Taxis - Black Cabs, Uber, Illegal Cabbies

Now I get you. That's me fucked then.

Bits of debris flying around in low earth orbit (where all the satellites are)...

With the notable exception of GPS satellites, which orbit at an altitude of about 20,000 km.

It'll be a mixed blessing, no Stravanauts and we go back to a world of Audax routesheets, carrying pages ripped out of a 1:250,000 road atlas, cateye Velo 8 cycle computers and remembering to look out for and read signs.

I've still got an old Cateye cycle computer in the shed that recorded time, distance and speed every 5 seconds or so and the data could be downloaded to a computer. Can't remember the model number though and google isn't helping.

With the notable exception of GPS satellites, which orbit at an altitude of about 20,000 km.

Sure, but the existing satellites have a finite lifespan (~20 years for the ones being launched now), so once LEO is a no go zone it'll be way too risky (given the high probability of losing the payload) of trying to get anything through it into MEO.

My audax career over. Oh well, at least I got PBP done. :)

I still have my Powertap headunits - they record almost everything that Garmins do except the GPS stuff (the new Joules do GPS). They're just more reliable, cheaper... hmm... maybe I should use them instead of Garmins.

Somehow this picture of the classroom alone makes me wish it hadn't closed.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/02/londons-largest-black-cab-school-to-close-knowledge-point-rising-rent-uber

^Even the guy in the pic though is like "fuck this noise...google maps on me iphone".

Roadworks at E+C gonna have to reprint all these maps...

So is looking fat, unhealthy and about ready for a heart attack a pre-knowledge requirement for becoming a black cab driver?

Uber drivers protesting about Uber http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/12/uber-drivers-protest-at-fee-hike-in-first-london-demo

Talking to an Uber driver yesterday, he was saying that there are a lot more drivers compared to when he started eighteen months ago (even taking into account the increase in customers) and he's finding that he's spending longer waiting for a fare nowadays.

Looks like the competition authority has thrown out most of TFL's proposals that were meant to stifle Uber http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/12/02/competition_markets_authority_dismiss_plans_by_tfl_to_regulate_uber/

"If we relocate to the suburbs we will alienate a lot of people who come to us."

Funny, because the one in Acton seems to do ok.

https://blackcabknowledgeguy.wordpress.com/

Sounds like Addison Lee. The company hires more and more drivers so they can deal with more customers but the cabbies get less work.

cough robocars cough

Wow. Them appearances. Did lol. Did think about GPS. Did think about the number of legit LBCs who can't navigate to my flat from Victoria.

I studied Fourier series maths at uni... I'd barely recognise an equation let alone be able to do anything with it these days. Knowledge can disappear...

Oh, yeah, exactly - which is why 'the knowledge' strikes me as a bit pointless now that a GPS will tell you where the street is and a rough knowledge of London will tell you how to get there.

But it is nice just being able to get into a black cab and say "The Civil Service Club" without there being a 5 minute delay whilst they ask you where it is, what the address is, what's the postcode, before spending another 3 minutes slowly typing it in to their satnav. Or, worse, setting off and doing all of the above whilst not really paying attention to the road.

Voice recognition tho

Put postcode in Uber, press go, cab arrives, get in, bosh.

Or that's the theory - the most recent Uber I called cancelled on me when he realised where I wanted to go (SE23 from Heathrow).

Someone told me that Ubers are responsible for a lot of congestion on popular routes as they all blindly follow the same GPS routes. Black cab drivers with the knowledge are able to avoid this congestion.

Last few I've been in have used Waze for routing which generally re-routes around heavy congestion. I think this is starting to become integrated into Google Maps too.

Black cabs may be able to avoid this congestion but I suspect that fairly soon most GPSs will know where the congestion is in advance whereas black cabs will only be able to avoid it after they've hit it.

Black cabs may be able to avoid this congestion but I suspect that fairly soon most GPSs will know where the congestion is in advance whereas black cabs will only be able to avoid it after they've hit it.

Most black cabs I've been in recently have a SatNav to display the traffic for this very purpose. Never seen them use it for navigation (it's not prompting them nor do they program it).

This very much.

Congestion cause by Ubers is just clutching at straws, congestion is cause by the promoting of driving in London.

Protest by 5,000 taxi drivers tomorrow around Whitehall, 2.30 p.m. More details on the Unite website.