Lemon Eddy
Disliked by dwyer
I have twice. They were wrong on both occasions, but on one did manage to segue into a racist rant from it.
Will GPS make The Knowledge redundant?
- Thread starter Stanley Edwards
- Start date
I have twice. They were wrong on both occasions, but on one did manage to segue into a racist rant from it.
T & P
|-o-| (-o-) |-o-|
I don't see that many of them in regular use these days tbh...
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so why didn't you walk, you lazy fucker?
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
Sat Navs still send people by weird routes, over endless speedbumps, into rivers, over bridges or into tunnels unsuitable for their vehicles. At work they regularly direct people aound the back of our building to a dead end next to a 12' wall - several streets away from the entrance. Who knows the postcode of everywhere they want to go?
I used to have a real taxi habit - generally I loved them, a real London institution. There were so few on the streets around brixton/hernehill 20 years ago - I used to know all the regular Brixton Black cabbies by name.
Used to get pissed off by the 'Nah! not going sarf!' or 'won't go there, its more than 6 miles' when I lived zone 2, North Dulwich next to a '4 & half mile to Whitehall' old stone mile post. And sexist/rascist/homophobic shit from a few of them - no tips for them and I'd tell them why.
Haven't been able to afford black cabs for years now, so no idea what they are like now.
I used to have a real taxi habit - generally I loved them, a real London institution. There were so few on the streets around brixton/hernehill 20 years ago - I used to know all the regular Brixton Black cabbies by name.
Used to get pissed off by the 'Nah! not going sarf!' or 'won't go there, its more than 6 miles' when I lived zone 2, North Dulwich next to a '4 & half mile to Whitehall' old stone mile post. And sexist/rascist/homophobic shit from a few of them - no tips for them and I'd tell them why.
Haven't been able to afford black cabs for years now, so no idea what they are like now.
If VP's been in Central London for something, or even near the river, we generally get a black cab home as it's easier than trying to find the nearest minicab office when he's extremely tired or in a lot of pain. The drivers are a mixed bunch, generally helpful about bags etc, once it's occurred to them that his walking stick isn't a fashion accessory. 
OTOH there was one who was outright unhelpful arse (he could see that both of us had luggage and were exhausted, but refused to help at all), only became helpful when we reached the destination. Sorry mate, too late; be helpful from the start or kiss your tip goodbye.
Some of them even know the main bits of Tulse Hill and Brixton, what with more of them living south of the river (due to housing prices) these days. VP's south London accent helps, as the drivers don't start by assuming that he might think he's better than them.
OTOH there was one who was outright unhelpful arse (he could see that both of us had luggage and were exhausted, but refused to help at all), only became helpful when we reached the destination. Sorry mate, too late; be helpful from the start or kiss your tip goodbye.
Some of them even know the main bits of Tulse Hill and Brixton, what with more of them living south of the river (due to housing prices) these days. VP's south London accent helps, as the drivers don't start by assuming that he might think he's better than them.
My phone can show all the queues in London, live. No human can do that all in their head.
A lot of the time the driver's knowledge will still have them avoid the clogged stuff, but there are occasions when I have to point out traffic problems they have no way of knowing about.
Personally I think in this day and age they should have that kit in the cab, so all passengers can benefit, not just smartphone owners who bother to look and then advise the driver.
hash tag
Books, not bombs
While working in the wee small hours, on the wandsworth gyratory, i saw a black cab, licenced and available for hire!
Wandsworth must be covered by the knowledge and it was hardly an unknown minor road he was driving round. It was a quiet, empty, well sign posted major route
Wandsworth must be covered by the knowledge and it was hardly an unknown minor road he was driving round. It was a quiet, empty, well sign posted major route
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
I heard someone on london local news complaining that the black cab drivers are running 'de facto londons last closed shop'
which made me feel more sympathy to them
which made me feel more sympathy to them
T & P
|-o-| (-o-) |-o-|
A very interesting documentary about The Knowledge on Channel 4 right know. I knew it was hard to pass it, but I'm astonished how fucking hard and demanding it actually is. Some people featured have been trying for six years. And the test routes given during the exams are absurdly challenging, as you're required to both describe the best route turn by thrn over many miles and know the name of every street in it.
Well worth catching on C4 on demand.
Well worth catching on C4 on demand.
EastEnder
Brixton Barnacle
They should try testing them on Brixton's one way system. Zero percent pass rate, guaranteed...
Dogsauce
I’ve got Skol but I’m not a Scholar
How do they keep the Knowledge updated? There's a lot of roads that have been blocked off recently to calm traffic and prevent rat running, I presume there's some kind of system for sharing this info and keeping all drivers informed?
The gf cycles through the De Beauvoir estate on the way to work and has encountered drivers having a complete breakdown and screaming at their sat navs after being sent down roads that are now blocked. GPS isn't useful here. Also when I pick the car up Google maps keeps wanting to send me through a junction that's been blocked by roadworks for about six months, not sure how it would pick this up.
The gf cycles through the De Beauvoir estate on the way to work and has encountered drivers having a complete breakdown and screaming at their sat navs after being sent down roads that are now blocked. GPS isn't useful here. Also when I pick the car up Google maps keeps wanting to send me through a junction that's been blocked by roadworks for about six months, not sure how it would pick this up.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
tony.c
Well-Known Member
They must have access to tfl online information these days. The PCO Examiners used to go out on motorbikes themselves years ago to find street changes and new Knowledge Points.
It was nice to see that Examiners are more diverse these days. They used to be retired Traffic motorcycle police who had done the Knowledge themselves. You had to treat them like gods and they would routinely insult you - supposedly to see how you would react to how passengers might treat you. it was Ken Livingstone who changed the way of recruiting Examiners to anyone who had done the Knowledge.
I see the C4 program claimed that doing the Knowledge is the learning equivalent of doing a degree in Law or Medicine! I'm chuffed to hear I'm that clever!
joustmaster
offcumdun
Why don't you submit the update to Google Maps? It only takes a couple of minutes to do.
tony.c
Well-Known Member
A lot of the Green Huts that still exist now also sell tea and food to the general public, though the seating inside is still reserved for cabbies.
They must have access to tfl online information these days. The PCO Examiners used to go out on motorbikes themselves years ago to find street changes and new Knowledge Points.
It was nice to see that Examiners are more diverse these days. They used to be retired Traffic motorcycle police who had done the Knowledge themselves. You had to treat them like gods and they would routinely insult you - supposedly to see how you would react to how passengers might treat you. it was Ken Livingstone who changed the way of recruiting Examiners to anyone who had done the Knowledge.
I see the C4 program claimed that doing the Knowledge is the learning equivalent of doing a degree in Law or Medicine! I'm chuffed to hear I'm that clever!
That show certainly increased my respect for London cabbies (which was fairly high to begin with in fairness )
I wonder if the examiners are still as nice when the cameras aren't rolling.
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