‘High Gear’ Host Argues To Swap ‘Pointless’ Driving For Biking In The Metropolis

Throughout his profession in TV, “High Gear” and “Grand Tour” host James Might satisfied us all that he is a die-hard Automobile Man. He drove to the North Pole, crossed Africa in a number of beat up classics and raced towards public transport in a basic Jag. After greater than 20 years of this schtick, Might is altering his tune and is becoming a member of the struggle on automobiles.

The TV host ripped automobiles a brand new one in an interview with London’s Biking Marketing campaign, the place he referred to as driving in cities a “pointless” exercise. Might, who admitted to proudly owning round 25 bicycles, defined that driving in metropolis facilities “spoils automobiles for me” and added that it makes them “boring and annoying.”

As a substitute of driving round down, Might argues that automobiles ought to be reserved for longer journeys and the type of journeys that you just could not make through public transport or bicycle. Journeys like journeys “from London to my pub in Wiltshire,” he informed the LCC.

Vehicles are seen as a commodity by many, with private transport a necessity to get to and from work, to necessary appointments or simply to select up groceries. Might would not imagine this ought to be the case, nonetheless, and as an alternative argues that there ought to be choices to get round by different means:

Bicycles are a real door-to-door transport resolution. Biking is implausible in cities. Even Google Maps will acknowledge {that a} bicycle is faster for some journeys than a automotive. It amazes me that folks go to the outlets a mile away within the automotive. The world has proved that bicycles make immense sense in densely populated areas.

It is because of this that Might referred to as on cities to up their funding in biking infrastructure, and even instructed that devoted authorities ministers targeted on biking may safe the protected way forward for pedestrians, cyclists and different susceptible highway customers.

Might is not the primary individual to name for a change in the best way we get round city, and he definitely will not be the final. It is a motion that is gaining elevated traction around the globe, even right here in America the place advocates are campaigning for walkable cities, larger funding in public transport and biking infrastructure that folks really wish to use. 

Within the U.S., the Ban Vehicles motion would not, because the title would possibly counsel, name for a whole finish to all automotive gross sales. Fairly, it is about lowering our dependency on the auto and weighing the benefits and drawbacks of automobiles towards each other.

As such campaigns unfold in reputation away from the bizarre bike-focused corners of the web into the general public consciousness, Might warns that public opinion may result in automobiles being “taken away from us” if we aren’t cautious. Growing tensions between drivers and pedestrians and the rising variety of incidents on our roads may all improve the dangers of this taking place. 

Due to this, Might informed LCC that he hopes individuals will turn out to be extra conscious of the big “privilege” that proudly owning a automotive is. As soon as individuals try this, then the relationships between drivers and different highway customers may begin to enhance, as he defined:

I noticed a bloke the opposite day driving a Ferrari round city very aggressively, and I needed to say, ‘You are going to break automobiles (and particularly Ferraris) for the remainder of us’.

However don’t fret, the love of biking that Might exudes by means of this whole interview does not imply he is turned his again on the inner combustion engine for good. Actually, whereas he would possibly now have a group of round 25 bicycles, he is additionally nonetheless the proud proprietor of “about seven bikes, perhaps 9 automobiles, a ship” and even an airplane. If you would like to take a look at the entire interview with James Might in LCC, head right here.