Oops, no, "passieren" can mean to "pass" as in.... humm. Okay, I think I confused myself. I keep seeing it in this novel, "Sie passierten die Straße" or something, and for me that sounds like "passing somebody on the street" or something. Pass as a movement verb. I'm so used to "passieren" meaning only "to happen" that when I first read it, I thought it sounded weird and anglicized.

But I guess it's not very much like "pass an exam" or "passing the butter."