauled by a bear.”
I think it just sounds funny, it’s plausible enough without being likely that it can be used as a serious example, but the over the top image most people get always makes it humorous as well.
There’s also an element of randomness involved that, say, heart attacks don’t have. There aren’t warning signs that well-paid doctors can catch early, there’s no malice involved, unlike being shot, and, as said, they’re common pretty much everywhere. So, it’s sufficiently divorced from the person getting hit to be applicable to everyone.
I’ve only been hearing the “hit by a bus” line much for the last maybe 5 years or so. IIRC, before that, we just talked about what if “something happened” to someone.
I’m not sure where it comes from originally, it just seemed like yet another example of office lingo to me. Maybe it came out-of-the-box, y’know?
I think my boss brought it with her to this office. Lately, she’s been trying to get everyone to switch to “win the lottery” as a more positive phrasing.
I think I’m going to start using “eaten by wolves” and/or “mauled by bears”. Much more entertaining. I’d bet my co-workers will go for those and I’ll win out over the lottery.
Although an acceptable alternative might be “pushed under a bus”.
When discussing a particular vendor we have – it’s a one man shop, unfortunately – our primary concern is that he might “retire.” He’s old. Really old. No one wants to think he might drop dead tomorrow.
Perhaps because it happens. About 15 years ago one of my work colleagues was killed by a bus at lunchtime one day. A similar thing happened in my sister’s workplace about five or six years ago.
This is what I’m thinking. The point of the cliche is that people could die of some random cause at any moment. But people don’t want to think that so they argue the point.
“What if you were mauled by a bear?” “I live in a city. There’s no bears around here.”
“What if you have a heart attack?” “I exercise and eat right. I’m in good health.”
“What if you get shot by a sniper?” “What kind of sick question is that?”
“What if you get struck by a meteorite?” “The odds of that are a billion to one.”
So getting hit by a bus became a metaphor for unexpected sudden death because it’s something that seems plausible and unavoidable enough that people can’t deny it could happen to them.
Because it’s urban. In an urban environment, it’s a very real possibility to be hit by a bus. Whereas it’s rare to be hit by a meteor or mauled by a tiger in downtown Metropolis[sup]1[/sup].
Here in Melbourne, getting hit by trams happens rather too often than it ought to. It’s a real risk.
[sup]1[/sup]Actually, Metropolis is probably a bad example, but anyways…
