# The Knowledge



## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

Wow! watched the documentary on channel 4 last night. I didn't realise it was as hard as that. Big respect.
No wonder people are buying a TomTom and working for UBER :surprise:


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## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

Nobody else saw it then?


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Yes I watched it. I see they have nice new offices now, even a coffee and water cooler, what ever next.:grin2::grin2: The Brighton knowledge was based on the same idea.but as the area was not as large, fortunately it only took approx 12 months. It is not just the roads and routes, but places as well, hotels shops clubs stations and so much more.


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## charlieivan (Apr 25, 2006)

Not only do they have to know the roads and places, they also seem to have to know something about the history of some of the landmarks and statues. There was a whole series of the knowledge a few years ago if I remember correctly.


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## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

It was nice that they showed respect to each other, using Sir and Maam.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Yes indeed there was.One should mention that a cabby is expected to know virtually every place in the area he works in, as you say the history included. Some of us went on a course to learn a lot of the history of Brighton to a level that allowed us to be a qualified tourist guide approved by the council.With all those dates I felt that I was in the Middle East.>


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

*the knowledge*

the manchester test used to be horriblely hard, when peter and david my two sons decided they wanted to be cab drivers like bernard,my new partner,now husband,he took it on himself to teach them. we had a huge map of manchester, it filled one wall in our lounge,and he used to set them routes, and they had to work out the best way of getting there and memerise the roads on the way, then bernard would give them a list of pubs etc,and they had to work out which went where,no wonder we all love him,he got them through no problem,2 of the youngest cab drivers in manchester.

bernard still will get in a cab and give a pub and crossroads,to see how good the driver is,but now they all use satnavs, they call on their radio,and get co.ods, he thinks thats cheating............

mags


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

When I was driving for a trav el company we had about 150 VW T5s. The company was based in Reigate Borough. 

The trips we did to deliver clients to airports and ports for their holidays were free(included in the package) so were not for Hire and Reward, nontheless the Borough deemed that we needed Private Hire licences for all the vehicles and all the drivers, even though some vehicles and drivers were based in Leeds, Exeter et. and many of the guys had never been to Reigate in their lives.

We all had to go to Reigate to be 'tested' by a Borough employee on being able to navigate a route in Reigate. We were given an A-Z and asked to point out a route from A to B. The examiners also knew it was a farce, since of the thousands of pick-ups we did in a year only a dozen might be in the Borough and that we relied on satnavs, because nobody can have the 'Knowledge' of all England and Wales:surprise: Before satnavs we had designated pick-up points in each town and copies of the street maps in a file at our bases.

What a total and utter waste of time and money, just because nobody would take the responsibility of exempting our company from the regulations. If I had been in charge I would have shopped around for a more flexible Local Authority and moved the nominal transport base to their area.

Of course it was a good little earner for Reigate - 150 vehicle and 250 Drivers' Licence Fees FFS:surprise:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Just watched it. 2-4 years to get your badge they reckon. A lot to remember. I would have liked to have found out more about where they go from there though. Presumably your self employed and have to buy your own cab, or lease one. I presume the average salary of £37k is after expenses surely, wont go far in London. Dont they cost a fortune?


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Last time I took a taxi I was driven by a professor of zoology from Estonia and I had to give him turn by turn directions!


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

I worked for Yellow Cab for about 5 months in 71/72 in Philadelphia. Dead easy 2 days training and I was behind the wheel. A big Plymouth Fury with column 3 speed. City is grid pattern, East West avenues, North South Streets. Every 5th one named and all others numbered. I could take you to any block in the city even today. A bit like co ordinates. The suburbs were a bugger though.

Dick


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

That was not a Black cab space runner. A cab now is around the £37k mark barryd.They have now produced an Electric one, but do not know cost.


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