# Why do you "drive" a car but "pilot" a plane and "ride" a bike? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2002, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216 "2002-10-14T11:48:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/1 "2002-10-14T11:48:49Z")
I guess the subject says it all. What is the difference between the three words and why do never hear people use one term to describe another action? Why not: drive a plane pilot a car drive a horse ride a truck Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/2 "2002-10-14T12:33:49Z")
Cars were developed from wagons, which were drawn by animals. The “driver” of a wagon drove the animals; hence, the car’s operator is a “driver”. Same with trucks. Ships or “craft” were (and are) guided into ports by “pilots”. Air_craft_, which require navigation (or _av_igation) are flown by “pilots”. A bicycle is “ridden” like a horse. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/3 "2002-10-14T13:55:02Z")
I agree with Johnny… I suppose you say: drive - something you sit inside of, with wheels pilot - something you sit inside of, without wheels ride - something you sit on top of Or maybe that simplyifying it too much, but I can’t think of any exceptions to this…? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/4 "2002-10-14T14:12:53Z")
By the way, you drive submarines. (I believe the US Navy uses “drive” for all watercraft, but I could be wrong) IMHO, you “sail” a ship, even if it is a nuclear aircraft carrier. Brian ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/5 "2002-10-14T16:09:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samarm \* > \*\*I agree with Johnny… > > I suppose you say: > > drive - something you sit inside of, with wheels > pilot - something you sit inside of, without wheels > ride - something you sit on top of > > Or maybe that simplyifying it too much, but I can’t think of any exceptions to this…? \*\* You drive camels, or any other string of pack animals with nary a wheel. You drive a sledge. I’ll agree with the animal derivation stemming from the driving of a team of horses pulling a wagon. It’s also fairly common to talk about “piloting” a motor vehicle for effect - “Cruising through Woodside while deliberately putting all other thoughts on hold, Jane concentrated on piloting her SLK.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/6 "2002-10-14T17:33:02Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s also fairly common to talk about “piloting” a motor vehicle for effect - “Cruising through Woodside while deliberately putting all other thoughts on hold, Jane concentrated on piloting her SLK.” I think it would be correct to say that cars are “piloted” because there is no animal drawing it. But since we colloquially say that we “drive” cars, I think that “piloting” cars falls into the realm of Marketing. Cars _do_ have cockpits, but very few people actually call them that. Mostly I hear “the inside of the car” or “passenger compartment”. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/7 "2002-10-14T18:16:39Z")
Frankly, I would guess that the use of _pilot_ in connection with the operation of an automobile would border on being a metaphor … you know, the old “land yacht” idea. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/8 "2002-10-14T18:22:54Z")
You sure you want to ride a plane? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-drive-a-car-but-pilot-a-plane-and-ride-a-bike/132216/9 "2002-10-15T23:42:18Z")
I have - I’ve ridden aircraft that look like my namesake, a broomstick. Actually, I have heard the term “airplane driver” but it is NOT a compliment. It implies you’re operating the airplane as if it were a car, which… well, it’s close to “fightin’ words” at an airport There are some significant differences between ground vehicles and airplanes, and you shouldn’t really operate one as if it were the other. There’s a definate overlap between the navy and the airforce in terminology and navigation. We have “airplanes”, yes, but also “aircraft” and “airship” (usually by Goodyear these days, but in the early 20th Century they were much more common and built by companies like Zepplin). Just as we have “watercraft” and “ships”. I think the “piloting” analogy carried over from ships on the water to ships in the air. And you can “drive” cattle or horses - but when you do so you’re usually not ON the animals you’re driving. So that’s the distinction, perhaps: if you’re moving them along you’re driving them, if you’re ON one you’re riding. So, in a sense, riding a bicycle is analogous to riding a horse. Hmm… back in the days when horsepower really meant horses, you _drove_ a wagon or carriage by _driving_ the horses that pulled them. Thus, when we got _horseless_ carriages you still “drove” them because they were still carriages…