A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination. There are two common contexts in which the term is used. The first is for persons transported in automobiles or vans, irrespective of whether they have paid for the transportation. The second is for persons who pay to be transported in common carriers, including commercial vehicles and vessels such as buses, trains, airplanes, and ships. For example, a flight attendant on an airline or a cruise ship employee aboard such a ship would not be considered a "passenger" while aboard the vessel, but an employee riding in a company car being driven by another person would be considered a passenger, even if the car was being driven on company business. Karl Benzs Velo model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race An automobile (or motor car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... A van is a vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people. ... A common carrier is an organization that transports persons or goods, and offers its services to the general public. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A typical North American steam train In rail transport, a train consists of rail vehicles that move along guides to transport freight or passengers from one place to another. ... An Air France Boeing 777, a modern passenger jet. ... Italian ship-rigged vessel Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large, sea-going watercraft. ... Flight attendant in an Embraer ERJ 145 LR (PBair, Thailand) Stewardess, circa 1949-50, American Overseas, Flagship Denmark, Boeing Stratocruiser Flight attendants, formerly known as sky girls, air hostesses, stewardesses and stewards, are airline staff employed as attendants primarily for the safety of the passengers. ... Pacific Sky sails under Sydney Harbour Bridge A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ships amenities are considered an essential part of the experience. ...

In most jurisdictions, laws have been enacted that dictate the legal obligations of the owner of a vehicle or vessel, or of the driver or pilot of the same, towards the passengers. With respect to passengers riding in cars and vans, guest statutes may limit their ability to sue the driver of the vehicle over an accident. Many places require cars to be outfitted with measures specifically for the protection of passengers, such as passenger-side air bags. With respect to passengers on commercial vehicles or vessels, both national laws and international treaties require that the carrier act with a certain standard of care. The number of passengers that a vehicle or vessel may legally carry is defined as its seating capacity (although that term also describes the physical capacity of a space to seat people). A guest statute is a term used in the law of torts to describe a statute that makes it more difficult for a passenger in an automobile to recover damages from the driver for injuries received in an accident resulting from ordinary negligence on the part of the driver. ... An airbag is a flexible membrane or envelope, inflatable to contain air or some other gas. ... Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, either in terms of the space available, or in terms of limitations set by law. ...

Historically, the concept of the passenger has existed for as long as man has been able to create means of transportation capable of carrying more people than were needed to operate the vessel.