Will London cab drivers be rubbing their greasy little hands over the Royal Wedding?
I see you have admitted this question is a wind-up. However, I would very much like to put in a word to try to redress the balance, as the tenor of the responses you have received seems to be very one-sided. I am talking about London “black cab” drivers only, not mini-cabs. London taxi drivers typically spend between two and four YEARS studying “The Knowledge” and until they pass the test, they cannot become a black cab driver. They have to know in detail 320 routes in a six-mile radius from Charing Cross, and the places of interest and landmarks along each one. I saw a documentary once about cabbies taking their periodical tests on The Knowledge, and it looked extremely daunting. The examiners are really scary civil servants. Would-be taxi drivers also have a background check, and will be tested on their suitability to be a London taxi driver. They not only have to be extremely good and safe drivers, but their personal qualities must fit too, e.g. anyone liable to fly off the handle a
