London’s black cabs are one of the most famous sights in the capital, on a par with double-decker buses and the Houses of Parliament . Their drivers are almost as renowned and, with their in-depth knowledge, few people are better equipped at finding the quickest routes amid the congestion and chaos of London’s streets. Hail a black taxi from the curb day or night and they should know the quickest route to your destination, whether it’s a famous landmark such as Buckingham Palace or a hotel in a backstreet south of the river. And all without satnav.
“You never know who you’re going to get in the back of your cab, or how they’ll behave,” says Tom Marie, a London cabbie from Watford with 15 years behind the wheel. “Sometimes arguing couples get in, they can be having a flaming row and you just have to try to turn yourself invisible.
