HOW TO BE A 1960S LONDON TAXI DRIVER: Chats with my Dad about driving a black cab

by Neil Mossey

My Dad's a London taxi driver. A cabbie. Licensed Owner/Driver of a black taxi.That's silver.Except he's stopped driving now.Taxi drivers don't retire. They just stop driving. And hand in their precious Green Badge.You don't get a leaving gift and goodbye card, even after serving Londoners for over 50 years.But he pounded the streets of London for money. And I knew it was hard getting that licence, that Green Badge.When he stopped driving, I suddenly realised that I had no idea exactly how hard.Or how he got there. Or why. And I've got kids.I know they will ask me about him or look him up in the future.So in the Summer of 2018, I set up a camera and we had a chat. Ian covers what it was like to pass "The Knowledge" - the toughest road test in the world: to memorise every street, building and place of interest in London; Getting the Green Badge; Hiring and buying a London black taxi cab; How London's licensed taxi radio circuits worked and how to join them; plus the tricky odd and weird customers he's faced over the years.I hope this helps anyone in the future researching the London Licensed Taxi Cab Trade, Black Taxis and private hire cabs in general or even public transport in London.Thanks for coming along for the ride.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1718142390
• ISBN13: 9781718142398
• Release Date: August 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.2" x 6.0"