Modern Times Streetwise - part 1/4 - 1996 BBC Documentary how become a London cabbie.
TaxiWarrior3 HN recommenders · recommended in 3 months, 2014–2017
documentary · general · evergreen · 2014–2017 on HN
Part one of a 1996 BBC Modern Times documentary on the training to become a London black cab driver. It follows candidates learning the Knowledge and facing stressful repeated exams with Public Carriage Office examiners.
HN commenters recommend it whenever London cabbies and the Knowledge come up, as an interesting if slightly dated look at the process.
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3 comments from Hacker News
Pre GPS it was a requirement that cabbies have a massive list of places and routes through London memorized (that guy taking 3.5 years to study and pass the entrance exam is pretty par for the course). There's a 1996 documentary on the process that's pretty interesting - ▶ this video Separately, this is the kind of non robots doing manufacturing automation that I think it's important to think about when we have discussions of future work, etc. Because on the one hand it's stunningly fantastic that what used to take someone 4 years and a series of examinations to achieve is now included for a negligible cost in the pocket supercomputer (of 1996) that we all carry around in our pocket. But, it's also a huge shift for all these industries.
A lot of detractors miss the fact that the Knowledge is about much more than just memorising routes. The Knowledge is a very egalitarian way of hugely increasing the value of a taxi permit to the holder, creating a strong disincentive against any behaviour that might jeopardise their license. If you've spent four or five years working to get your Green Badge, you'll think twice about cheating a passenger or taking liberties with traffic laws. The exams ("appearances") are conducted in person, and are deliberately intended to be highly stressful. Examiners want to see not only that the candidate knows the routes, but that they can remain calm and courteous under pressure. By design, the Knowledge is a long and arduous test of character that happens to impart practical skills. If your interest has been piqued by this article, there is an excellent (albeit slightly dated) BBC documentary on the subject: ▶ this video link It is also worth noting that the iconic black cab is a perfectly designed tool for the job, not just a kitsch symbol. It is fully wheelchair accessible, has a durable wipe-clean interior, and is designed with a very tight turning circle to maximise manoeuvrability in the tight streets of London.
For anyone interested a documentary of the Knowledge test from the 1990s: ▶ this video The documentary paints an interesting picture