Publicity stunt Matt Whistler

THE GUARDIAN

THE prospect of queuing hours for petrol proved the last straw for Matt Whistler as he contemplated his journey home from holiday. But his solution was radical, to say the least. Instead of joining the jams, the comedian of Radio West Pier traded in his Ford Fiesta for a push bike and pedalled the 284.6 miles from Brighton to Liverpool. The journey that would normally have taken him less than eight hours at the wheel lasted five long days, involved seven punctures and two near-misses - and a pair of very tired legs. And it changed his life. Yesterday, Mr Whistler, 33, originally from Waverley Road, Aigburth, vowed he will never drive again because he's fallen for pedal power.