History Main / WithAFootOnTheBus

* In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', the Doc falls in love with Clara, a woman of the far west. He told her he was from the future, so she slapped him and took the train out of the city, while Doc and Marty tried to use a train to activate the time machine. She discovered that he said the truth and run to him, trying to catch the train and beg his pardon. In the end, only Marty returned to 1985: Doc was out of the time machine saving Clara's life, and it was destroyed after Marty returned. But that does not stop a scientist: Doc made a new time machine, built into a train [[GivingRadioToTheRomans powered by steam]], and reunites with Marty in what is an instant from his perspective (but long enough for Doc and Clara to have started a family from theirs).

* "Series/HogansHeroes:"

[[folder:Comic books]]

* ''ComicBook/SheHulk'', at the end of Dan Slott's run. Iron Man had [[BroughtDownToNormal Brought Her Down to Normal]], but there was a new She-Hulk in town: a Jennifer Walter from an alternate universe without superhumans, who got powers when moving to the MarvelUniverse. They made a deal: "our" Jennifer would depart to that universe, and the new foreign one would stay. She said goodbye to everybody, Reed Richards sent her thought the dimensional portal, but [[IdeaBulb had an idea]]: he took her back right after she moved to that universe, restoring her powers. So, the MarvelUniverse kept the She-Hulk who had been She-Hulk since the 1970's, and the foreigner left.

But in some cases, the character never actually takes the bus. He announces that he will do it, he says all his goodbyes, finishes his unfinished business (or decides to leave it unfinished), gets packed, shows up at the station, hears the speaker announce the imminent departure of his bus... and never leaves. Perhaps his true love came to beg him "[[PleaseDontLeaveMe Please Don't Leave Me]]". Perhaps [[IChooseToStay he reconsidered]]. Or perhaps a meteorite destroyed the only bridge out of town, so the bus can not leave. In any case, he was about to [[PutOnABus take the bus]], but never did so, and stayed in the show.

* In the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' episode "Pikachu's Goodbye", Ash and his friends discover a colony of Pikachu living in a forest. Thinking his Pikachu would be happier living with its own kind, Ash tries to leave it behind. However, he soon discovers that Pikachu wouldn't leave him for anything.

** In "Cuisine a la Stalag 13", [=LeBeau=] decides to go to England to more directly help the French war effort. There's an emotional goodbye scene as his friends help with his escape. Before he leaves the country, a mission comes up that requires his cooking skills, and he agrees to return to camp to help. The successful mission makes him realize how important he is to the operation at Stalag 13, and at the end of the episode he announces he's decided to stay.
** In "Hogan Go Home", Hogan is ordered home for a hero's welcome and an easy stateside job. He's thrilled at the news, and his men resign themselves to the idea of him leaving. Then he changes his mind, but his replacement is already on the way. Hogan seems to go along with the plans for his escape, but in the end the escape has to be interrupted, and he makes it clear that he really has decided to stay.
* The series finale to ''Series/{{Friends}}'' has Rachel boarding a plane to France to start a career she always wanted to be in. Ross doesn't want to see Rachel leave and wants to confess his feelings for her, but by the time Ross gets to the airport, the gate agent doesn't let Ross on board to see Rachel since he doesn't have a boarding pass. Ross solemnly heads back home and sees that Rachel left him a voicemail proclaiming she realizes that she does love him and she can be heard screaming at the flight attendants to let her off the plane. Ross turns around and sees that yes, Rachel did get off the plane and the two hug.

* The ''WesternAnimation/PetAlien'' episode "The Day of Judgement" has Swanky tiring of the other aliens constantly mistreating him and moving out of the lighthouse to become, at [[EnfanteTerrible Emperor Breet]]'s urging, an ambassador for a hostile alien planet. As Tommy and Dinko watch Swanky get imprisoned and beaten by the planet's aliens, Tommy speculates that Swanky will likely be back in a few days, and sure enough, he's back in the lighthouse as if nothing happened by the next episode.

* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', the season 7 finale "The Status Quo Combustion" introduces a lot of changes that Sheldon is unable to cope with, and he reacts by running away to ride the rails as a modern-day hobo. Leonard and Penny chase him to the train station and try to convince him to stay but ultimately come to accept him leaving. He's back in the next episode.