December 27, 2024 • 41 mins
Rolls-Royce chauffeur instructor Andi McCann joins Hannah and Matt to discuss his life journey from pro skier to chief driving coach and founder of the White Glove Driving Program, where he teaches everything from evasive driving tactics to developing women private drivers in Saudi Arabia.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. I'm Matt Miller and
I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is hot pursuit.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, So I guess Christmas has happened?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Is that we're fainting here?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh yeah, I'm literally furiously googling a calendar right now
to see what has happened.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
You know, Christmas, it was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It is my by far, my favorite holiday. I have
to really, oh, how could it? How could it not be?
It's got magic, It is magic. I mean I've loved
it since I was a child.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I feel differently about it. I mean, it's just for me.
The expectations are so.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
High, or they have been since I was a little kid, right,
And is.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
This expectations you put on yourself or that other people
put on you.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I think maybe both. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
For me, it's an emotionally challenging holiday and it always
has been, like my whole life. I'm happy about it.
Like when I was a kid, I was very happy
to get presents, you know, of course, but it just
seemed like maybe starting in my twenties, it was just
very stressful.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I'm always happy when it's over.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
There's so much to unpack there.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I mean, I know, probably too much for a car.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I mean, of course I can start asking, well, what
happened in your twenties or something change.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
No, I just think I became an adult and realized, wow,
got to give gifts and get gifts, and it's you know, money.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It feels like too much money to me.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Around this holiday.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's probably what it issgiving.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think a lot. It can be, of
course it you know, the thing that I find sometimes
is that it exaggerates what already exists in any dynamic.
You know, if there are things that are sort of
in a family or relationship that are like bubbling under
the surface. Oftentimes the holidays are the time that that
(02:22):
really comes out, whether it's whatever like money problems like
you say, or whatever that is really true. It can
be really stress right relationships stuff, Oh completely like whatever
sort of there, it's gonna really exaggerate. For sure. I
have to say, I hope that you had a really
(02:44):
nice Christmas. You know, in Spain, maybe that's a nice
way to avoid some stress.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah it is, No, it really is. Also because I
do it differently in Spain, so at home, yes, we would,
you know, everyone wakes up very early because the youngest
kids want, you know, to get going at six or whatever.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Of course, and.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Then we all start drinking mimosas like straight away. Yeah,
so that by the afternoon when you have to go
to Grandma's like in a coat and tie, it's a
little bit less fun.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Now, do you have a mimosa? No?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Well, I don't drink anymore, but no. And I also
don't spend Christmas at home anymore. So now okay, some
of them, yeah, married, we we come to Spain for
Christmas and they do Christmas in Spain on the evening
on Christmas Eve on the twenty fourth.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
That's great, which to me always felt like not as good.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
But I guess it's great because you're not hung over
by the afternoon.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Really oh gosh, yeah, no headache.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
What was your did you have like a did you
have a thing that you stick to? Do you still
do the same thing?
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Growing up in my family, we would we would go
to church on Christmas Eve and then you know, have
some presence and then Christmas morning. Of course, I was
the one getting up at like four point thirty in
the morning because I was so excited about everything. And
I still get up pretty early Christmas morning because I'm
still excited, and you know, just kind of have a
lazy day. There's of course a Christmas meal at some
(04:15):
point and go to a movie or go out on
a family walk. It was maybe freeing growing up where
I did because we didn't actually live close to any relatives,
so there was really no pressure to do the rounds
or to visit relatives or family. We kind of were
(04:36):
very insular and it was just our immediate family, our
core family. So maybe that's why I escaped. The addition
for stress and terror.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I always had to go to at least two sets
of grandparents.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Oh yeah, that's tricky.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
And it was like formal meals at everyone's house.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
And yeah, you know, in my adult life, I've had
all kinds of Christmases. I've spent Christmas alone in New
York City City, eating at a diner alone and couldn't
have been happier. I've traveled, you know, I've been out
of the country on Christmas. I've been with family. I've
(05:20):
had lots of different different Christmases, and it's I think
that is really freeing too. I'm perhaps impervious to guilt,
so I didn't feel guilty just telling people I'm not
going to be around and that that was really freeing too.
(05:41):
It helps me don't have kids.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
And now that I have kids and they're just little
and young, I guess I'm even more excited for it
than I ever have been, because they're.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Still pumped, you know, of course. But it's also I
don't love the winter and the weather. You know.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Oh you don't do you snowmobile at all?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Uh No, I never really got into it.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Oh interesting, huh.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
But you do skies.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
You like skiing ski?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I love the ski Now that's another story.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, yeah, but that's usually after Christmas. You know, the
snow is not great at the end of December. All right, Well, listen,
I wonder what it's like in Las Vegas, Hannah.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, Las Vegas for Christmas could be a thing. I'm
sure it is for some people. But the last time
I was in Las Vegas and we've we've spoken about
Las Vegas is a lot of things to a lot
of people. But I had a really nice time drive
learning to drive and be a proper driver, and a
Rolls Royce with Andy McCann, who is the official Rolls
(06:47):
Royce driver and actually spent years driving torson Muller otvos
around the top boss at Rolls Royce, and I had
so much fun with him. I suggested to you that
he should I'm on the podcast and talk to us
about just his life. He's a speaking of skiing, former
pro skier, ski coach, trains a lot of Formula one drivers,
(07:11):
really interesting guy, so I thought he should come on
and talk to us about his life and driving and
all that sort awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Let's get into it. Here is Andy McCann Rolls Royce
driving instructor.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
You know, Andy, I think i've I've known you sort
of in passing for years, but we had a really
great day recently in Las Vegas where you trained me
how to be a proper Rolls Royce chauffeur and it
was so fascinating and we wrote this amazing piece about it.
(07:45):
But I wanted to have you on because your life
is so interesting. You're a professional skier and coach, and
I'm so excited to talk to you because I want
you to share your wisdom and insight about proper driving
and what it really takes to be a private driver,
but also your view on it is really holistic and
(08:06):
I think it touches on a lot of really interesting things.
So Andy, it's really nice to have you with us,
and I can't wait to dive in.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Well.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
First of all, thank you very much for the invitation.
Much appreciated, and I don't know who enjoyed the day most,
whether it was you or me when we spend the
day driving around the desert in outside of Las Vegas.
Driving is something that is very close to everyone's heart.
Everyone thinks they're a superstar, and those people that aren't
(08:35):
superstars want to be superstars, but actually they very rarely
think about the ingredients to be a superstar. You know
what is a superstar driver? And I think as long
as you enjoy your driving and you have a passion
for driving, it makes the whole experience far far more effective.
(08:57):
I think when you are how to drive, probably as
a child or a teenager, it's only a glimpse. You
only really start learning when you're out on the open road.
But unfortunately you often learn by mistakes. You're not given
the correct guidance, you're not given the correct apparatus. What
I mean by that is the correct roads, and different
(09:19):
countries around the world have different types of training structures.
And you know, whether you're in parts of Asia and
exposed to a thousand scooters surrounding you, and or maybe
parts of Germany where you've got incredibly high speeds on
the highways, no one's really coached on how to handle those.
(09:41):
So we've actually found that if we take away the
rolls Royce says, the world's best motorcaf for one moment,
let's just look at driving on a public road. You've
got safety is paramount, but safety doesn't happen by yourself.
You have to create safety and you have to look
(10:02):
at the components of safety. And I think you'll agree
that part of the safetyness when you're driving, the weak
link is the driver and if the.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Driving repeatedly in Vegas, it's probably true.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Well it is true. But luckily you weren't a weak link.
You were an improving link in a very important chain.
And once you once people discover a little bit about themselves,
then it's easy to change. A lot of people aren't
open to discovering this, and they're very binary in their
way of thinking and their way of driving. And if
(10:38):
you look at the professional side of driving and when
we're training, whether it's a sports car driver on a track,
or a chauffeur or somebody that's an enthusiast. Think of
yourself like an athlete. You are performing, and certainly as
a chauffeur and most definitely a rotary chauffeur. The captain,
(11:00):
you're the pilot. You have a lot of responsibility, so
you're not just driving around the streets. You're looking for
every tiny little detail. You're anticipating so much. And if
we all had a crystal ball, it would be easy.
The physical side of driving would actually be how you
connect with the car and how you move the steering wheel,
(11:22):
how you move the pedals. And I think you went
through some discoveries when we were together.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
I completely did. And I was going to say, you
mentioned the building blocks of being a good driver and
good driving. Can you just break it down for us
from a very elemental level of the common mistakes that
people make when they get into a car, and what
are actually the building blocks to start being a good driver.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Well, first and foremost people come in many shapes and sizes.
I don't know any car that's on the market at
the moment that doesn't have an adjustable seat, So most
people compromise their driving thefore moments by having I won't
say the wrong driving position, but I will say an
ineffective driving position. So by aligning themselves behind the steering wheel,
(12:11):
they're creating tension. So if you have little tension, then
you will be able to rotate the steering wheel more effectively,
You'll be able to have better vision looking ahead, You'll
have the ability to move the pedals more effectively using
different muscles. So that is that's stage one, sitting behind
(12:32):
the steering wheel of the car.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
But wait, and is there a certain way we should
Like should I have a kink in my elbow? Should
I have my legs extended?
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I was just going to say, I know this isn't
NASCAR start.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Sitting up higher?
Speaker 6 (12:45):
Do I need to be sitting low?
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Like?
Speaker 6 (12:47):
Is there one specific position for everybody or does everybody
have his or her own position that works best.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
If we work on a thousand different drivers, we have
a thousand different driving positions, and those different drivers could
be in slightly different cars. So it's a lot to
do with how your feet are in relation to the
pelvis and where your shoulders are in relation to the
steering wheel. So some cars economics are very different some cars,
let us say many sports cars, naming none in particular.
(13:19):
You have a very feet forward position, so your foot
height and your pelvis are very similar, so your legs
are slightly in a different position. Your knee joint should
be slightly more open. If you're in an suv, the
seating position or people carry a family vehicle, the seating
position is a little bit more chair like, and of
(13:42):
course if you're sitting in a chair, the ability to
operate the pedals more effectively is compromised because you're using
different muscle groups. So I've been fortunate enough to work
with some of the world's best drivers, and some of
our let's say methodology has been carried through to making
sure that your body is in a ready state, so
(14:04):
in a start position rather than a crumpled or too
far extended position.
Speaker 6 (14:09):
When I think of being a great driver, I think
of somebody who knows how to, you know, hit the
apex and get the right acceleration out of a turn,
or someone who's able to be at sort of nine
point nine tenths without crossing over. But that I can't
imagine that applies to a chauffeur. So isn't there a
(14:29):
massive difference between someone who's driving for spoorting pleasure and
someone who's driving in order not to disturb, like the
rich guy in the back.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Well, actually fat quite the opposite. It's exactly the same.
Because balancing a car on a circuit is the same
as balancing a car on the road. Your line could
be slightly different, but the way in which you turn
in and exit a turn, it's physics, and you're balancing physics,
and if you get it wrong, guess what Physics will
always win. So the way in which you operate the
(15:02):
machine as a driver, whether you're traveling at one hundred
plus miles an hour or within the legal speed limits
on the public roads, you're still rotating the wheel, you're
still using the brakes, you're still using the accelerator. In fact,
it's even more difficult on the public road because you've
got a lot of more distractions. So it's quite fascinating
(15:23):
the art of driving. It's not just stopping at red
traffic lights and looking at for pedestrians. The skill. When
we're training drivers, we often find that race drivers make
incredibly good chauffeurs. We just spend a little bit more
time tidying up their etiquette skills in their mannerisms and
(15:44):
how to open a door, rather than taking a very
good chauffeur that's been in the industry for a long
time that knows how the tire double winds are not
then wear a suit correctly and polish their shoes, but
they don't have the skill in the art of car
balance on an open roads is the best of both
worlds if you can.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I want to talk about etiquette, but I want to
first have you describe what we went through related to
breaking and specifically the whiskey, gin and tonic and champagne test. Kay,
I mean it sounds so fun. It's harder than said
than done. Can you explain to Matt and the listeners
(16:22):
what that is?
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Absolutely well, when I was starting to train drivers, I
realized that giving somebody a score from one to ten
is almost irrelevant. You know, what does a number mean?
You know, just because you've got a four or five,
some people feel a little bit there, I say negative
when you give them a score. And imagery. Through my
ski coaching days and coaching instructors and races, imagery is
(16:48):
very powerful. So we had the impression that if your
passengers are sitting in the backseat of the car and
they have a wonderful classic bowl of champagne. You have
the image your passengers are sipping away champagne from the
back of the car. Now you're stopping and you're accelerating.
(17:09):
Should be calm enough that they don't spill any champagne
from the coop. Now if they are unsuccessful, we were
looking at a glass with gin and tonic inside, So
the glass has a different shape and it's a little
bit more stable. The liquid in the glass is a
little bit more stable. So if they're breaking and they're accelerating,
(17:29):
had kicked back, for instance, we were suggesting that they
are quite not at a champagne level, and they're more
gin and tonic. Those drivers that have compromised their driving
and they've spent probably a long time driving in a
city reacting to a lot of traffic, and they're hitting
the brakes very hard and they have a lot of
(17:50):
kickback from the car. This is where we introduce the
whiskey stop. So you're imagining that the whiskey in the
bottom of the whiskey glass. So to add little bit
of fun and imaginary, we called it whiskey Gina tonic
and champagne. Of course, some countries around the world that
don't think alcohol. We just had to focus on the
shape of the glass rather than the content of the glass.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
That's really funny.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
By the way, you were teaching women to drive in
Saudi Arabia. Is that because they have women who are
chauffeurs or is that just because like rich Shakes finally
could teach their wives how to drive.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
It's a little bit of both. Really, It's not just
sort of restricted to the Middle East. We have an
increasing range of people and private families wanting female chauffeurs, especially,
for instance, if you're a chauffeur working for an independent
family and one of your duties could be doing the
school run and you have teenage children, for instance, And
(18:52):
people are starting to become a little bit more mindful
of not just the classic chauffeur, but more about person
is being a concierge. And there's more and more people
wanting female chauffeurs because they feel, rightly or wrongly, a
little bit safer of having their children in the hands
of a female, regardless of whether she's the chauffeur or not.
(19:15):
And I think on that regular side, a lot of
people feel more comfortable with a female chauffeur in those
parts of the world, and of course in Saudi Arabia
women haven't had a driving license for very long, so
it was interesting to spend time training a women's only
chauffeur group most recently, and you know the challenges, and
(19:39):
ninety times out of ten we find that they actually
as students, they make better students because there is a
working and they have less ego.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
So tell us a little bit more about that for
all women. What what I didn't hear you? What city
are you in and give us a little more color
about what that was like. I'm so fascinated by that work.
And that's part of your White Drug, oh your White
Glove chauffeur in company that you own and operate well.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
The White Glove, the White Glove is specifically Rolls Royce
and that was a that was a celebration, so some
just to recap on that history. About fifteen years ago,
our current chief executive wanted to celebrate the one hundred
year anniversary of the chauffe Academy. We wanted to use
(20:36):
or I was asking to use a slightly different label
calling it a show for academy. Just seems a little
bit old school and not very imaginative. I looked at
people wearing white gloves in the service industry, in the military,
and of course it's a signal of respect touching. Whether
you're piece of collecting a piece of jury from a
(20:57):
shop or something, you're often handed that item with the
person who's wearing white gloves, and I thought the white
glove program was a new fresh way of describing the academy.
We're not suggesting people drive with white gloves, however, in
some countries they do, where the people and the company
(21:18):
that they work for. So coming through to this, I
recently was invited by another company to train some drivers
and along the way it was my suggestion that you
shouldn't ignore having a high percentage of female drivers. It
was an immediate success. So they decided to train another
(21:39):
group or another team, let's call them team, another group
of women drivers, and we had an incredible I would say,
fascination from the Saudi government. So they are now looking
at a women's only chauffeur company, So that alone is
a first and as a company they will be using
(22:00):
women only in that particular part of the world. And
I think when it comes to training. The actual driving
itself is quite difficult on a public road. It's very
difficult to train people on a public road, so we
often have to find a quiet airfield or a disused
car park or something. So you're going through the skills
(22:21):
of training simple things like an emergency break, a break
avoid So I often travel to various locations and I
take along with me twenty traffic cones in set up
an apparatus where people can drive around. I don't carry
them in my luggage anymore. I used to, but we
often find twenty traffic cones or even some other apparatus,
(22:43):
and even some toys that you find in a toy
shop that you would use in a playground, anything that
you can drive around to enhance their skills. And it's
been fascinating journey.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
So tell us a little bit about the etiquette side
of this. When we work together. You said really interesting things,
for instance, about the positioning of the rear view mirror,
the proper way to open a door, how to handle luggage.
Can you sort of walk through some of those things, of.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Course, I think well, first and foremost, if you are
parked at an airport and you're waiting for your guests
for a right first and foremost, you need utmost information
about your guests.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
You obviously need their.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
Name, and you need to know what contry they're hum.
But also depending on who you're working for, so if
it's a hotel, for instance, you might need a lot
of information about the guests. That'shlight information, etc. A lot
of our guests, a lot of rolls Voyce guests will
have a greeta inside the airport, so the greeta isn't
(23:51):
the chauffeur, and this is important. So the greeter will
work a guest out to the car, and of course
the car will be a prepared and we have most
of our chokers have a little detailing kit which consists
of three different microfibers and some pure deionized water because
if the paint is hot, and obviously you can use
(24:14):
de ionized water and it's easy to use. It's very
easy to use on glass painted leather without any damage.
If you're standing by the car either rear wheel, that
means that you're greeting process.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
You are looking forward to group a guest.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Depending on where that country sorry, depending on where the
guest comes from the country.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
Is it customary to bout and not to shake their hand,
and not shake their hand, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So you need a lot of information about that guest
when it comes to loading the luggage.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
We can't assume all countries and all.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Of our airports are safety these days. And I've been
observing lots of people having the unfortunately their bag stolen
or potential theft, and a lot of people and a
lot of chauffeurs are very keen and very quick to
open the door and get a guest inside the car first.
There's a lot of problems with that. First of all,
(25:11):
you would turn your back what is often a very
expensive I don't know, a Romoa luggage or something like that,
or Louis Vitoma's on the pavement on the sidewalk. You're
turning your bag just allow the guest to get inside
the car. And also then you're asking the guest is
there anything inside the bag that they want inside the
(25:34):
car on their journey to the hotel or their destination.
It's too late because you could turn around and the
bag could be gone. In an ever increasing crime area,
you don't know who's going to be working along the
pavement or the sidewalk to steal the bag.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Ifs are easy to recognize these days.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
They don't have black masks on or anything like that,
they're not obvious.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
So we generally, first of all, great.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
The guests lift the bag because lots of roads around
the airport's are dirty. If you lift the bag and
you place the bag in the back.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Of the guitar. But there's one thing as well.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
We will tell and inform the customer the guest why
you're lifting the bag, and that shows specific care, that
shows high luxury or high touch, if you want to
call it. You will say to them, I'm just lifting
your bag to avoid any oil getting on your wheels
or your bag getting dirty. So you're telling them because
(26:33):
a lot of people traveling with the Rolls Voice or
Rolls Royce service, they haven't had this level of detailed care.
So you inform your guests you're lifting the bag to
place it in the bag. Then you would ask the question,
or is this the only bag that you have or
do you have any luggage with you you would like
to place them in the trunk. They often say, actually,
(26:56):
I've got a phone cable, or I have my laptop,
or i have something personal inside that bag.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
That's the opportunity to take it.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
Then you would close the trunk before you turn your
back on their very very valuable luggage, everyone's log which
is valued because it has many personal items.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Many of them can't be replaced, so you close.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
The trunk because thieves are everywhere and some countries are
worse than others. You would then open the door because
at this stage the air conditioning. If it's a hot
they would be running inside the car. You would elegantly
open the door, of.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
Course on a roll, so you would.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Make sure that the guest is sitting diagonally behind the driver.
You would then close the door entering the back of
the car.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
That's really important. You never walk in front of.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
The guest, and then you sit inside the driving seat,
close your door. If it's a high risk area, you
will immediately lock the doors. If it's not a high
risk area, then it's hot, and then to the choice
of the guest, you will then turn around to lightly
mentioned the guests that the water is in the door pockets,
(28:05):
not in the cup holders, because that gives a box
fresh feeling, and.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
You will give them an approximate arrival time on their journey.
Would they like to listen to any music, and.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
At that point when you turn around, you also make
a point of turning the rear view mirror so you
cannot see their eyes. I also mentioned this to the guests.
I'm just tilting the rear view mirror so I cannot
see your eyes or we cannot make eye contact, and
that will give you some privacy and.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
It will also increase your safety.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Most too, light drivers like to look at their passengers
during conversation. There's nothing wrong with that, although you're compromising
the safety of your passengers because you're not looking through
the big piece of windscreen in front of you.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
You're looking behind you, not in front.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
So just by the nature of having this rear view
mirror turned, it gives you added safety as well.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
I want to know how you learned all this stuff,
Like how did you go from a professional skier to
someone that knows everything about driving and being a chauffeur.
How did you pick all that up? What was this metamorphosis?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Well, I think, first of all, if you're coaching, if
you're coaching anyone on the side of the mountain, the concern,
the threats, the safety and often the panic in someone,
So there's a coaching skill element is one area, but
the components of chauffeuring come from many, many avenues.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I guess.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
So I still have a race license, and I still
have a race instructor's license to coach people on the track,
and very much. I think I've been fortunate enough to
be exposed to some of the world's best butlers that
have worked in Buckingham Palace. And I think if you're
fascinated about the industry, you open your ears, you ask questions.
(30:07):
You see where the history comes from. Why is it
that the lady or the female is normally sitting behind
the driver.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
That comes from many many years where you would.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Arrive at a location and the coachman, because there was
no engines, there was a horse, would remove their cake
and place it on the ground so madame would not
get her bull gain dirty on the way to the ball.
That's why they would sit behind the coach person or
the person in charge of that stagecoach. So it's been
(30:38):
a fascination of mine and since working with Rolls Royce,
because you're always striving for perfection, I think looking at
these tiny details and adding all of these tiny witchard
isolation a relatively insignificant, but combined, all of these details
made for an effortless experience.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
And that's what you're trying to do. You're trying to
give the customer, give the guest, or it could be your.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
Boss, the best possible experience. And of course all of
these things added up made for ultimate safety. The passengers
should think for nothing. And I'm sure you've been sitting
in a car at some time, whether it's an Uber
or a taxi or a chow but thinking I could
do better than this. And you shouldn't be You shouldn't
(31:24):
be made to feel this at all. You shouldn't be
made to feel that your safety is compromised by the
quality of the driving. It's currently, at the fac time
in charge.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Of your safety and potentially your life.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
So basically every Uber driver in Los Angeles, you've just
described the feeling of terror and compromise that I experience
every time I get into an Uber.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Yeah, it's a little bit of a Yeah, you do
find I do find myself having to switch off from
a professional side sometimes when I'm sitting in the back of.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
A cab or an Uber driver.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
And if you will know, some are better than others,
and you generally find the better drivers and the more
conscientious are the drivers that have some form of sport
background and they.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
Have a little bit of thought about.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
The passengers rather than just getting in a car and
going from A to B or a to Z. As
a job, a lot of people consider it as a job.
Some people call it a profession. And if you look
at it as a profession and you're passionate about that profession,
every tiny component that makes up that profession. And we
looked at three indicators. We looked at being sharp, effortless,
(32:39):
and professional. Those three elements create safety. So every single
person should look at those elements the sharp and it's
not just dressing in a nice pre only dinner jacket,
soup or turning up to work with a crisp white shirt.
It's how you stand, how you present yourself, how you
open the door. It's accurate, so there's no compromise as
(33:00):
best as possible.
Speaker 6 (33:02):
So you have been a professional skier, You've been an
accomplished ski racer and also an accomplished track driver. And
I was just wondering, are there any parallels between the
skills necessary to ski you know, a downhill course well,
and the skills necessary to race around the track in
(33:22):
a car.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
Absolutely, And if you look at the art of skiing,
for instance, and the art of driving, there's two sides.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
You've got the doing and the coaching side.
Speaker 4 (33:30):
So if we look at the results, if we look
at the what I would call the output focus, like
going round corners, the physics of ski racing are very.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Very similar to car racing.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
In fact, there's a little bit of a disadvantage on
skis where it's really difficult to apply the throttle because
you don't have one. So when you release the angle
of a steering wheel, for instance, it's on the exit
of the turn, and we often talk about taking the
angle off off the wheel, and that's during what's.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Known in car racing as a transition from one corner
to another is exactly the same on a pair of skis.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
You're exiting one corner and there's a inducive edge angle
and you have a transition from one turn to another.
So you're managing the forces and it's balancing the physics
between one turn and another.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
So a slalom turn, a giant slalom tern, a super
giant slalom turn, and then you have record downhill. The
turn RADII are different and it's exactly the same in
the car.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
The speed, the smaller the turn, the lower the speed,
so the physics are different. The longer the term, the
higher speed, so you've got greater forces.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
So the way in which you.
Speaker 4 (34:43):
Deal with forces, the faster you've drive, the slower you move,
and also the slower you think.
Speaker 5 (34:50):
So it's not only just a physical game, it's a
mental game as well.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yeah, I mean I just find it fascinating and it
does feel all related between managing your body in space
in general, and the body can extend to the vehicle too,
or the skis. It's just fascinating stuff.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
That was Andy McCann talking to us about driving, about skiing,
and about.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
I think just basically being a good person.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, he's really a prince of a guy, kind of
jack of all trades. I mean, he is the type
of person who you just know. He's the same whether
he is on the street or in you know, the
halls with Royalty, and I think he has been in
both places. And of course we love him because he's British,
so he goes very well with the whole rolls Royce
(35:40):
philosophy and mentality and just touch so great. Talking with him,
I always learned something new.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
It was definitely a learning experience.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
And now I know different drink demand, different driving styles.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
This is right, this is right, but never drinking and driving,
just you know, for training purposes only.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Of course, drinking and driving is horrible.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
But back in the day, I was originally watching some
old videos of people from the like fifties and sixties
when when these laws first came into force, and they
were like, hell, no, I'm going to continue to drive
after drinking beer.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Oh that was a controversial thing. They like it was
the government interfering with their drinking and driving exactly. I thought,
I was funny.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Both of us are a little too young to remember
that time, but I saw the historical footage and then
I do remember when the seatbelt laws first came into
fuld No.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Way, you remember that, Yes, I do, and.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
I remember because very otherwise intelligent people. I remember saying like,
this is an encroachment on.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
My personal.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
And at the time, I was like, yeah, how can
they tell us to wear our seatbelts.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
We're only hurting ourselves.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Right, What were you like five?
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I was.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
I was very young, and that was for I understood
insurance in this country, and I'm surprised that they those
people didn't. But I think each incremental safety law has
been controversial at the time, and now, you know, we
look back and think, how insane would it be to
say I can have a couple of Gin and Tonics
(37:18):
and then legally like drive my kids to school.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
You know, that reminds me of the helmet laws, because
speaking of Colorado, Colorado doesn't have a helmet law for
motorcycle riders, and the minute you cross state lines you
start seeing guys just with their hair out in the wind.
Oh yeah, like that seems insane to me, like absolutely,
(37:42):
but I know they think, hey, it's my personal freedom, so.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
I think, you know, I'm not sure about the statistics.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I'd have to look into it.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
But with the seat belts, you know, if you're not
wearing your seat belt, your chances of a more serious
injury obviously are hot, and then it's going to cost
more in hospital bills, and then we all have to
pay more. If you're not wearing your helmet, you're probably
just gonna die, right, So probably that's much cheaper.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Is this your argument in favor of not wearing a helmet?
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Well, I don't ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but
I grew up in Ohio, where I don't think there's
helmet laws there. I'm I'm used to seeing people ride free,
and I feel like if you get into a I
got into a bad motorcycle accident and survived by the
skin of my teeth.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
If I hadn't been wearing my helmet, I.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Would be no longer with of because I put my
helmet through the windshield of the truck that hit me.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
So when was this, I didn't know about it.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
This was maybe now twelve years ago. But yeah, the
helmet definitely, and my leathers saved my life. So I'm
an all the gear, all the time kind of person.
But if you're I, I think it's stupid without a
helmet or in a T shirt and shorts, But you, definitely,
I guess, have the right to be stupid.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
All I know is when I first started posting photos,
you know, riding motorcycle, standing next to motorcycles whatever in
New York many years ago, I would get so many
comments about how I needed to be wearing gloves. And
this is even if I'm just like standing on the motorcycle,
not actually in motion, and I would get yes, so
(39:28):
many you know guys, you know, really coming down hard
on you, you should be wearing gloves and you should
be in full armor, like like seriously, And it's so ironic,
it's so it's so unfair. But it's so funny because
you know, you step outside in LA and to your point,
you yes, they're wearing helmets, but they're wearing flip flops
(39:51):
and T shirts and yeah, that's about it.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Yeah, funny it is.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
And I guess I've been guilty in the past of saying, like,
you need to put on some gear.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
But it's none of my business.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah, gloves obviously are one of the most important.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
For sure, for sure, and when I'm riding, I often
do wear gloves. Not all the time, I'm not gonna lie.
Sometimes they get hot and annoying.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
But I will.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
I think I really want to ride a motorcycle with you,
And I'm feeling like maybe I'm going to make this
my New Year's resolution. Oh it is to come to
LA and ride with you at some point in twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
Style, way, what are you doing for New Year's Eve?
Speaker 1 (40:36):
I was out with a couple of girlfriends at a
members club in LA that does not allow photos, and
we were talking about what to do for New Year's Eve,
and the conversation was it ended around having a house
party at their house with a bunch of people. That
sounds what are you doing for New Year's Eve?
Speaker 3 (40:58):
I'm definitely going to a party in Brooklyn and Dumbo.
But uh, I mean, I'm but normally I.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Go to Fish.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
So at some point I'm gonna sneak away and go
to Madison Square Garden to see Fish like a devotee. No, no,
I go see Fish the band, and I'm not like
a total fish head, So I'm not following that like
my brothers follow the band year round and see like
dozens or more than dozens of shows every year. I'm
(41:26):
I just go to one every year. I go to
the New Year's Eve show. It's super fun. I love
the garden.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Awesome, and uh it's a good escape.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
All right, Let's let's meet back here, same time, same place,
next week and kick off the year with a very
special guest who has a very special jag.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Me either.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
I'm Matt Miller, I'm Hanna Elliott, and this is Bloomberg
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. I'm Matt Miller and
I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is hot pursuit.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, So I guess Christmas has happened?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Is that we're fainting here?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh yeah, I'm literally furiously googling a calendar right now
to see what has happened.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
You know, Christmas, it was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It is my by far, my favorite holiday. I have
to really, oh, how could it? How could it not be?
It's got magic, It is magic. I mean I've loved
it since I was a child.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I feel differently about it. I mean, it's just for me.
The expectations are so.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
High, or they have been since I was a little kid, right,
And is.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
This expectations you put on yourself or that other people
put on you.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I think maybe both. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
For me, it's an emotionally challenging holiday and it always
has been, like my whole life. I'm happy about it.
Like when I was a kid, I was very happy
to get presents, you know, of course, but it just
seemed like maybe starting in my twenties, it was just
very stressful.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I'm always happy when it's over.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
There's so much to unpack there.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I mean, I know, probably too much for a car.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I mean, of course I can start asking, well, what
happened in your twenties or something change.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
No, I just think I became an adult and realized, wow,
got to give gifts and get gifts, and it's you know, money.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It feels like too much money to me.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Around this holiday.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's probably what it issgiving.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think a lot. It can be, of
course it you know, the thing that I find sometimes
is that it exaggerates what already exists in any dynamic.
You know, if there are things that are sort of
in a family or relationship that are like bubbling under
the surface. Oftentimes the holidays are the time that that
(02:22):
really comes out, whether it's whatever like money problems like
you say, or whatever that is really true. It can
be really stress right relationships stuff, Oh completely like whatever
sort of there, it's gonna really exaggerate. For sure. I
have to say, I hope that you had a really
(02:44):
nice Christmas. You know, in Spain, maybe that's a nice
way to avoid some stress.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah it is, No, it really is. Also because I
do it differently in Spain, so at home, yes, we would,
you know, everyone wakes up very early because the youngest
kids want, you know, to get going at six or whatever.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Of course, and.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Then we all start drinking mimosas like straight away. Yeah,
so that by the afternoon when you have to go
to Grandma's like in a coat and tie, it's a
little bit less fun.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Now, do you have a mimosa? No?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Well, I don't drink anymore, but no. And I also
don't spend Christmas at home anymore. So now okay, some
of them, yeah, married, we we come to Spain for
Christmas and they do Christmas in Spain on the evening
on Christmas Eve on the twenty fourth.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
That's great, which to me always felt like not as good.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
But I guess it's great because you're not hung over
by the afternoon.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Really oh gosh, yeah, no headache.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
What was your did you have like a did you
have a thing that you stick to? Do you still
do the same thing?
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Growing up in my family, we would we would go
to church on Christmas Eve and then you know, have
some presence and then Christmas morning. Of course, I was
the one getting up at like four point thirty in
the morning because I was so excited about everything. And
I still get up pretty early Christmas morning because I'm
still excited, and you know, just kind of have a
lazy day. There's of course a Christmas meal at some
(04:15):
point and go to a movie or go out on
a family walk. It was maybe freeing growing up where
I did because we didn't actually live close to any relatives,
so there was really no pressure to do the rounds
or to visit relatives or family. We kind of were
(04:36):
very insular and it was just our immediate family, our
core family. So maybe that's why I escaped. The addition
for stress and terror.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I always had to go to at least two sets
of grandparents.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Oh yeah, that's tricky.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
And it was like formal meals at everyone's house.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
And yeah, you know, in my adult life, I've had
all kinds of Christmases. I've spent Christmas alone in New
York City City, eating at a diner alone and couldn't
have been happier. I've traveled, you know, I've been out
of the country on Christmas. I've been with family. I've
(05:20):
had lots of different different Christmases, and it's I think
that is really freeing too. I'm perhaps impervious to guilt,
so I didn't feel guilty just telling people I'm not
going to be around and that that was really freeing too.
(05:41):
It helps me don't have kids.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
And now that I have kids and they're just little
and young, I guess I'm even more excited for it
than I ever have been, because they're.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Still pumped, you know, of course. But it's also I
don't love the winter and the weather. You know.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Oh you don't do you snowmobile at all?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Uh No, I never really got into it.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Oh interesting, huh.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
But you do skies.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
You like skiing ski?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I love the ski Now that's another story.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, yeah, but that's usually after Christmas. You know, the
snow is not great at the end of December. All right, Well, listen,
I wonder what it's like in Las Vegas, Hannah.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, Las Vegas for Christmas could be a thing. I'm
sure it is for some people. But the last time
I was in Las Vegas and we've we've spoken about
Las Vegas is a lot of things to a lot
of people. But I had a really nice time drive
learning to drive and be a proper driver, and a
Rolls Royce with Andy McCann, who is the official Rolls
(06:47):
Royce driver and actually spent years driving torson Muller otvos
around the top boss at Rolls Royce, and I had
so much fun with him. I suggested to you that
he should I'm on the podcast and talk to us
about just his life. He's a speaking of skiing, former
pro skier, ski coach, trains a lot of Formula one drivers,
(07:11):
really interesting guy, so I thought he should come on
and talk to us about his life and driving and
all that sort awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Let's get into it. Here is Andy McCann Rolls Royce
driving instructor.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
You know, Andy, I think i've I've known you sort
of in passing for years, but we had a really
great day recently in Las Vegas where you trained me
how to be a proper Rolls Royce chauffeur and it
was so fascinating and we wrote this amazing piece about it.
(07:45):
But I wanted to have you on because your life
is so interesting. You're a professional skier and coach, and
I'm so excited to talk to you because I want
you to share your wisdom and insight about proper driving
and what it really takes to be a private driver,
but also your view on it is really holistic and
(08:06):
I think it touches on a lot of really interesting things.
So Andy, it's really nice to have you with us,
and I can't wait to dive in.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Well.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
First of all, thank you very much for the invitation.
Much appreciated, and I don't know who enjoyed the day most,
whether it was you or me when we spend the
day driving around the desert in outside of Las Vegas.
Driving is something that is very close to everyone's heart.
Everyone thinks they're a superstar, and those people that aren't
(08:35):
superstars want to be superstars, but actually they very rarely
think about the ingredients to be a superstar. You know
what is a superstar driver? And I think as long
as you enjoy your driving and you have a passion
for driving, it makes the whole experience far far more effective.
(08:57):
I think when you are how to drive, probably as
a child or a teenager, it's only a glimpse. You
only really start learning when you're out on the open road.
But unfortunately you often learn by mistakes. You're not given
the correct guidance, you're not given the correct apparatus. What
I mean by that is the correct roads, and different
(09:19):
countries around the world have different types of training structures.
And you know, whether you're in parts of Asia and
exposed to a thousand scooters surrounding you, and or maybe
parts of Germany where you've got incredibly high speeds on
the highways, no one's really coached on how to handle those.
(09:41):
So we've actually found that if we take away the
rolls Royce says, the world's best motorcaf for one moment,
let's just look at driving on a public road. You've
got safety is paramount, but safety doesn't happen by yourself.
You have to create safety and you have to look
(10:02):
at the components of safety. And I think you'll agree
that part of the safetyness when you're driving, the weak
link is the driver and if the.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Driving repeatedly in Vegas, it's probably true.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Well it is true. But luckily you weren't a weak link.
You were an improving link in a very important chain.
And once you once people discover a little bit about themselves,
then it's easy to change. A lot of people aren't
open to discovering this, and they're very binary in their
way of thinking and their way of driving. And if
(10:38):
you look at the professional side of driving and when
we're training, whether it's a sports car driver on a track,
or a chauffeur or somebody that's an enthusiast. Think of
yourself like an athlete. You are performing, and certainly as
a chauffeur and most definitely a rotary chauffeur. The captain,
(11:00):
you're the pilot. You have a lot of responsibility, so
you're not just driving around the streets. You're looking for
every tiny little detail. You're anticipating so much. And if
we all had a crystal ball, it would be easy.
The physical side of driving would actually be how you
connect with the car and how you move the steering wheel,
(11:22):
how you move the pedals. And I think you went
through some discoveries when we were together.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
I completely did. And I was going to say, you
mentioned the building blocks of being a good driver and
good driving. Can you just break it down for us
from a very elemental level of the common mistakes that
people make when they get into a car, and what
are actually the building blocks to start being a good driver.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Well, first and foremost people come in many shapes and sizes.
I don't know any car that's on the market at
the moment that doesn't have an adjustable seat, So most
people compromise their driving thefore moments by having I won't
say the wrong driving position, but I will say an
ineffective driving position. So by aligning themselves behind the steering wheel,
(12:11):
they're creating tension. So if you have little tension, then
you will be able to rotate the steering wheel more effectively,
You'll be able to have better vision looking ahead, You'll
have the ability to move the pedals more effectively using
different muscles. So that is that's stage one, sitting behind
(12:32):
the steering wheel of the car.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
But wait, and is there a certain way we should
Like should I have a kink in my elbow? Should
I have my legs extended?
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I was just going to say, I know this isn't
NASCAR start.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Sitting up higher?
Speaker 6 (12:45):
Do I need to be sitting low?
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Like?
Speaker 6 (12:47):
Is there one specific position for everybody or does everybody
have his or her own position that works best.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
If we work on a thousand different drivers, we have
a thousand different driving positions, and those different drivers could
be in slightly different cars. So it's a lot to
do with how your feet are in relation to the
pelvis and where your shoulders are in relation to the
steering wheel. So some cars economics are very different some cars,
let us say many sports cars, naming none in particular.
(13:19):
You have a very feet forward position, so your foot
height and your pelvis are very similar, so your legs
are slightly in a different position. Your knee joint should
be slightly more open. If you're in an suv, the
seating position or people carry a family vehicle, the seating
position is a little bit more chair like, and of
(13:42):
course if you're sitting in a chair, the ability to
operate the pedals more effectively is compromised because you're using
different muscle groups. So I've been fortunate enough to work
with some of the world's best drivers, and some of
our let's say methodology has been carried through to making
sure that your body is in a ready state, so
(14:04):
in a start position rather than a crumpled or too
far extended position.
Speaker 6 (14:09):
When I think of being a great driver, I think
of somebody who knows how to, you know, hit the
apex and get the right acceleration out of a turn,
or someone who's able to be at sort of nine
point nine tenths without crossing over. But that I can't
imagine that applies to a chauffeur. So isn't there a
(14:29):
massive difference between someone who's driving for spoorting pleasure and
someone who's driving in order not to disturb, like the
rich guy in the back.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Well, actually fat quite the opposite. It's exactly the same.
Because balancing a car on a circuit is the same
as balancing a car on the road. Your line could
be slightly different, but the way in which you turn
in and exit a turn, it's physics, and you're balancing physics,
and if you get it wrong, guess what Physics will
always win. So the way in which you operate the
(15:02):
machine as a driver, whether you're traveling at one hundred
plus miles an hour or within the legal speed limits
on the public roads, you're still rotating the wheel, you're
still using the brakes, you're still using the accelerator. In fact,
it's even more difficult on the public road because you've
got a lot of more distractions. So it's quite fascinating
(15:23):
the art of driving. It's not just stopping at red
traffic lights and looking at for pedestrians. The skill. When
we're training drivers, we often find that race drivers make
incredibly good chauffeurs. We just spend a little bit more
time tidying up their etiquette skills in their mannerisms and
(15:44):
how to open a door, rather than taking a very
good chauffeur that's been in the industry for a long
time that knows how the tire double winds are not
then wear a suit correctly and polish their shoes, but
they don't have the skill in the art of car
balance on an open roads is the best of both
worlds if you can.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I want to talk about etiquette, but I want to
first have you describe what we went through related to
breaking and specifically the whiskey, gin and tonic and champagne test. Kay,
I mean it sounds so fun. It's harder than said
than done. Can you explain to Matt and the listeners
(16:22):
what that is?
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Absolutely well, when I was starting to train drivers, I
realized that giving somebody a score from one to ten
is almost irrelevant. You know, what does a number mean?
You know, just because you've got a four or five,
some people feel a little bit there, I say negative
when you give them a score. And imagery. Through my
ski coaching days and coaching instructors and races, imagery is
(16:48):
very powerful. So we had the impression that if your
passengers are sitting in the backseat of the car and
they have a wonderful classic bowl of champagne. You have
the image your passengers are sipping away champagne from the
back of the car. Now you're stopping and you're accelerating.
(17:09):
Should be calm enough that they don't spill any champagne
from the coop. Now if they are unsuccessful, we were
looking at a glass with gin and tonic inside, So
the glass has a different shape and it's a little
bit more stable. The liquid in the glass is a
little bit more stable. So if they're breaking and they're accelerating,
(17:29):
had kicked back, for instance, we were suggesting that they
are quite not at a champagne level, and they're more
gin and tonic. Those drivers that have compromised their driving
and they've spent probably a long time driving in a
city reacting to a lot of traffic, and they're hitting
the brakes very hard and they have a lot of
(17:50):
kickback from the car. This is where we introduce the
whiskey stop. So you're imagining that the whiskey in the
bottom of the whiskey glass. So to add little bit
of fun and imaginary, we called it whiskey Gina tonic
and champagne. Of course, some countries around the world that
don't think alcohol. We just had to focus on the
shape of the glass rather than the content of the glass.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
That's really funny.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
By the way, you were teaching women to drive in
Saudi Arabia. Is that because they have women who are
chauffeurs or is that just because like rich Shakes finally
could teach their wives how to drive.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
It's a little bit of both. Really, It's not just
sort of restricted to the Middle East. We have an
increasing range of people and private families wanting female chauffeurs, especially,
for instance, if you're a chauffeur working for an independent
family and one of your duties could be doing the
school run and you have teenage children, for instance, And
(18:52):
people are starting to become a little bit more mindful
of not just the classic chauffeur, but more about person
is being a concierge. And there's more and more people
wanting female chauffeurs because they feel, rightly or wrongly, a
little bit safer of having their children in the hands
of a female, regardless of whether she's the chauffeur or not.
(19:15):
And I think on that regular side, a lot of
people feel more comfortable with a female chauffeur in those
parts of the world, and of course in Saudi Arabia
women haven't had a driving license for very long, so
it was interesting to spend time training a women's only
chauffeur group most recently, and you know the challenges, and
(19:39):
ninety times out of ten we find that they actually
as students, they make better students because there is a
working and they have less ego.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
So tell us a little bit more about that for
all women. What what I didn't hear you? What city
are you in and give us a little more color
about what that was like. I'm so fascinated by that work.
And that's part of your White Drug, oh your White
Glove chauffeur in company that you own and operate well.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
The White Glove, the White Glove is specifically Rolls Royce
and that was a that was a celebration, so some
just to recap on that history. About fifteen years ago,
our current chief executive wanted to celebrate the one hundred
year anniversary of the chauffe Academy. We wanted to use
(20:36):
or I was asking to use a slightly different label
calling it a show for academy. Just seems a little
bit old school and not very imaginative. I looked at
people wearing white gloves in the service industry, in the military,
and of course it's a signal of respect touching. Whether
you're piece of collecting a piece of jury from a
(20:57):
shop or something, you're often handed that item with the
person who's wearing white gloves, and I thought the white
glove program was a new fresh way of describing the academy.
We're not suggesting people drive with white gloves, however, in
some countries they do, where the people and the company
(21:18):
that they work for. So coming through to this, I
recently was invited by another company to train some drivers
and along the way it was my suggestion that you
shouldn't ignore having a high percentage of female drivers. It
was an immediate success. So they decided to train another
(21:39):
group or another team, let's call them team, another group
of women drivers, and we had an incredible I would say,
fascination from the Saudi government. So they are now looking
at a women's only chauffeur company, So that alone is
a first and as a company they will be using
(22:00):
women only in that particular part of the world. And
I think when it comes to training. The actual driving
itself is quite difficult on a public road. It's very
difficult to train people on a public road, so we
often have to find a quiet airfield or a disused
car park or something. So you're going through the skills
(22:21):
of training simple things like an emergency break, a break
avoid So I often travel to various locations and I
take along with me twenty traffic cones in set up
an apparatus where people can drive around. I don't carry
them in my luggage anymore. I used to, but we
often find twenty traffic cones or even some other apparatus,
(22:43):
and even some toys that you find in a toy
shop that you would use in a playground, anything that
you can drive around to enhance their skills. And it's
been fascinating journey.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
So tell us a little bit about the etiquette side
of this. When we work together. You said really interesting things,
for instance, about the positioning of the rear view mirror,
the proper way to open a door, how to handle luggage.
Can you sort of walk through some of those things, of.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Course, I think well, first and foremost, if you are
parked at an airport and you're waiting for your guests
for a right first and foremost, you need utmost information
about your guests.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
You obviously need their.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
Name, and you need to know what contry they're hum.
But also depending on who you're working for, so if
it's a hotel, for instance, you might need a lot
of information about the guests. That'shlight information, etc. A lot
of our guests, a lot of rolls Voyce guests will
have a greeta inside the airport, so the greeta isn't
(23:51):
the chauffeur, and this is important. So the greeter will
work a guest out to the car, and of course
the car will be a prepared and we have most
of our chokers have a little detailing kit which consists
of three different microfibers and some pure deionized water because
if the paint is hot, and obviously you can use
(24:14):
de ionized water and it's easy to use. It's very
easy to use on glass painted leather without any damage.
If you're standing by the car either rear wheel, that
means that you're greeting process.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
You are looking forward to group a guest.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Depending on where that country sorry, depending on where the
guest comes from the country.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
Is it customary to bout and not to shake their hand,
and not shake their hand, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So you need a lot of information about that guest
when it comes to loading the luggage.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
We can't assume all countries and all.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Of our airports are safety these days. And I've been
observing lots of people having the unfortunately their bag stolen
or potential theft, and a lot of people and a
lot of chauffeurs are very keen and very quick to
open the door and get a guest inside the car first.
There's a lot of problems with that. First of all,
(25:11):
you would turn your back what is often a very
expensive I don't know, a Romoa luggage or something like that,
or Louis Vitoma's on the pavement on the sidewalk. You're
turning your bag just allow the guest to get inside
the car. And also then you're asking the guest is
there anything inside the bag that they want inside the
(25:34):
car on their journey to the hotel or their destination.
It's too late because you could turn around and the
bag could be gone. In an ever increasing crime area,
you don't know who's going to be working along the
pavement or the sidewalk to steal the bag.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Ifs are easy to recognize these days.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
They don't have black masks on or anything like that,
they're not obvious.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
So we generally, first of all, great.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
The guests lift the bag because lots of roads around
the airport's are dirty. If you lift the bag and
you place the bag in the back.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Of the guitar. But there's one thing as well.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
We will tell and inform the customer the guest why
you're lifting the bag, and that shows specific care, that
shows high luxury or high touch, if you want to
call it. You will say to them, I'm just lifting
your bag to avoid any oil getting on your wheels
or your bag getting dirty. So you're telling them because
(26:33):
a lot of people traveling with the Rolls Voice or
Rolls Royce service, they haven't had this level of detailed care.
So you inform your guests you're lifting the bag to
place it in the bag. Then you would ask the question,
or is this the only bag that you have or
do you have any luggage with you you would like
to place them in the trunk. They often say, actually,
(26:56):
I've got a phone cable, or I have my laptop,
or i have something personal inside that bag.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
That's the opportunity to take it.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
Then you would close the trunk before you turn your
back on their very very valuable luggage, everyone's log which
is valued because it has many personal items.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Many of them can't be replaced, so you close.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
The trunk because thieves are everywhere and some countries are
worse than others. You would then open the door because
at this stage the air conditioning. If it's a hot
they would be running inside the car. You would elegantly
open the door, of.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
Course on a roll, so you would.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Make sure that the guest is sitting diagonally behind the driver.
You would then close the door entering the back of
the car.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
That's really important. You never walk in front of.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
The guest, and then you sit inside the driving seat,
close your door. If it's a high risk area, you
will immediately lock the doors. If it's not a high
risk area, then it's hot, and then to the choice
of the guest, you will then turn around to lightly
mentioned the guests that the water is in the door pockets,
(28:05):
not in the cup holders, because that gives a box
fresh feeling, and.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
You will give them an approximate arrival time on their journey.
Would they like to listen to any music, and.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
At that point when you turn around, you also make
a point of turning the rear view mirror so you
cannot see their eyes. I also mentioned this to the guests.
I'm just tilting the rear view mirror so I cannot
see your eyes or we cannot make eye contact, and
that will give you some privacy and.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
It will also increase your safety.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Most too, light drivers like to look at their passengers
during conversation. There's nothing wrong with that, although you're compromising
the safety of your passengers because you're not looking through
the big piece of windscreen in front of you.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
You're looking behind you, not in front.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
So just by the nature of having this rear view
mirror turned, it gives you added safety as well.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
I want to know how you learned all this stuff,
Like how did you go from a professional skier to
someone that knows everything about driving and being a chauffeur.
How did you pick all that up? What was this metamorphosis?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Well, I think, first of all, if you're coaching, if
you're coaching anyone on the side of the mountain, the concern,
the threats, the safety and often the panic in someone,
So there's a coaching skill element is one area, but
the components of chauffeuring come from many, many avenues.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I guess.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
So I still have a race license, and I still
have a race instructor's license to coach people on the track,
and very much. I think I've been fortunate enough to
be exposed to some of the world's best butlers that
have worked in Buckingham Palace. And I think if you're
fascinated about the industry, you open your ears, you ask questions.
(30:07):
You see where the history comes from. Why is it
that the lady or the female is normally sitting behind
the driver.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
That comes from many many years where you would.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Arrive at a location and the coachman, because there was
no engines, there was a horse, would remove their cake
and place it on the ground so madame would not
get her bull gain dirty on the way to the ball.
That's why they would sit behind the coach person or
the person in charge of that stagecoach. So it's been
(30:38):
a fascination of mine and since working with Rolls Royce,
because you're always striving for perfection, I think looking at
these tiny details and adding all of these tiny witchard
isolation a relatively insignificant, but combined, all of these details
made for an effortless experience.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
And that's what you're trying to do. You're trying to
give the customer, give the guest, or it could be your.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
Boss, the best possible experience. And of course all of
these things added up made for ultimate safety. The passengers
should think for nothing. And I'm sure you've been sitting
in a car at some time, whether it's an Uber
or a taxi or a chow but thinking I could
do better than this. And you shouldn't be You shouldn't
(31:24):
be made to feel this at all. You shouldn't be
made to feel that your safety is compromised by the
quality of the driving. It's currently, at the fac time
in charge.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Of your safety and potentially your life.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
So basically every Uber driver in Los Angeles, you've just
described the feeling of terror and compromise that I experience
every time I get into an Uber.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Yeah, it's a little bit of a Yeah, you do
find I do find myself having to switch off from
a professional side sometimes when I'm sitting in the back of.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
A cab or an Uber driver.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
And if you will know, some are better than others,
and you generally find the better drivers and the more
conscientious are the drivers that have some form of sport
background and they.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
Have a little bit of thought about.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
The passengers rather than just getting in a car and
going from A to B or a to Z. As
a job, a lot of people consider it as a job.
Some people call it a profession. And if you look
at it as a profession and you're passionate about that profession,
every tiny component that makes up that profession. And we
looked at three indicators. We looked at being sharp, effortless,
(32:39):
and professional. Those three elements create safety. So every single
person should look at those elements the sharp and it's
not just dressing in a nice pre only dinner jacket,
soup or turning up to work with a crisp white shirt.
It's how you stand, how you present yourself, how you
open the door. It's accurate, so there's no compromise as
(33:00):
best as possible.
Speaker 6 (33:02):
So you have been a professional skier, You've been an
accomplished ski racer and also an accomplished track driver. And
I was just wondering, are there any parallels between the
skills necessary to ski you know, a downhill course well,
and the skills necessary to race around the track in
(33:22):
a car.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
Absolutely, And if you look at the art of skiing,
for instance, and the art of driving, there's two sides.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
You've got the doing and the coaching side.
Speaker 4 (33:30):
So if we look at the results, if we look
at the what I would call the output focus, like
going round corners, the physics of ski racing are very.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Very similar to car racing.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
In fact, there's a little bit of a disadvantage on
skis where it's really difficult to apply the throttle because
you don't have one. So when you release the angle
of a steering wheel, for instance, it's on the exit
of the turn, and we often talk about taking the
angle off off the wheel, and that's during what's.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Known in car racing as a transition from one corner
to another is exactly the same on a pair of skis.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
You're exiting one corner and there's a inducive edge angle
and you have a transition from one turn to another.
So you're managing the forces and it's balancing the physics
between one turn and another.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
So a slalom turn, a giant slalom tern, a super
giant slalom turn, and then you have record downhill. The
turn RADII are different and it's exactly the same in
the car.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
The speed, the smaller the turn, the lower the speed,
so the physics are different. The longer the term, the
higher speed, so you've got greater forces.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
So the way in which you.
Speaker 4 (34:43):
Deal with forces, the faster you've drive, the slower you move,
and also the slower you think.
Speaker 5 (34:50):
So it's not only just a physical game, it's a
mental game as well.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yeah, I mean I just find it fascinating and it
does feel all related between managing your body in space
in general, and the body can extend to the vehicle too,
or the skis. It's just fascinating stuff.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
That was Andy McCann talking to us about driving, about skiing,
and about.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
I think just basically being a good person.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, he's really a prince of a guy, kind of
jack of all trades. I mean, he is the type
of person who you just know. He's the same whether
he is on the street or in you know, the
halls with Royalty, and I think he has been in
both places. And of course we love him because he's British,
so he goes very well with the whole rolls Royce
(35:40):
philosophy and mentality and just touch so great. Talking with him,
I always learned something new.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
It was definitely a learning experience.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
And now I know different drink demand, different driving styles.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
This is right, this is right, but never drinking and driving,
just you know, for training purposes only.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Of course, drinking and driving is horrible.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
But back in the day, I was originally watching some
old videos of people from the like fifties and sixties
when when these laws first came into force, and they
were like, hell, no, I'm going to continue to drive
after drinking beer.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Oh that was a controversial thing. They like it was
the government interfering with their drinking and driving exactly. I thought,
I was funny.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Both of us are a little too young to remember
that time, but I saw the historical footage and then
I do remember when the seatbelt laws first came into
fuld No.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Way, you remember that, Yes, I do, and.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
I remember because very otherwise intelligent people. I remember saying like,
this is an encroachment on.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
My personal.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
And at the time, I was like, yeah, how can
they tell us to wear our seatbelts.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
We're only hurting ourselves.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Right, What were you like five?
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I was.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
I was very young, and that was for I understood
insurance in this country, and I'm surprised that they those
people didn't. But I think each incremental safety law has
been controversial at the time, and now, you know, we
look back and think, how insane would it be to
say I can have a couple of Gin and Tonics
(37:18):
and then legally like drive my kids to school.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
You know, that reminds me of the helmet laws, because
speaking of Colorado, Colorado doesn't have a helmet law for
motorcycle riders, and the minute you cross state lines you
start seeing guys just with their hair out in the wind.
Oh yeah, like that seems insane to me, like absolutely,
(37:42):
but I know they think, hey, it's my personal freedom, so.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
I think, you know, I'm not sure about the statistics.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I'd have to look into it.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
But with the seat belts, you know, if you're not
wearing your seat belt, your chances of a more serious
injury obviously are hot, and then it's going to cost
more in hospital bills, and then we all have to
pay more. If you're not wearing your helmet, you're probably
just gonna die, right, So probably that's much cheaper.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Is this your argument in favor of not wearing a helmet?
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Well, I don't ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but
I grew up in Ohio, where I don't think there's
helmet laws there. I'm I'm used to seeing people ride free,
and I feel like if you get into a I
got into a bad motorcycle accident and survived by the
skin of my teeth.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
If I hadn't been wearing my helmet, I.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Would be no longer with of because I put my
helmet through the windshield of the truck that hit me.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
So when was this, I didn't know about it.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
This was maybe now twelve years ago. But yeah, the
helmet definitely, and my leathers saved my life. So I'm
an all the gear, all the time kind of person.
But if you're I, I think it's stupid without a
helmet or in a T shirt and shorts, But you, definitely,
I guess, have the right to be stupid.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
All I know is when I first started posting photos,
you know, riding motorcycle, standing next to motorcycles whatever in
New York many years ago, I would get so many
comments about how I needed to be wearing gloves. And
this is even if I'm just like standing on the motorcycle,
not actually in motion, and I would get yes, so
(39:28):
many you know guys, you know, really coming down hard
on you, you should be wearing gloves and you should
be in full armor, like like seriously, And it's so ironic,
it's so it's so unfair. But it's so funny because
you know, you step outside in LA and to your point,
you yes, they're wearing helmets, but they're wearing flip flops
(39:51):
and T shirts and yeah, that's about it.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Yeah, funny it is.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
And I guess I've been guilty in the past of saying, like,
you need to put on some gear.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
But it's none of my business.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah, gloves obviously are one of the most important.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
For sure, for sure, and when I'm riding, I often
do wear gloves. Not all the time, I'm not gonna lie.
Sometimes they get hot and annoying.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
But I will.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
I think I really want to ride a motorcycle with you,
And I'm feeling like maybe I'm going to make this
my New Year's resolution. Oh it is to come to
LA and ride with you at some point in twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
Style, way, what are you doing for New Year's Eve?
Speaker 1 (40:36):
I was out with a couple of girlfriends at a
members club in LA that does not allow photos, and
we were talking about what to do for New Year's Eve,
and the conversation was it ended around having a house
party at their house with a bunch of people. That
sounds what are you doing for New Year's Eve?
Speaker 3 (40:58):
I'm definitely going to a party in Brooklyn and Dumbo.
But uh, I mean, I'm but normally I.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Go to Fish.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
So at some point I'm gonna sneak away and go
to Madison Square Garden to see Fish like a devotee. No, no,
I go see Fish the band, and I'm not like
a total fish head, So I'm not following that like
my brothers follow the band year round and see like
dozens or more than dozens of shows every year. I'm
(41:26):
I just go to one every year. I go to
the New Year's Eve show. It's super fun. I love
the garden.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Awesome, and uh it's a good escape.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
All right, Let's let's meet back here, same time, same place,
next week and kick off the year with a very
special guest who has a very special jag.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Me either.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
I'm Matt Miller, I'm Hanna Elliott, and this is Bloomberg
Hosts And Creators
Hannah Elliott
Matt Miller
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