As a social worker, I was once driving a client who was a diagnosed psychopath in the back seat of my car. He was a teenager but his hobby was power lifting and he was STRONG. He decided to strangle me with my seatbelt. We were on the motorway, and it was a dangerous moment. For him it was simply a joke, and his mother eventually managed to talk him into letting go...
I’m a taxi driver in Canberra, Australia. I wish we had these vehicles here. For us, our wheelchair accessible taxis (WAT) are Toyota Hiace vans, and they are very expensive to buy and fit out with the wheelchair ramp, so we only have a handful of cabs that do wheelchair work.
I’m a taxi driver in Canberra, Australia. I wish we had these vehicles here. For us, our wheelchair accessible taxis (WAT) are Toyota Hiace vans, and they are very expensive to buy and fit out with the wheelchair ramp, so we only have a handful of cabs that do wheelchair work.
I use a wheelchair, but my daughter pushes it for me. I have not been in a black cab since _years_ before I became disabled, and have not visited London (other than by 'Hospital Transport' to get to appointments) so this video is helpful as I'd like to visit London without the trips to Hospital ...but as we live in Bellingham, S E London, I'd worry we'd be stranded, if a 'cabbie' wouldn't want to travel out that far (...& my agoraphobia means I cannot face trains or buses, especially with my w.chair). 🤔❤️🖖
Limited mobility is something I've had to deal with for my partner and London Taxis make moving around town as easy as if there were no problems walking. The drivers are also unfailingly helpful.
Nottinghamshire black cabs refused to take our electric wheelchairs, they claimed that it ‘damaged the floor.’ We had to buy our own adapted vehicle when we both became chair bound.
“Why would a driver refuse a fair?” Sadly as a wheelchair user I can add another reason to that list Tom. Far too often drivers get selective blind spots when passing a wheelchair user with their arm out, and if they DO make eye contact and have to “explain” they’ll drop the “my ramp isn’t working luv” or “I’ve got a bad back luv” clangers as their reasons, when it’s clear they just don’t want the hassle. So yeah, it’s cool that all black cabs are equipped to be accessible but not all black cab drivers are willing to utilise those features when requested to. Sorry to bash on your fellow drivers but I’ve had it happen to me far too many times 😢
@@e-curb yes, in London taxi drivers can be reported directly to TfL. Around the country you can report driver behaviour or discrimination to their local licensing body.
My country (Singapore)'s taxi drivers have also been reported to be more reluctant to transport wheelchair-bound passengers with their cars not specially designed for wheelchairs. So the drivers 1st have to help the passenger out of their wheelchair & into the car's seat, then fold the wheelchair & stow it in the boot, which is added work for the driver, some of whom are also older
All this safety and guaranteed insurance and cost to the taxi driver and all people care about is cost and don’t give a S,,T shame I did 33 years but loved it
Thanks for sharing. There's so many myths and false facts about black cabs. Even as an able bodied person, I've found it hard to flag them down. Cross over the road and face the other way and they stop. But they find an excuse why they can't go in that direction. Also, as a white male with a shaved head (because I'm bald) it's not at all uncommon for the driver to go on a racist tirade thinking I must be a part of the Klan or something. Makes me very uncomfortable very often.
This is cracking content Tom. One of your best. I'm really impressed at how accesssible the London Taxi is. It's one of very few examples I've ever seen where accessibility is built in to the design of the product. Love you to do a deeper diver on this subject.
Recently had my longest cab ride ever, anywhere. And that was in London. Originally I was supposed to be picked up by someone at London City Airport and driven to a hotel in Hammersmith (W6). So basically it is on the other side of the city. Normally I would have just taken the bus and the tube. But I had some small but pretty heavy equipment cases with me so that was not an option. In all, that was a pleasant one hour and 20 minute ride - give or take - through quite some dense traffic. Less stressful and noisy than the tube, but also about 85 quid. Unbeknownst to me there had been a breakdown in communication among the people who were supposed to organise my pickup.
We always used taxis when we were crossing London, and I really liked the old open luggage racks, and of course the screens stopped the wind and rain blowing in on the driver and the passengers. Every time I'm in London I always see people learning The Knowledge, and it still amazes me that so many people can learn to navigate in London so well. I've worked there in the past, so I know some parts very well, but not necessarily how to get from one area to another, and certainly not all the street names.
I have just discovered your channel, and I like it. I was a green badge driver back in the 1970's, my number was 18939. I worked for 23 years at which point I'd had enough. So good luck to you and be lucky.
I really like the wheelchair improvements that the TX E has, specifically that it’s a bigger area and the whole thing is just wider so it makes it easier when you spin the chair round to put the restraints on, not to mention the ramp also. I say this is somebody who has CP and is chair bound
Do many central London hotels, clubs etc still have lights for hailing a taxi? I suspect it must have been a response to doormen constantly whistling for one.
I've always thought that the tight turning circle of black cabs was to do with being able to turn around quickly to pick up a fare. I remember when you could hail a taxi on the street and there were loads around in central london, so competition between them was pretty high to get fares flagging them on the street. These days of course good luck getting a black cab to stop, they are all pre booked hire these days and it's essentially impossible to hail one on the street now. So maybe it's time to get rid of the tight turning circle requirement.
Still baffles me that how most taxis have that divide behind the driver, yet you are still exempt from wearing a seatbelt “so you can’t get strangled” when it’s virtually impossible because the divide is separating the passengers from the drivers anyway.
On the last partitioned taxis I rode, there was a hole for paying the driver. A long-armed passenger could probably reach through and grab the seatbelt.
I’m inclined to agree, but in many other cities, regular ‘cars’ such as Tom’s example of a Mondeo serves for ‘Hackney carriage’ work (picking up from the street) as well as private hire. Buses are also exempt, so long as there isn’t a belt fitted.
Meanwhile in Singapore taxis are exempted from requiring airbags supposedly for cost reasons, maybe as we assume that taxi drivers, like people who drive for a living, are more professional and thus less likely to get in an accident. However over time I think its also getting rarer anyway for car manufacturers to make airbag-free versions of their vehicles
Still baffles me how most people don't use their brains, many partitioned taxis does have a hole for paying the driver with cash. Some passenger could probably reach through and grab the seatbelt.
Thanks for showing the accessibility features, when I go to London I use taxis because it’s easiest way to get round using a wheelchair. By the way you forgot to mention the hearing loop another access feature
The Hackney Horse breed was developed in the 14th century in Norfolk when the King of England required powerful but attractive horses with an excellent trot, to be used for general purpose riding horses. Since roads were rudimentary in those times, Hackneys were a primary riding horse, riding being the common mode of equine transportation. The trotting horses were more suitable as war horses than amblers with their pacing gaits. As a result, in 1542 King Henry VIII required his wealthy subjects keep a specified number of trotting horse stallions for breeding use.
When I bought my first blck cab to use as car, (FX4 serial number 459.)the turning circle was so that the cab could turn between walls 28feet apart. Very useful.
Wow. I absolutely loved this video. I love interesting facts. The seatbelt info was particularly fascinating and so obvious when you think about it. Thank you, loving your work.
My Black Cab story. I'm sure many others could tell similar ones. It was sometime in 2014 I think. Having been diagnosed with Parkinson's some 5 years earlier I was still able to walk but not as fast as I once was. I'd arranged to meet a friend at a theatre. It was to be our last theatre trip together but one. I had turned up later than I should have been at the wrong theatre. 20 minutes to curtain up 2 miles as the crow flies I think .I hailed a cab explained the situation apologised that it might be such small fare. My cabby accepted while warning me that he could make no guarantee on time and that a n earlier political march had upset normal traffic flows. I said that my friend was waiting and I had to try. And off we went. And for the next 21 minutes I was privileged to witness a professional using all his knowledge, the capabilities of his vehicle, road craft etc to deliver me on time. He never pushed his luck, Was gentle as a kitten to other road users . Patient with cyclists. But ready to use the accelerator the moment an opportunity presented itself. Honesty if I could have filmed it I would have sent the results to the Tourist Board. So I was 1 maybe 2 minutes late. there was perhaps £12.50 on the clock and although as I recall I offered him £20 note and keep the change he would not take my money.. What a pearl. My freind had guessed at my silliness informed the front of house crew who held the doors open right to my seat. Curtain went up about 20 seconds later. Andc my friend and I were able to enjoy one of our last fun times together . I don't recall much of the play, but I'll remember that taxi ride forever.
On the point of refusing jobs, I live in E1 and can guarantee that I will be refused 1,2,3 times before a driver will actually take me from west end area to home. Just because there’s a rule doesn’t mean it’s followed unfortunately
So strange because most drivers live out Essex way. To this day other cabbies still baffle me, you could give them the ideal scenario on a plate and they’d refuse it
They often don't bother stopping when seeing my wheelchair. I hide around the corner, and get an able bodied person to flag them down, and the first one stops. Had this multiple times.
I'm over 60 years old, but I remember very clearly asking why there were so many black cabs when I was a boy and the cabbys said that the Hackney Carriages changed to black for the death of Queen Victoria and continued with the colour because it became cheaper to have just black cabs and because they were far easier to identify from the private vehicles. I also remember seeing new colours starting to appear in the 1960s onwards and this was mainly due to advertising contracts so the cabbies could earn extra. I also recall the cabs with open front seat areas for luggage strapped in by the driver and the meters with flags. There were cabs with doors that opened in the direction of travel and the opposite way which is conventional today. Back then, every cabbie taking The Knowledge would be seen buzzing around London on scooters with the maps on clipboards attached to the handlebars and if they were nearing the end of their Knowledge, you'd see them in the suburbs and they had to learn them all, not just one area, but all suburbs. Another thing that made everyone sit up and take notice was when some cabbies showed their prodigious memory by winning Mastermind and other contests. Some of these cabbies became celebrities and others would give you a patter about who they had in the back last week. Not forgetting the famous and the Royalty who also purchased a cab so they could ride across the city incognito, such as the old Duke of Edinburgh or more modern ones like Stephen Fry. I hate to think what will happen to cabbies when the EVs start to dominate. They won't be able to pick up a fare at Leicester Square and take them to Liverpool as they might have in the past. EVs will be the death of cabbies as we know them. The Government wants to force the public to use public transport and will eventually have fleets of driverless cars wandering the cities as AI controlled Ubers. It would be a crying shame if that happened as a trade that has been around since before the industrial age will die.
You wrote all this just to hide your EV FUD? Here's another one for you: Don't buy an EV; their battery only lasts 100 yards, then they explode in a big fireball, killing everyone in the same town and you have to buy a new battery that costs 2 million pounds!!! And, BTW, a typical EV has a range of around 300 to 400 miles, which is more than enough for that 220-mile route.
EV's will change nothing. SatNav was going to change everything it didn't Hell I'm, sure the A-Z street map book was "going to change everything". And if the cab hasn't changed much in 50 years, the road layout sure has. And the business the punters will never change. JUzst sas long as London is huge, scary, filthy. disorganised untidy and crime riddled pelole will iook outr for the guy who knows, the one who has knowledge. And I don't just mean "the Knowledge". And they'll pay a premium just to hear that gentleman say "where to guv?"
In the US, laws are different on how and when you can hail a taxi, depending on the city. Some places won't allow you to hail on the street and you need to pick one up at a taxi stand. Since it is not standard, it is understandable for people to be confused, but really it is no excuse to not do your research before you travel somewhere.
Meanwhile in Singapore you're compelled to board & alight taxis only at taxi stands only when you're downtown (since 2008) so that taxis that've stopped to pick up/drop off passengers don't get in the way of public buses, though this law excludes roads without such buses, otherwise some addresses in more minor roads downtown are up to a 350m walk from the nearest taxi stand!
Only used a London cab once. Had to go to Harwich from Stratford because the trains did not run. Had to catch the overnight ferry home. Some motorways were closed too. So that became an interesting high speed race through the countryside. A nice but expensive experience.
I knew about the single front seat before- I remember travelling across London as a child with my mother and brother on the way to boarding school; we had a trunk each, plus a suitcase for my mother. The cabbie always put them next to the meter. I haven’t been in a cab in thirty years, it’s amazing how many features they have now. Although I do love the shape of the older cabs
Taximeters... As a Cabbie in Yeovil during the 90's I bought my own meter but it had to be calibrated and checked by the local authority. To do that a council inspector would be in the cab and you had to start from a point on a main road, continue along without going over 50 mph to the end of the road, round the roundabout and do the same back on Rate 2. Had to be observant when setting off! One of the main roads into Yeovil so could be busy. There were marker posts for the distances when tariff changed.
I work as a private-hire driver and have just taken possession of a brand new BMW I7. It’s a spectacular car and even has a very large theatre screen for those on the rear seat!!! Like many cabs, it also comes with rear-wheel steering. Amazing. p.s. I’ve seen plenty of black cabbies waiting on ranks near hotels who have refused jobs where the drivers cannot see any luggage. They’re after the airport jobs!!!!
Meanwhile in Singapore some taxi drivers are willing to pick up people from the airport only after 1700h as that's when the airport surcharge increases from S$3 to S$5 (now there's even a roadside carpark just before some of the airport terminals with a public toilets whee I remember the drivers can wait before picking up passengers)
As somebody who lives over in the United States watching your video. This is some interesting facts about British taxis and really cool things. It's sad they don't integrate this idea into the US taxis. That way it will be really useful, especially with people with disabilities
The United States is decades behind when it comes to people with disabilities. They don't even have laws to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Airports in the UK use the word Taxi, as in Taxis this way sign, which sends you directly to a massive Private hire company, we in Bristol have pointed this out to the police and council, guess there not interested, and let them carry on
Everyone in the UK calls private hire cars "taxis" to the point where I'm sure most people would be confused if they changed the sign. Besides, most towns don't even have real taxis, only private hire, and they're quite happy that way. The only difference to me is that you're not supposed to hail a private hire car. Accessibility doesn't seem to be a problem as the private hire companies have some accessible cars and you just tell them when you book. Why do we even have a separation between private hire and taxis in this country?
@@653j521 Private hire drivers have to pass the same checks as Black cab drivers. EG CRB check, full medical, safeguarding course, disability awareness course, and in my area, English and maths test and also a driving test! Private hire insurance costs around £2500 per year which includes public liability insurance.
Intitally, I was a bit confused by the term “minicab” which, I came to realize means a form of private hire vehicle. On my first visit to London a number of years ago, I arranged a minicab from Gatwick to near Covent Garden. Being from New York City, taxis are a way of life. However, the quality of the experience absolutely pales in comparison to that of hiring a proper London Taxi. The fact that a London taxi is a purpose-designed vehicle has an enormous advantage. In NYC, it is necessary to select a specific taxi if, for example, you have a large package as many taxis are regular sedans such as Toyota Camrys and finding one that is a minivan can be difficult. This became clear when we hired a taxi to take us from our hotel to the Victoria bus station and our luggage fit nicely in the front. It was completely stress free. Thanks for the detailed and entertaining video. It brought back fond memories of London!
Thanks for this video. Informative and entertaining. The lowest Uber fee in Leeds currently appears to be £4.16, just going from my house to my neighbour’s. I only know it’s less than a fiver as I needed to get to a gig recently which was listed as 17 minutes walk away, in an unfamiliar town in the Dales, and it came to £4.53, so when you mentioned £5, I knew this wasn’t the case. Can’t speak for Uber in London, though.
Tom, I recently had what I perceived as an unpleasant situation with a London cab recently. It was about 4am, and wanted to go Leicester Square to Brixton. Driver wanted to fix a fair at like £60, and we had to negotiate to use the meter and I'm sure it ended up being like £35. Is this a bit naughty?
If that happens again, be sure to get at least one of the identification numbers displayed on the taxi. Then, be sure to email TFL and complain to them.
The black cab as we know only dates back to 1948, before which taxis were produced in all different colours. The then new brand of choice , the Austin FX3, was produced in black as standard, with buyers having to pay extra for any different colours. As owners tended to buy whole fleets at a time they decided it wasn't worth the expense and just left them black.
I use London taxis a fair bit when I visit London however, I have just watched your video and it has really open my eyes on about the taxi system. Very interesting great stuff. Thanks for sharing such interesting facts. Keep up the great work, stay safe. 😎
Thanks, Tom, for another cracking in-depth video. In South Ayrshire, where I work, we have side access taxis, mostly Transits, Vivaros, or Experts, no TXE as they don't have the luggage capability we require for golfers or airport runs. Most have front seats, too. +50% for 6, 7 or 8 though. We start at 3.80 for 3/4 mile, then 2.70 for full mile (1-5 pax)). There is no knowledge test either, unfortunately (we have a lot of out of area drivers) Any colour (black until 2001) Taxi vs PH? I say if it has an orange Taxi sign above the windscreen, it's a taxi if it doesn't? It isn't. Stay safe out there.!
I lived in London for 7 years and even had a friend whose dad was a taxi driver (yes, the real one), but I did not know most of the things in this video. Very informative and interesting video.
From Paris very interesting on your side.Many rogue "taxis" at the airports here in Paris Terre d'Envols (Takeoff zone) borough (Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget).
14:08: No hay but Yfood is pretty much the same thing. I first encountered the trope that it is illegal to shout "TAXI" in London watching Designated Survivor.
Even up here in Lincolnshire my Granddad got a whack on the back of the head and robbed driving a Black Cab. Also someone opened his back door when they was moving and fell out. I thought they had banned them doors? The wind rips them open if your moving.
@14:38 according to wikipedia, requirement to carry a bale of hay in a cab was amended in 1976, something like 30 years after horse drawn cabs gave away to motor vehicles. Source: the interwebs. (And it isn't that long since 1980's) (I've tried London Cab once, and it was somewhat an rush hour. Tight turning radius was obviously useful and the cabbie really did get me where I needed to be quickly and safely.)
I think the disabled access is one of the best things about London taxi cabs. Even as a fully able bodied person, the space and accessibility is great for storing luggage
Great video Tom so much interesting info, knew some but so much I didn’t, miss the daily shift videos but these new style ones are great too , always look forward to them , cheers buddy, keep safe and well
The Term Overhaul is out of date but is used to identify the Yearly NSL relicensing test, when you say NSL to a driver even if they're new they dont seem to get it, but mention Overhaul and it resonates. 😂
The reason London taxis are black isn't because of the reasons stated. The black cab as we know only dates back to 1948, before which taxis were produced in all different colours. The then new brand of choice , the Austin FX3, was produced in black as standard, with buyers having to pay extra for different colours. Owners tended to buy whole fleets at a time and decided it wasn't worth the expense to pay extra
The French manufacturer thing must be an urban myth. Mann & Overton commissioned the FX-series of London Taxis based on Austin chassis and mechanicals with bodies built by coach builder Carbodies, the FX3 was the one mentioned in this video with no door on the baggage compartment. The FX4 ran from 1958 to 1997, but in the 1980s, Austin Rover as it was then known handed everything over to Carbodies, who then produced the entire taxi. They then switched from Land Rover engines to Nissan 2.7-litre power from the Terrano. Carbodies was bought by Chinese firm Manganese Bronze, itself now part of Geely; but Carbodies is still in existence as LEVC.
What would the advantage of being a suburban cabbie be? As you say, their local area test is just as in-depth and would take a fair bit of time to master too, but then they are only limited to that area whereas you learn the 6 mile radius from Charing Cross but get to pick up anywhere in London -- and especially, in the busier parts of London. There seems to less pros than cons.
I never get that. Very little hailing goes down in the suburbs and in most areas I know they are maybe only a few ranks etc that are ever busy. I think it does take a bit less time to pass though.
Maybe the taxi rent & fares are cheaper? NY also has this too with their green taxis, & so did HK (while red ones can go anywhere, blue ones are restricted to Lantau island while green ones are restricted to the airport & the New Territories)
Talking about the bale of hay in the boot was the perfect chance to drop in a Y-food segue. “We don’t have hay any more, but we can still feed the operator with a delicious……..”
My understanding of the partition is that it was there for passenger privacy, but also to prevent the can drive catching any diseases that may be going around. Same reason why there is no front seat. I don't know how true this is.
I love this country. It doesn’t matter how old we are there is always something new to learn with fascinating history which always makes sense as why things are the way they are! Thanks for all that information…I knew a small amount!!
Here in South Dorset the meter starts at £1.50. Our Cabs can travel up to 300 miles. The meters are also part of the Rear View Mirror in some cars. But 300 miles max distance (i.e., Weymouth to Waterloo Station and beyond) Why do London Cabs only go 12 miles, that is really insane to believe.
I'm definitely no expert but I think if you consider the different environments I think you'll have at least a partial answer. In a more rural area, by necessity, you'd probably have larger distances between fare pickups. Costs will be different. Traffic, and therefore journey times, will be different. Even the cost of the cab itself, and the cost of ownership will be different. I guess economics is the crucial thing. To do a long trip in Dorset may well make sense as the money from that (and, more importantly, the money not being earned on the way back) might still be more than you can earn with many shorter trips within the same time period. In London, that is probably not going to be the case. The rules are built not only for the protection of passengers but you also need to ensure they don't make operating a cab a non-profit proposition, or people just won't do it. To impose a 300 mile limit on London cabs would probably mean no more London cabs. To impose a 1,000 mile limt on Dorset cabs might make your local cabies think about how many such journeys are likely and if just one or two of them a year would kill their business. I'm sure someone with deeper insight can come up with a number of other reasons as well. I'm just speculating.
In Singapore we have a handful of taxi companies each with their own livery, & they have standardized their respective fleets around different car models, each with their meter starting at a different fee! (for the 1st km) Below is a non-exhaustive list of different taxi car models' fees from a few years back before a recent fare hike: Toyota Crown (Comfort) (formerly operated by all companies): S$3 (~£1.60) Hyundai Sonata (replaced gradually by Hyundai i40) (operated by ComfortDelgro) & i30 hatchback (defunct; operated by Premier Taxis): $3.20 Toyota Wish MPV (formerly operated by TransCab) $3.40 Chevrolet Epica (formerly operated by TransCab & SMRT Taxis (now Strides)) $3.60 Hyundai i40 (operated by ComfortDelgro but now being replaced by Hyundai Ioniq) & Kia Optima (operated by Premier Taxis) $3.70 Toyota Prius (operated by Strides) $3.80 Renault Latitide (operated by TransCab) $3.90 Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI limo (operated by multiple companies) $4.50 Chrysler 300C (formerly operated by SMRT Taxis (now Strides)) $5 Taxis can also drive to neighbouring Malaysia's Johor Bahru (JB) city but to only 1 designated drop-off/pick up point there, & vice-versa for JB's taxis (which are usually red)
In many US cities (Portland, OR and Tulsa, OK among them), as a long-standing antipollution and anticongestion tactic, vehicles for hire can only stop in legal parking places and may not answer hails outside taxi stands or taxi ranks, and usually cuts both ways to both the person making the illegal request to stop and taxi drivers who stop illegally to take on or alight passengers.
Loved this video Tom. Very educational and interesting....I now know after all these years Hackney Carriage has no connection to the district of East London...
You can easily make those cab turn a lot tighter. Add a second parking brake lever, then each lever (new +oem) to a separate wheel (left rear + right rear). lock the wheel on the inside & the car will spin around it.
This is really interesting, I know you covered this in the video that you have been a driver since 2017. My question for you is, Knowing how different driving tests are in Europe compared to the states, how long did it take you to become a taxi driver in London?
You missed a perfect "side jump" when you were talking about the boot. "I know what you might be wondering. No luggage. Why? Because I have my Y Foods here which are a perfect meal. They sponsor my videos." ;) Hahaha
A lot of the Not South of the River was the old gangland turfs, which ended with the Krays/Richardson battle, but dated back at least to Tudor times. An east-end driver has a different accent from Bermondsey-Deptford-Thamesmead, and wasn't safe there. That's two generations back, and most of the old lags have gone, but some traditions survive.
When Henry Ford was making the model T he would state. Apparently you can have any colour so long as it is black. Apparently the reason for this with mass production black, was the colour that dried the quickest?
