"There is only one way humans are made to move. They are made to walk. There are many other ways to get around. You can canoe, for instance. Or paraglide. Or jog. But these modes of transportation are not the staple of human mobility. Walking is unavoidable, a necessity for those with two working legs.
The entire scheme of nature, and the human's place within it, is built around the understanding that humans use their legs to move. It's a great unspoken assumption. The earth expects humans to walk."
1 comment:
Okay, so this is not truly a criticism; I am a vocal proponent of walking (this essay is even weirdly reminiscent of, if far more eloquent and intelligent than, my college admissions essay). But really, an entire article about human modes of movement, which mentions cars and other various randomnesses, and not one mention of bicycles?
Granted, walking has its distinct, unparalleled advantages, but biking is also pretty amazing, and has the distinction of being the most energy-efficient mode of transportation available (including walking).
I have no problem with walking, or with the point being made about walking; I love walking. But while his imagined world, where humans "only walk", is a lovely fantasy, the idea of replacing a lot of transportation options with bicycles, especially in an increasingly urban world, is a giant step (see what I did there?) closer to reality.
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