Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

London black cabbies

Discuss anything non Z4 related here
Post Reply
firebobby
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 9529
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South west Buckinghamshire

London black cabbies

Post by firebobby » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:14 pm

Just watched a program about the London black cab knowledge and how hard it is to pass, they put in around 8000 hrs of study and tests to gain it. Some have been trying for years to pass it.
Poor buggers turn into nervous wrecks when their being tested. Any Black cab drivers on here.
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981

Angelus666
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 2257
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 4:33 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

London black cabbies

Post by Angelus666 » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:28 pm

Whilst I appreciated the value of it 20 years ago, today it's irrelevant. Black cab drivers had it way too easy for so long, the annual tax return for a black cabbie is about £5k...yet somehow they all live in big houses in the home counties. All of them hate the changes because now they have to take card payment and actually declare a fair proportion of their earnings.

User avatar
buzyg
Legend
Legend
Posts: 26423
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 6:11 pm
Location: Cornwall

London black cabbies

Post by buzyg » Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:53 pm

Have they not heard of Sat Nav in London then. :?
Image

User avatar
Buckz
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 11:00 am
Location: West sussex

London black cabbies

Post by Buckz » Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:57 pm

many use sat navs anyway! wonder if the test is still going? bet it's going to go soon.
Image

firebobby
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 9529
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South west Buckinghamshire

London black cabbies

Post by firebobby » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:54 pm

A sat nav is ok if the customer has the postcode for their address. Watching the program, a customer gets into a black cab and says the hotel or place where they want to go and the driver takes them. Without the P Code, would a mini cab driver know how to get to the destination. I don't know as I don't use either. Just amazing how these people do the knowledge and have almost photographic memory of London.
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981

User avatar
Mr Tidy
Legend
Legend
Posts: 23608
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:18 pm
Location: North West Surrey

London black cabbies

Post by Mr Tidy » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:03 am

Yes, it certainly takes dedication!

When I worked in London I used to see them trundling about on mopeds with a map clipped on the handlebars.

Fair play to those that do succeed - they deserve to make a decent living out of it!
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black

User avatar
Smartbear
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 13685
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:54 pm
Location: a barn in Somerset

London black cabbies

Post by Smartbear » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:45 am

Mr Tidy wrote: Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:03 am Yes, it certainly takes dedication!

When I worked in London I used to see them trundling about on mopeds with a map clipped on the handlebars.

Fair play to those that do succeed - they deserve to make a decent living out of it!

The rest of us are screwed to the ground with tax, good luck to those who manage to get away with a bit :thumbsup:
Rob
Image

e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

LewisB
Member
Member
Posts: 252
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:11 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire

London black cabbies

Post by LewisB » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:56 am

Potentially controversial, but I totally see why Uber is so popular.

They're even popping up here in Berkshire.

A fare that would've cost me £35 in a mini cab on Friday night, was £16.22 with Uber. Didn't even have to worry about having cash on me. It's a different experience using Uber and they do rely on a Sat Nav, but for better than half the price I'm happy to use them.
Z4 3.0si Sport Coupe - Ruby Black - Champagne Nappa leather - my weekend drive......

User avatar
Buckz
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 11:00 am
Location: West sussex

London black cabbies

Post by Buckz » Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:24 am

firebobby wrote: Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:54 pm A sat nav is ok if the customer has the postcode for their address. Watching the program, a customer gets into a black cab and says the hotel or place where they want to go and the driver takes them. Without the P Code, would a mini cab driver know how to get to the destination. I don't know as I don't use either. Just amazing how these people do the knowledge and have almost photographic memory of London.

Most sat navs have no issue finding things by name. The only real benefit that cabbies have these days is local knowledge and shortcuts.. including bus lane use.
Image

User avatar
BRC
Member
Member
Posts: 667
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:56 pm
Location: Surrey

London black cabbies

Post by BRC » Sun Apr 16, 2017 7:05 am

Nothing annoys me more than when I get into a taxi and I am asked for a "post code". Immediately tells me my driver doesn't know the area and will take the piss/fastest and not the shortest route to wherever. Too often I've been their sat nav! I also wonder how many visitors to our country have any idea what a post code is let alone whether they are being taken on the most direct route. Black cabs cost for a reason and please don't think the others are not adverse to creative accounting. As for Uber, come to my home town and see the filth they create in one evening whilst waiting for a call from LGW.
Image

Sold a pair of soft top side covers and now retired.

User avatar
Nictrix
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 5423
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:59 pm
Location: Paisley

London black cabbies

Post by Nictrix » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:26 pm

I was a courier in Glasgow for many years and when I started knew very few places.
I picked it up as I went along using an A-Z map, sometimes stopping every few miles to have a look at it.
After a few months the map was rarely used and only kept to find somewhere I had never heard of before.
I picked up a lot of knowledge of Glasgow and the surrounding areas which I still remember.
Nowadays I give a quick glance at google maps to double check where somewhere is and then I am off.
With modern technology there is no need to know everywhere off the back of your hand and this knowledge of where places are and shortcuts can all be picked up as you go along.
I think personally that the London Knowledge if still going is out of date and holding people back from doing a job they want to do.
A name of a building or place and a simple look on google will give an address or a postcode.
Taxis around where I live have Uber wrote on a lot of them as well.
E89 2014 35i M Sport Black with Black leather :)

firebobby
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 9529
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South west Buckinghamshire

London black cabbies

Post by firebobby » Sun Apr 16, 2017 7:26 pm

In the program, that was filmed last year by the way, it said there were well over 700 hundred people doing the knowledge last year. Personally, I take my hat off to people who train for thousands of hours (up to 8000) and spent many days and nights on scooters, come rain, snow and shine to memorize places and routes. Then sit 4 exams and only if they reach the mark, they get their badge. Good luck to them I say.
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981

User avatar
Steve84N
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1828
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 1:00 pm

London black cabbies

Post by Steve84N » Sun Apr 16, 2017 10:26 pm

8,000 hours isn't that much to learn a trade for a lifetime, most of us do a lot more. Try 3yrs in uni then 15+ exams afterwards plus 5yrs of industry experience to achieve a decent status. Paying stupidly low tax is not on, no matter who you are.
C63 AMG Estate 6208cc

firebobby
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 9529
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South west Buckinghamshire

London black cabbies

Post by firebobby » Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:40 am

Steve84N wrote: Sun Apr 16, 2017 10:26 pm 8,000 hours isn't that much to learn a trade for a lifetime, most of us do a lot more. Try 3yrs in uni then 15+ exams afterwards plus 5yrs of industry experience to achieve a decent status. Paying stupidly low tax is not on, no matter who you are.
So 2 years of drunken debauchery and 1 years studying. :wink:
Most self employed pay a less tax than PAYE, I did when I was SE.
So I take it that there are no black cab drivers on the forum then or your to ashamed to say so, in fear of being branded a lazy, tax fiddling, mansion owning, dinosaur :)
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981

Post Reply