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The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

tfl.gov.uk

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Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#41

Post by tweetle_beetle »

topicseed wrote: post #13

What is amazing with black cabs in London is their ability to find ways other than the normal one to get you where you need to be. This comes with experience from times where Google Maps wasn't so ubiquitous, and that insane Knowledge test. However, everything else I dislike with black cabs. I mostly use Uber and when the main route is problematic, the driver focuses on his phone more than on the road, and that's alr…

Out of curiosity, how have black cab drivers tried to rip you off? There's no room for maneuver in the fixed fare structure [1], which is designed to incentivise taking more low distance fares.

If anything, the traditional trope was that they were "generous" - if you asked for a receipt, they would give you a wedge of empty receipts for you to fill in yourself for tax claims.

[1] https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?intcm...

Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#42

Post by sheepdestroyer »

LatteLazy wrote: post #2

It's worth nothing that London is a huge mess of random streets. There is no grid pattern here, its still using the medieval street patterns, plus a whole set of one way routes and no stopping areas. That's why this is so complex. Roads are also all named, sometimes confusingly. "One poultry" is a road, not a building, you'll need a number to go with that to get to a building. "Crutched Friars" is a street. "Blackfri…

The proper locution is "it's worth noting".

Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#43

Post by topicseed »

tweetle_beetle wrote: post #41
topicseed wrote: post #13

What is amazing with black cabs in London is their ability to find ways other than the normal one to get you where you need to be. This comes with experience from times where Google Maps wasn't so ubiquitous, and that insane Knowledge test. However, everything else I dislike with black cabs. I mostly use Uber and when the main route is problematic, the driver focuses on his phone more than on the road, and that's alr…

Out of curiosity, how have black cab drivers tried to rip you off? There's no room for maneuver in the fixed fare structure [1], which is designed to incentivise taking more low distance fares. If anything, the traditional trope was that they were "generous" - if you asked for a receipt, they would give you a wedge of empty receipts for you to fill in yourself for tax claims. [1] https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-mi…

In my years of using black cabs, there were no common fixed fares used, they ran on a meter.

Fixed fares were mostly arranged and inflated by dealings with hotel concierges with cash exchanging hands before the guest went in their black cab.

So, to answer your question clearly, they attempted to rip me and my visiting relatives off multiple times by hearing a strong accent, and starting taking obviously non optimum routes until they are told to take the exact road I know that is in fact much shorter, and much faster. Several times.

Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#44

Post by tweetle_beetle »

topicseed wrote: post #43
tweetle_beetle wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, how have black cab drivers tried to rip you off? There's no room for maneuver in the fixed fare structure [1], which is designed to incentivise taking more low distance fares. If anything, the traditional trope was that they were "generous" - if you asked for a receipt, they would give you a wedge of empty receipts for you to fill in yourself for tax claims. [1] https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-mi…

In my years of using black cabs, there were no common fixed fares used, they ran on a meter. Fixed fares were mostly arranged and inflated by dealings with hotel concierges with cash exchanging hands before the guest went in their black cab. So, to answer your question clearly, they attempted to rip me and my visiting relatives off multiple times by hearing a strong accent, and starting taking obviously non optimum r…

The fixed fare structure I linked runs on a meter - there is no interpretation possible. And the structure rewards drivers for taking a higher number of shorter journeys to avoid the situation you are describing.

Paying a third party cash before a journey is arranged is not the typical use case for a black cab. In a traditional hotel situation, the concierge would either wander out into the street to hail a taxi for you that you pay for yourself (black cab), or act as a booking agent for a taxi (mini cab). It sounds like your family was being ripped off in the second scenario, and possibly tricked into thinking they were taking a black cab.

Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#45

Post by jennyyang »

zacwest wrote: post #36
jennyyang wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, I think you are making this up because it sounds like you've never actually used Uber before. > Uber/Lyft I usually had to give the full address and then wait while they typed it in With Uber and Lyft, YOU have to type in the address in the app before the car even gets summoned. You also get to see the destination so that there is no mistake. So I don't know why on Earth you would think you have to wait for th…

That is how it works now. That is not how it worked in the past, and presumably that is what they are referring to. I have many memories of jumping into an Uber Black in SF (before UberX existed) and saying cross-streets. It took a while into the evolution to add the destination picker, let alone make it required.

So you admit entire post is a lie, fabricated on information that is 10 years old. Gotcha.

Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#46

Post by FDSGSG »

topicseed wrote: post #39
FDSGSG wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber Lux drivers tend to be professional drivers working for luxury chauffeur companies and as such are vastly better than the regular Uber drivers, the prices are still competitive with black cabs (for up to 3 pax)

Can I play my music/radio via Bluetooth?

Of course you can.

Re: The Knowledge of London for cab drivers

#47

Post by woleium »

edoceo wrote: post #18
woleium wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We nearly got a grid after the great fire in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren had a plan[1]. In any case, the fire caused a major redesign, so not quite medieval, but not far off. [1] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/magazine-3...

No AMP!! https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35418272

oops! shakes fist at Google
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