Author Topic: Taxi,s  (Read 1821 times)

Raven

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #15 on: Jan 09, 2020, 12:43:32 PM »
Years ago I saw a programme about London Cabbies, they had to pass a hell of a test of local knowledge, and be able to go to any street anywhere in the whole City and Suburbs, without satnavs. It was quite an achievement and they were really proud to have passed, and got permission to drive a London Cab.

zoony

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #16 on: Jan 09, 2020, 12:48:07 PM »
Saw the same programme..Fred Housego was it? Then along came SatNavs..
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sparky

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #17 on: Jan 09, 2020, 12:52:03 PM »

I don't think much knowledge is needed when driving a cab .. be it London or the suburbs..
Most use a Sat-nav.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Srumpy, Even black cab drivers might use a sat nav at times, but the fact remains, in order to get their Hackney cab Licence, they will have had to sit with an examiner for some length,  and accurately describe most London routes. and their  locations.


Diasi

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #18 on: Jan 09, 2020, 01:58:11 PM »
Years ago I saw a programme about London Cabbies, they had to pass a hell of a test of local knowledge, and be able to go to any street anywhere in the whole City and Suburbs, without satnavs. It was quite an achievement and they were really proud to have passed, and got permission to drive a London Cab.

It's like being proud to be able to smash concrete with a hand pick & then along comes a guy with pneumatic jack-hammer.

Times change & the 'knowledge' is no longer needed.
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sparky

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #19 on: Jan 09, 2020, 03:49:33 PM »
Diasi, Maybe so, but I believe they still have to do the knowledge to get their badge to qualify as a cabbie.

klondike

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #20 on: Jan 09, 2020, 04:05:39 PM »
No income tax, but like everybody else, when they buy something it will often be subject to VAT, if they have a motor then every time they fill the tank the government gets a slice, and so on.Don't get me wrong - I am totally opposed to uncontrolled immigration, but you are being over simplisticMike

I suppose that is true enough but those earning more than minimum wage will certainly be paying in a lot more. I've never tried living on minimum wage but if I did I expect that my VAT free spending would be quite high - food, charity shops for clothes, and I don't think there is any VAT on room rents. Even energy costs are at a lower rate of VAT.
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Diasi

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #21 on: Jan 10, 2020, 10:22:34 AM »
Diasi, Maybe so, but I believe they still have to do the knowledge to get their badge to qualify as a cabbie.

They do have to take 'the knowledge', but that doesn't make it relevant in this day & age, any more than testing a labourer to see if he can smash concrete with a pick before giving him a job on a building site.
Make every day count, each day is precious.
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klondike

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #22 on: Jan 10, 2020, 10:30:18 AM »
I'm not convinced that "the knowledge" is irrelevant. Certainly a sat nav will take you from a to b but they aren't good on local knowledge of which rat runs are good at some specific time. No evidence at all of course as probably the last lime I was in a London cab there were no sat navs.
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Ashy

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Re: Taxi,s
« Reply #23 on: Jan 10, 2020, 04:24:16 PM »
I may be wrong here, and willing to stand corrected, but as I understand it, the compulsory knowledge only applies to the cabbies who can ply in central London and doesn't cover every street in the whole of greater London which is frankly vast. There are licenced, official Black cabs in the suburbs of London which cannot ply in the centre.