Q&A with a Cabbie - Alan from Kent

This week we talk to Alan from Kent on chauffeuring Donatella Versace, Liz Hurley & Rupert Everett.  Enjoy....

1. Why did you become a London Taxi driver ?

I'd worked in an office environment since I left school, in total, 20 years. I was earning a good salary but couldn't stand the office politics, endless pointless meetings and inept bosses making my life a misery. I was made redundant a couple of times and decided I wanted to control my own destiny but wasn't qualified to do anything else. My brother is a cabbie and I liked his lifestyle so I decided to follow his lead.

2. What did you do before you became a Taxi driver ?

Systems Analyst/Programmer in the finance industry, latterly an IT Consultant for a software company providing IT solutions to the Utilities industry

3. What do you love most about London ?

The fact that no two days are the same, every day I see something I haven't seen before and the fact that people come from all over the world to see it.

4. What do you most dislike about London ?

The road congestion and the poor air quality.

5. Are you a day man or night man reason why ? 

Split. Days Monday to Wednesday, Nights Thursday and Friday (and the odd Saturday). I used to work solely nights but this is not condusive to a happy family life. This was brought home when my relationship with my ex partner of 15 years broke down partly as a result of my hardly being at home when she and my daughter were. Thats why I have compromised on income and changed my work pattern back in favour of a more balanced home life in my new relationship.

6. What is your favourite place or view ?

My favourite building in London is the Natural History Museum. My favourite view is driving down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace, particularly when the flags are flying along the route on a sunny day.

7. Have you got an interesting fact about London that others may not know ?

The Ministry of Defence building. The offices you see above ground are 1/3rd of the building, the other 2/3rds are underground.

8. Who's the most famous passenger you've had in your Taxi ?

Toss up between Joan Collins and Jude Law. Although, given he's my all time footballing hero, I'd probably have to say personally, Johan Cruyff.

9. Have you got an interesting story about a passenger or job you've done ?

This wasn't really in my Taxi, but it was while I was doing the Knowledge, I was Donatella Versace's chauffeur for a week (long story). One night I took her, Liz Hurley and Rupert Everett to the relaunch of the refurbished Versace store on Sloane Street. On the way there, while Liz was on the phone to Stings wife, Rupert advises Donatella that Bob Geldof is coming to the opening. Donatella turns to him, flicks her hair all demurely and with a vivacious Italian accent says "oh god not that tramp, has he learnt to use a fucking knife and fork yet?" . Liz Hurley laughs so uncontrollably that she inadvertently cuts the call to Stings wife off mid conversation. How we laughed....

10. What tips would you give to a tourist ?

As you're walking around London, ALWAYS look up! There are a million interesting things that you will miss if you don't.

Q&A with a Cabbie - Steve from North London

As we continue with our Q&A with a Cabbie, this week we talk to Steve from from North London who has been a London Taxi driver for over 20 years.....

1. Why did you become a London Taxi driver ?

My name is Steve Plumb, I live in the North London suburbs. I became a Licensed London Taxi

driver in 1992 because I wanted to be fully self-employed. Since I was was twelve years old, I've

played the Drums; now mainly jazz. Back in the 90s I was doing a lot of gigs, especially posh

parties and my job simply got in the way! I wanted to be my own boss, with a flexible work pattern.

2. What did you do before you became a Taxi driver ?

I was eighteen years working as an over-paid insurance clerk for two firms (Syndicates) of Lloyd's

Underwriters. I underwrote property policies in the UK and the USA. I also managed some of the

Syndicate's "outward" reinsurance programmes. It was all very tedious, but we had some great

laughs back in the 80s :)

3. What do you love most about London ?

Two thousand years of history, with a very diverse arts scene. I also love the architecture and how

it reflects London's history and development.

4. What do you most dislike about London ?

That is is so badly managed. I think that the elected, salaried Mayoral position imposed on us by

Tony Blair has been a total waste of money. London's inhabitants deserve a much better system of

local government. We really need to see some sort of GLC reinstated - a fully democratically

elected legislature.

5. Are you a day man or night man reason why ?

Mid morning to evening. I gave up the night work when the volume of work in the small hours

became less guaranteed.

6. What is your favourite place or view ?

Wow. Hard question! I love St James' Street and Mayfair as it's like London in Black and White.

Still some old-school characters in that area. I love any back streets or alleys. The Georgian

houses off Smith Square in Westminster and similar in Spitalfields are really gorgeous. The fact

that in the City, many of the street patterns are medieval always amazes me.

7. Have you got an interesting fact about London that others may not know ?

London was never "conquered" by William the Conqueror. He was a shrewd, politically-savvy

french nobleman who saw that the ancient City was already being run very well by the Saxons. His

first job to keep the subjected Saxons on-side was to ratify their Mayor and Aldermen. He issued a

Charter, which is still in London's Guildhall! Get your enemy onside - a lesson for the 21st

Century :)

8. Who's the most famous passenger you've had in your Taxi ?

For me it's George Cole - the boy actor who became Arthur Daley in the TV series "Minder". He

was a mild-mannered, quietly-spoken gentleman.

8. Have you got an interesting story about a passenger or job you've done ?

Too many to mention. Taking a messenger from Saville Row tailor's Anderson and Shepherd to

Clarence House with cloth samples for Prince Charles was a great opportunity to chat about life on

Saville Row. Naturally, we didn't talk about Prince Charles...

9. What tips would you give to a tourist ?

Give yourself Three Weeks (3) taking the odd day off for a rest in bed! And remember - London is

HUGE! Don't expect every place of interest to be nearby. You will certainly need to use the odd taxi

:)

London Tube Strike - What can you do to get around ?

So London's Tube network has shut down again until Friday morning (7th Aug) as Tube workers strike over a row regarding the 'Night Tube'

So what can you do to get around ?

At most of the major train stations, London Taxi Marshall's will be on hand to help try & load Taxis as quickly as possible to ease queues & with the use of Twitter they will try & keep the Taxi ranks well served with taxis. If you can't get near to a station then you could download one of the many Taxi apps: Cab:app, Dial a Cab, Radio Taxis, Com Cab, Gett or Hailo which can all be downloaded from the Apple App store or Google Play store

All TFL Rail, Overground, DLR & Buses will also be running as normal.

Good luck to all travelling in & around London

Q&A Mike from Essex

Aug 2, 2015

Why did you become a London Taxi driver?

I graduated from university still not having any idea what sort of job I wanted to do, got talking to a taxi driver I knew, and he inadvertently talked me into it - the ability to choose your own hours is what sold it to me!

2. What did you do before you became a Taxi driver?

I studied for 21 years! Being a taxi driver is my first full-time job, I went from school and university straight to the Knowledge. With it being such a daunting task, I decided if I was going to study the Knowledge, it was best to do it earlier rather than later in life, while my brain was still in learning mode.

3. What do you love most about London?

The variety. Wherever you are, you're surrounded by drastically different areas, and the same goes for the people. 'Cosmopolitan' is a word that gets bandied around too easily, but there really is no other word to describe London.

4. What do you most dislike about London?

The traffic. For all its merits, London suffers from its roads being badly managed. Too many road closures aren't co-ordinated with each other, leading to all-too-regular gridlock. Fortunately us taxi drivers have access to bus lanes and know London inside out, so if you're going to beat the traffic, it will be with us!

5. Are you a day man or night man reason why?

I work the afternoons and evenings. I like that I get to see my wife and baby in the mornings, and that the traffic generally gets better the later into my shift I get.

6. What is your favourite place or view?

My favourite view is from the top of Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath. The surroundings trick you into thinking you're not in London, with how green and peaceful it all is. But along with that comes an amazing panoramic view of the city skyline, which again highlights the multifarious nature of London.

7. Have you got an interesting fact about London that others may not know?

The statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square stands on grass specially imported from America, after he once declared he would 'never set foot on British soil again'.

8. Who's the most famous passenger you've had in your Taxi?

Either Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page or Harry Shearer - perhaps not a household name himself, but much more widely known as Mr Burns, Ned Flanders and many other characters in The Simpsons.

9. What tips would you give to a tourist?

There's lots more to London than just the obvious areas of Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, etc. Areas like Hamsptead, Notting Hill and Borough all have their own things to offer, and are well worth a visit. Ask your taxi driver for advice on where to go! Also, if you want to visit places in the financial district like St Paul's or the Monument, do it at the weekend when the office workers are off and it is nice and quiet.

10. Have you got an interesting story about a passenger or job you've done?

Not really a story about a passenger or job as such, but I can't help but think of the fact that I met my wife because of being a taxi driver. She was studying the Knowledge, we followed each other on Twitter because of that, we got chatting, eventually met up (in the back of my taxi), and we're now happily married with a lovely little baby boy! Who needs Tinder?!

Q&A with a Cabbie - Marc from Essex

Jul 26, 2015

1. Why did you become a London Taxi driver ?

My Dad used to work in Fleet Street & I remember as a kid he would occasionally take me up to The Daily Express & we'd always get a cab from the station. I always loved that bit & was in ore of these guys who seemed to know every backstreet & shortcut, I adored their shiny black cabs. My dad always said to us kids, "if you ever get lost in London try to find a policeman, if you can't find a policeman, find a Black cab driver, they'll always help you out." (Even today, some celebrities & public figures refer to us as "London's second police force"). So when the time came, I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather be.

2. What did you do before you became a Taxi driver ?

Radio Presenter. Not big radio stations, but smaller, local ones. I still don the headphone's once a week on an internet based radio station now. Like to keep my hand in, you just never know when that overnight success might turn up? :-)


3. What do you love most about London ?

Its diversity & the fact that no matter what you want, at whatever time you want it, you can pretty much find it.


4. What do you most dislike about London ?

The traffic! Thank the Lord (well, actually ex-Mayor Ken Livingstone:-), we can use bus lanes!


5. Are you a day man or night man reason why ?

Mainly a day man. Largely due to my wife's working pattern. She travels with work a lot, so when she's at home, I like to be there too. That's the best thing about this job.... The flexibility.


6. What is your favourite place or view ?

Crossing Waterloo Bridge either day or night. It's right on a big sweeping bend on the River Thames & doesn't matter which way you look, the view is amazing!


7. Have you got an interesting fact about London that others may not know ?

At 23 and 24 Leinster Gardens, just off Bayswater Road, there is a ventilation shaft for the Central Line tube which meant there was a slightly unsightly gap in-between two houses. Residents in the area complained to the train company at the time and they built a façade that looks exactly like the houses either side. It's very difficult to spot from the street, but if you look very carefully, you can see that one house hasn't got "real windows" or a letter box. image1.JPG

8. Who's the most famous passenger you've had in your Taxi ?

Roger Daltry of The Who. What an absolute legend! Such a nice, down-to-earth Londoner, who hasn't let fame & fortune affect him too much. We chatted the entire journey about all sorts of things.

8. Have you got an interesting story about a passenger or job you've done ?

Yes, but what happens in a cab, stays in a cab!

What never ceases to amaze me is the trust that people put in us cabbies.
I've been hailed to pick up Dad & 2 kids, given destination as a school several miles away, the door opens & closes & off we go. It's only when halfway there that I realise Dad isn't coming with us! He's entrusted the safety of his 6 & 7 year old to a London cabbie.
Or there's the flustered street hail in the City, where a hand comes through the window with a bunch of keys, an address on a piece of paper and wad of cash in it, accompanied by the phrase "Can you get these house keys to this address ASAP? My husband/wife has Locke themselves out!" They never take your name, registration number or anything, and the house is usually miles away! It genuinely warms my heart that Londoners put that level of trust in me & my fellow cabbies.


9. What tips would you give to a tourist ?

About 10% :-)

Seriously, ALWAYS use a Licensed London taxi (Black cab). If you see the glowing Orange light, just stick your hand up and away you go. Safe in the knowledge that you'll get a fully trained professional driver in a thoroughly checked, purpose built taxi..... The only one in the world!

Q&A with a Cabbie - Co Founder, Ross

Jul 19, 2015

Tell us a brief bit about yourself...

Hello my name is Ross, I'm Co Founder of London Corporate Cabs. I have been driving a London taxi for 7 years now. Been happily married for 6 years and have two beautiful children.

1. Why did you become a London Taxi driver ?

I had many friends that were, and loved the flexibility that the job gave them, and being your own boss was a massive plus.

2. What did you do before you became a Taxi driver ?

I left school and went straight to work for BMW, I was with various dealerships for 12 years. Started off as an Apprentice Technician and worked my way up to service manager.

3. What do you love most about London ?

Wow where do I start, I love how diverse it is, one minute you can be in posh Knightsbridge the next in hippy Camden. I love the architecture of the city and how steeped in history it is.

4. What do you most dislike about London ?

Not many things to be honest, but probably the traffic, sometimes it can be diabolical.

5. Are you a day man or night man reason why ?

I mix it up a bit depending on what's going on at home with the family, normally start the week on days and then nights by the end of it.

6. What is your favourite place or view ?

I love the view on Waterloo bridge of a night time, as the river bends you get great views of the City in one direction and the West End in the other. I also love Portobello Road on a Saturday as well as Old Spitalfields market.

7. Have you got an interesting fact about London that others may not know ?

Cock Lane, near Holborn, wasn't named due to any association with poultry, but because it was the only street to be licensed for prostitution in medieval times.

8. Who's the most famous passenger you've had in your Taxi ?

I picked up a few over the years, but probably Hugh Grant or Rowan Atkinson.

9. Have you got an interesting story about a passenger or job you've done ?

So many it's hard to think of one. It's great that the public put so much trust in us, whether it be taking the children to school un-chaperoned or dropping a package to the other side of town. I once got hailed at the world famous Ivy restaurant and was asked to take 5 live Lobsters to Scott's restaurant in Mayfair.

10. What tips would you give to a tourist ?

Explore London there's so much to see, don't just stay in the centre. And always ask a London Cabby for the best places to visit.

Q&A - Co Founder, Tony

Jul 12, 2015

Hello, My name is Tony, I am the Co Founder of London Corporate Cabs. I have been a London Taxi driver for nearly 8 years, still learning something new everyday in this amazing City.

1. Why did you become a London Taxi driver ?

I always wanted to be a cabbie ever since I was a kid sitting on the flip seats in my Dads Taxi, he used to take me & my brother out showing us all the sites. Watching all the Taxis whizz about I just knew that's what I wanted to do.

2. What did you do before you became a Taxi driver ?

I was a Money Broker in the City for 10 years. A great job & good fun but being stuck in an office all day wasn't. I'm an outside person.

3. What do you love most about London ?

I love the architecture of old & new. Some of the buildings are works of art but most of all I love the people. The people of London are what makes it so great.

4. What do you most dislike about London ?

Got to be the traffic, but thank god for Bus lanes & a cab that can spin on a sixpence

5. Are you a day man or night man reason why ?

Bit of both really. I love the way London changes between day & night. Daytime people rushing about working or chilling in parks. Nighttime it comes alive & turns into a party town

6. What is your favourite place or view ?

I've got 3, Alexandra Palace in the north & Greenwich Observatory in the south but best of all has to be Waterloo Bridge... especially at night. Nothing beats it.

7. Have you got an interesting fact about London that others may not know ?

On the side of Vauxhall Bridge is a miniature sculpture of St Paul's Cathedral sitting on the palm of a ladies hand


8. Who's the most famous passenger you've had in your Taxi ?

Probably Daniel Craig or Michael
Caine

9. Have you got an interesting story about a passenger or job you've done ?

A Taxi is a bit like a confession box at times with people telling you their life stories so I'm not going repeat any of it. There must be approximately 24k cabs & just over 8 mil people in London & I picked up the same passenger twice in a week. Freaked me out a little bit but freaked her out even more when I said her destination before she did. We had a giggle about it.

10. What tips would you give to a tourist ?

Go East ! The City & East End are steeped in History. Try some traditional Pie & Mash & obviously always use a London Taxi