Ok, so you ride a horse and bike (and a bike seat is called a saddle)

you drive a cart or wagon (or cattle) or a car

you pilot a ship or plane..

you also ride a scooter, or even the new segways..

riding is singular (generally) one person/one horse, one person/one bike, one person/one scooter, etc. you are in direct contol of the moving vehicle.

driving is a group (or a potential group,) and driving you are slightly removed from the engine. you drive a wagon, the horses/oxen/ponies, etc., up front, and you are directing them remotely.. other can ride while you drive..
same is true for a car.. the steering wheel is a remote contol for wheels, the brake and gas, remote controls for speeds, stopping.

you pilot something that moves in medium were gravity is not the only major forse to deal with (yes, friction, momemtum, and what is the fourth force in locomotion? never took physics, just read it for fun)

in a boat (or plane) Wind is your means of locomotion. you must harness the wind-- which is very different then harnessing horses or oxen or ponies or whatever!

and not just wind, but tides, and currents, and waves.. the factors in movement are very different (in planes its air speeds, altitude, wind (and wind shear) but again, very different than moving on land.. (oops.. you pilot vehicles that aren't on land? is that it?)


my other obsession