The Surprising Vehicle Tourists See As A Wildly Iconic Symbol Of America

When exploring a new country and culture, even the most mundane and everyday objects can seem magical. Consider the remarkable diversity in Japan's unique vending machines. For foodies in Italy, beyond the trattorias, osterias, and ristorantes, even gas station food proves to be an unexpected gourmet delight. Americans may be tickled to learn that, for foreign visitors, there is a similar feeling of childlike wonder at the sight of the most humble of vehicles on American roads: the ubiquitous yellow school bus.

So much so that upon spotting one, a Singaporean tourist on TikTok could barely contain her excitement, as her caption reads: "pov: you grew up watching american high school movies and finally saw a yellow school bus in person." Indeed, this iconic vehicle has become synonymous with American pop culture. On TikTok, there is an entire catalog of first-time visitors to the U.S. gleefully uploading photos and videos of yellow school buses.

So, what makes America's yellow school buses so special? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, yellow school buses are one of the safest vehicles on American roads, accounting for less than 1% of all traffic fatalities. "If you look at fatalities, it's not the occupants of the school bus that have fatal injuries, it's the people that run into the school bus," Ron Kinney of the National Association of Pupil Transport told Smithsonian Magazine.

The original yellow school bus was the initiative of Frank Cyr, an American educator who wanted to make the school commute safer and more accessible for all kids. He created a national standard for school buses in a bright color that could be easily seen even on dark and wintry days. That color is now officially known as National School Bus Glossy Yellow, or Color 13432.

Before yellow school buses, kids would walk to school or hitch rides on trucks, public buses, and even horse-drawn carts; however, they could. Everything about the yellow school bus is designed to maximize safety, from its height to the width of its seats and aisles. Innovations continue to evolve the vehicle, like the stop sign that swings out when the bus stops to pick up or drop off students. The idea has been so successful that other countries have adopted the yellow school bus, including Malaysia, Italy, and Russia. Putting their own spin on it, Japan's school buses are often yellow but also in the shape of cartoon characters like Pikachu and Hello Kitty.

But there is something especially endearing about the distinctively American yellow school bus. Perhaps because it is seen in so many films and TV series with global followings, from the plucky school kids of "Stranger Things" to the humiliating ride of Principal Rooney in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," there is a nostalgic charm that foreigners find when spotting these buses. "I woke up early just to see this in real life and not in the movie," explained a Trinidadian visitor on TikTok while bundled up on a wintry morning. If, as an American who grew up riding these buses, you fail to see the wonder, close your eyes and imagine this: London's big red double-decker buses. These iconic British buses can make even the gloomiest days seem magical for a visitor to this notoriously rainy city.