London Cabbie Knowledge

Anyone do the knowledge on a bike anymore or do trainees only use mopeds/scooters these days? Any pros or cons of using a bike?

If you are on a bike a cabbie is more likely to try to kill you.

Is THAT what they're doing?! Sorry if I'm being thick here, I always wondered what blokes were doing on the moped's with little mapped areas in front of them.
Wow, that's actually quite interesting despite the fact that the end result is next to useless for me.

That's what they were doing, it's cheaper to learn on a moped especially in London.

Had a long conversation with a gent a couple of years ago who was doing all the knowledge runs on a bicycle. He wasn't the youngest or fittest looking person I've ever seen and he made it sound pretty easy. Don't see why you shouldn't be able to.

Is THAT what they're doing?! Sorry if I'm being thick here, I always wondered what blokes were doing on the moped's with little mapped areas in front of them.
Wow, that's actually quite interesting despite the fact that the end result is next to useless for me.

Oh for pity's sake. What did you think they were doing? Checking the accuracy of the Ordnance Survey? Retracing the steps of celebrity prostitutes? Lamp post spotting?
And you can see me in my office tomorrow to explain that apostrophe too.

They have to learn a number of routes from Charing Cross, about 30 I think. Memorised, street by street. Sat Navs don't help if someone gets in the cab and says:

"I need to go to that park that was in Sliding Doors!"

The invigilators are wankers too, if they find out the applicant's done time they ask for directions to Pentonville, saw that on a documentary years ago.

, if they find out the applicant's done time they ask for directions to Pentonville, saw that on a documentary years ago.

made me lol,

Oh for pity's sake. What did you think they were doing? Checking the accuracy of the Ordnance Survey? Retracing the steps of celebrity prostitutes? Lamp post spotting?
And you can see me in my office tomorrow to explain that apostrophe too.

are you a cabbie? you sound like one.

No, I am Paramounted's adopted father. You think it's easy? It's not.

Can't they just google it?

are you a cabbie? you sound like one.

think hes a driving instructor or something like that

Can't they just google it?

yeah they be like, " yeah mate Ill go there for ya, checking me phone, just wait a sec me 3 connectivities a bit shit in Camden, Ill find out where were going soon"

No, I am Paramounted's adopted father. You think it's easy? It's not.

Won't you ever learn to accept me? Intelligence comes in different forms, you know.

They have to learn a number of routes from Charing Cross, about 30 I think. Memorised, street by street.

You need to learn 320 runs, plus about 30,000 points of interest, so not too easy ;)

Research of cabbie's brains (apparently they do have them!) show an increase in size as they study the knowledge. Memory bit increases in size, as does the right wing racist area LOL :) :)

I always appreciated The Knowledge and the dedication of the drivers who do it. We asked a few if they knew where our tag was during the Taggy Cat ride a couple of years ago. They couldn't help but I found out that to learn The Knowledge takes about four years, in your own time, unpaid.

It's a cool quirk, but kind of a ridiculous waste of time now that sat navs exist. There's a pretty funny 70s sitcom / mini series called The Knowledge. Worth a watch.

i remember the knowledge, a bitchin song about the knowledge at the end. The Knowledge - Part 8 of 8 - End Credits - YouTube

It's a cool quirk, but kind of a ridiculous waste of time now that sat navs exist.

I'm not so sure. When people follow sat navs they never actually know where they are or where they're going, just when they next need to turn.

yeah they be like, " yeah mate Ill go there for ya, checking me phone, just wait a sec me 3 connectivities a bit shit in Camden, Ill find out where were going soon"

Street View, dude. At home, while learning. Never mind...

I'm not so sure. When people follow sat navs they never actually know where they are or where they're going, just when they next need to turn.

When they are dumb. If you know the area, you use the Sat-nav for a convenience only. Especially with live traffic updates.
They obviously can't handle "the Knowledge". You're a shell of a man afterwards. Need to read Daily Star to comprehend the news.

The only time I've taken a cab the driver didn't know the road I wanted to go and I had to give him half the directions.

I think this anecdote from some who self-confessedly has no experience with cabs proves that the knowledge is a load of shit.

Black Cab drivers have different licences (I have noted from looking at the cabs in traffic), some of them are "All London" and some are specific areas, I have no evidence for this but my assumption has always been that the region specific ones have only passed The Knowledge for that area, if that makes sense.

Traffic management is a fluid thing. Sure, you MUST memorise the layout, but remain open-minded in regard to actual routes - hence black cabs stick to their favourite spots. All the taxis I used rely on the navigation once it's not a Victoria Station but a crack house in Haggerston you want to get to.

I read a thing about the Knowledge quite a while ago:
http://blackcablondon.wordpress.com/the-knowledge-of-london-training-to-be-a-london-cabbie-my-experience-of-the-process/

Worth a look. Pity so many cabbies loose all empathy with other road users.

I ..... I found out that to learn The Knowledge takes about four years, in your own time, unpaid.
.

A now dead acquaintance of my own dead Dad, did it a bit quicker than that,
under a year I seem to remember,
but,
he had been medically retired, early, out of the Met after 20+ years driving a patrol car in central London.