This lad never fails to deliver! I have never been so mesmerised by somebody driving around and narrating where they are going. I dunno. Maybe it's because I am a Londoner myself (West London, Hayes area) or better yet, i think it's because Tom has a perfect voice and tone to inform us of exactly where he's off to and how he's going to get there. Either way, another great video mate, and never stop doing them! Have a safe one. All the best!👍
I'm in Ontario Canada, and I'm mesmerized by Tom's content, delivery and video. London fascinates me - I wish I had seen so much more in the few times I've been there.
The London Cabbie: The most intense and mental + physical test someone could ever do. 3 + years on a bike before you even get in the driver’s seat and that’s why they are the best + the temperament test the examiners put them through to make sure they are Absolutely ready for the job.. My Cousin done it took her 5 years Tom .. the thing’s and places she had to know in Detail was Crazy..People just don’t realise..🌞🙏
Your comments about tipping made me remember a trip I did from the Science Museum one afternoon with the family. I wanted to go to St Pancras but the driver mentioned he needed to be at Victoria by a set time to clock off and meet his wife. We were off home to Ashford so we agreed to go to Victoria instead. The fare was £15 but he did it for a tenner as I did him a favour by diverting my journey and he had enough time for a coffee as well
That happened to me in Glasgow. As a kid, my family drove up to Glasgow, got there 10pm on Friday. We stopped to ask for directions, the guy got in the car and showed us the way!
I live in Madison, Wisconsin and drove here and in Chicago. As I watch this, I am amazed at the number of streets in Madison that were apparently named after streets or areas of London. As a example, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and many others. There is a section of the east side off of Cottage Grove road, where Knightsbridge is, where I believe all the streets are named like this. Also on the southwest side is a similar area. I find this strange since Madison was developed in the 1840-50 era by Norwegians, Swedes and Germans. In Chicago there is no area like that for any nationality. Although there are areas where there is a predominant ethnic makup. Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Greek, Black, etc. Although the areas are etnic, the street names date back to the 1800's are usually Famous Americans or famous events in the cities or countries history.
Finally a new video haha! After discovering you I’ve watched the entire back catalogue even the stuff from years ago on how to pass the knowledge! Been waiting for a new video, really appreciate these and I hope you’re doing well. I’ve caught three black cabs in the last two weeks and have been hoping it’s a one in 21,000 chance it’s you!
@@TomtheTaxiDriver ah I thought I remembered it as 21,000 from one of your recent videos, I’ve probably binged too many that my memory has failed me. I like these odds much better then 😃
In liverpool all the house numbers run away from The Town Hall. When you've got the Town Hall behind you usually number one is the first on the left, number 2 first on your right. Unless the Road/Lane was in use before Liverpool Council was formed.
Took a guy and his gal home one night in my Town and the fare was something like £10.The dude who was intoxicated and had decided to be flash in front of his woman by tipping me... a tenner!! I tried to refuse his generous offer but he was in full flash Harry mode. He's always doing that the lady told me. Well i hope you reward him, i thought😉
Trafalgar Square-Tower Bridge at 4.45pm on a Saturday: Victoria Embankment, Upper Thames Street, Tower Hill - but it's also saying the same time to go over Southwark Bridge, past Borough tube, all the way down to Bricklayers Arms and then Tower Bridge Road. Heavy traffic heading east; 24/25 mins to go that way - 17/20 mins to come back west.
Hi I been a cabbie for 38 years and I love the way u always find quick street hails.Back in the day it was much better than today , especially in the city between 4 and 9pm Anyhow I wish I could find as many street fares as you do today.Are you sure their not plants.😂😂😂😮
This was during 2022 when there was a mass shortage of Uber drivers and not the full force of cabbies back to work also. In 2023, it’s a bit different. Uber are past 100,000. 2022 will definitely stand out as an anomaly.
These video are so interesting. Really great work. Might be a bit late now, but a spooky tour of London for Halloween would be good. Annabels in Mayfair always puts on an amazing display.
Was in London to see family this week. Got a black cab from Buckingham palace to borough market. Did keep my eye out for you but unfortunately didn't see you. Really enjoyable experience with the guy. 21 years he has been doing it but said he is starting to get sick of it and will start winding down his career soon. Says he now only works 5am-3pm. Lates and nightshifts are unbearable he said.
2030 on. Wednesday night and Apple Maps suggests Trafalgar Sq to Tower Bridge is 24 mins via Waterloo bridge, Borough Road, Harper road. Along the embankment would have been an extra 10 mins.
Hi Tom, Glasgow if you dare , I am Londoner that drives a Black cab in Glasgow City, always find it interesting watching your videos so if you ever have any questions regarding driving a Hackney in the city of Glasgow, or even fancy a city break in the UKs Toughest & friendly city get in touch, Be Lucky, Mike
As an on-and-off tipper I have to say that the amount I tip, and whether I do so in the first place, is largely dependent on my financial state rather than the quality of the service, unless it's particularly atrocious.
It's curretly 8 nearly 9 pm on a wednesday. The trafalga square to tower bridge route has a big red line in the middle adding 12 minutes making the journey 26 minutes.
Great video as always. I also have problems with remembering numbers. It is easier when you have pictures in your head on things like houses, shops, churches and so on. Back in the days, people could say the phone booth in the street or road, and we all knew where it was. What are the restrictions on driving children in your cab? Child seat and so on. We also have problems with hotel names since there many Scandic and Radisson hotels in Oslo. Tipping has also become very bad. Twenty years ago, when I drove a 9-seater, I could almost make as much on tip as the regular pay on Fridays and Saturdays. Back then cash was king. About Pratt Street. I once read an article about some cab drivers who were fed up with a journalist who wrote negative articles about the black cabs. They phoned him and said they had a tip about something. They told him where to go and wait. They then took picture of him standing under the street sign Pratt Street.
The whole street number thing is a by-product of the rideshare culture. As a taxi driver I'm not interested in the number just a nearby landmark building or if it's your residence you tell me when I'm close to it.
I did the experiment, this is the best result : ~20% orange congestion , ~10% red congestion (Via embankment route @ 7:28am London time , 17min time estimate) As an aside a bike had a 14 min time estimate for the same route according to Google maps.
been fully enjoying these video tom your knowlege of london is just brill dunno how you keep everything in there but amazing to know espacally with me not a londoner but from doncaster so it just nice to know if i ever were to drive down there again atleast i have a rough idea where on earth to go keep it up mate been a fantastic series so far cant wait to see thursdays and fridays look after yourself and keep them coming
15:12 Numbers are always difficult. When I was a taxi driver in Helsinki, I mostly went by points of interest, because it was much easier. As a general rule, in Helsinki city center the numbering starts at the south end of north-south streets, and at the east end of east-west streets. However, this isn't always the case. Also, the numbering doesn't always begin from 1, and sometimes the numbering on each side of the street doesn't "match", for example the building opposite number 1 isn't number 2.
New subscriber, just found your channel, you are great at holding the viewer's attention with your knowledge of London. Not been for many, many years but makes me want to book a trip😊.
Greayt video as always, Tom! Took a cab from Victoria to Leicester Square the other day and was hoping it was you - alas! Maybe next time. Thanks for the tip on the yfood too - love it!
This channel is class I imagine your UA-cam channel generates you a full time wage now 😂 class 👏 one of the great things about the internet your probably one of the only taxi drivers who makes high quality videos
You asked about the direction roads are numbered in. TL:DR: There is a pattern, but it's no longer helpful for finding particular buildings. Firstly, a preliminary: within a post district, the subdistricts are numbered with first the "head district" then the others in alphabetic order, eg for N, N1 Islington (head district), N2 East Finchley, N3 Finchley, N4 Finsbury Park, N5 Highbury; for NW, NW1 (head district, coincidentally 1st in Alpha order) Camden, NW2 Cricklewood, NW3 Hampstead, NW4 Hendon, NW5 Highgate, etc; this doesn't apply to the Central areas: EC areas are clockwise from top left and there are only two WCs (aka Toulouse); anomalously, SE has a second pseudo-head district at SE19 Norwood, and the areas round it form a 2nd alphabetical list, while SW includes the previous S areas: the original S head district (Westminster) now serves as the SW head district, and SW2-10, the original S districts follow in alpha order, followed by the original SW head district, Battersea, at SW11, and the other original SW areas following in alpha order; finally, E20, SE28 and SW20 are late additions, not in alpha order. So, a system originally set up, I suspect, to avoid complaints of one area being graded above another, which was never a great help in locating areas, is now even worse than when it started out. As for building numbering, that was originally very clear, but it has degraded even worse. AFAIK, London buildings were not numbered at all until IIRC the 19th century, at which point it was decreed that buildings in London must be numbered from the end nearest the local General Post Office sorting office [now Royal Mail delivery office] along a route a postman might reasonably walk, and must display their numbers (displaying them is still a legal requirement in London, though rarely enforced). That sounds reasonably useful -- after all, there would only be around 120 sorting offices to memorise. BUT, there are two major problems -- roads get shortened or extended, messing up the numbering -- sometimes they are renumbered, but not usually; and many (perhaps most) sorting offices have been relocated since the road system was laid out (and I don't know whether new roads are numbered based on the traditional sorting office location or the new one). Consider the NW1 district. The present delivery office is on Eversholt St/Barnby St, just north of Euston Station, and sure enough it has the postcode NW1 1AA (1AA is the normal inward code for delivery offices). But that's quite a new building, so old roads will not be numbered from it. The previous sorting office was on the SE corner of Crowndale Rd and Eversholt St ... but roads aren't numbered from there either, and looking at it, it could be an Edwardian building, built after the local roads were built and numbered. By following back along the road numbers of the principal roads, we find that the original sorting office was probably on Euston Road, somewhere on the Euston side of Marylebone. So unfortunately, the numbering rule turns out to be more useful for discovering sites of old sorting offices than for locating present day addresses! As for when the streets are numbered in parallel and when they are numbered up one side and down the other, I have no clear evidence about that, but the latter seems to me to often be the case on cul-de-sacs (or roads which may previously have been cul-de-sacs), where the postman would walk up one side then back down the other, whereas on a double-ended road, in the days of light traffic, it may have been a shorter walk to keep crossing the road between houses in ascending order with odds on one side and evens on the other, before moving on to the next street, but this is a guess and I don't have any evidence for it. In the end, the only reasonable method for finding out, particularly after dark, if the customer cannot describe where in the street the required address is, would seem to be to tap it into Google Maps, or some competitor of theirs. There is one way in which postcodes can help. Almost always, a postcode covers the distance between one side road and the next, presumably so that, if walks are reconfigured,a single postie will still always deliver to all the numbers in a given postcode, simplifying the pre-walk sorting. Exceptions are when new side roads are inserted (but if they are dead ends, the whole length of the previous postcode will in practice remain with the same postie) or when a company is given its own "large user" postcode (which also means that, if they pay extra, they can get a delivery by van, earlier in the day than their neighbours receive theirs from the walking postman). A side effect of this is that most branch post offices have a different postcode to the rest of their block. The minimum average delivery enabling a company to apply for a "large user" postcode is surprisingly low. IIRC, in the 1970s it was only 10 letters per day, but it may have changed since. Companies with a very large amount of correspondence to one address, eg DVLC, and various other government departments, can even apply to have several postcodes, so their post is pre-sorted by department before delivery.
Thanks for bringing us along Tom. I honestly wish I found the channel later so I had more to binge on😂 I’ve subbed and will keep eye out for new releases 🙌🏽
You pulled into garage to get fuel ? your taxi is electric ? Love your videos I was a taxi driver in Dublin. Not now. Much easier to get cab licence here.
Yeah always better to get a hotel name or a business name rather then a number or yeah its by the shop those sorts of building are always easier to place
8:30 haha I thought I'll try this. It's Wednesday 5:30pm now. Opened Google Maps, says 44 minutes Trafalgar Square to Tower Bridge via Upper Thames St. Tom didn't lie. 😂
Yep. Odds on the left, generally. And in any town they are usually lowest nearest the main centre, or a point of relevance. In my case, Bexhill seafront they will generally start by the sea and go up as it goes inland. Of course, once we enter a road, and spot just 2 numbers next to each other we know immediately if it's odds / evens, or uppy / downy. Just to add, we have a lot of country lanes here, and in the dark, when they are all called different names; nightmare. Nearly always call ahead and ask for specifics here (I drive PH so we have a contact system), and my pet hate is when they say "It's halfway down on the left". Erm, halfway? Halfway to where, the moon? I don't know how long your lane is. Only by google mapping can I just about work out what they might mean. Honestly, country lanes in the night with house names, a powerful torch is essential. Mine has a zoom function too to really isolate signs and numbers.
I have always been intrigued by why people choose to use Taxis or Uber istead of the tube as the prices are soooooo high these days. I guess people just have way too much money.
I feel for you Tom with not getting tips, problem for you I guess is that you'll get a lot of out of towners (like myself) who'd have no idea if you did an absolutely banging job or not 😂
Tom, fantastic content as always. Can I ask, if you were to try to define the most fatiguing part of your job...what would it be? Keep up the great work mate.
Hi Tom, I'm a big fan of your channel and love watching you navigating London. Could you please tell me, where I can het my hands on such a map you always use to draw the routes on?
Hi Tom, I Was a Cabbie in Liverpool for 44 Years ( Just a Part-Timer Then ?? ) Until I Retired in 2016, Watched quite a Few Of Your Videos & Although I Only know a few parts of London Like Euston Station, Paddington Station & The ONE Place I Will always think about is Sussex Gardens as I Got A Job there FROM Liverpool about 10 Years ago now actually Clocked 376.00 Pounds on the Meter...1st Job of the day on an Easter Monday....Luvverly Jubbly 'Eh M8 ??
Another brilliant video! You just confused me at 11:35 You said you are stopping for fuel and pull-up to a pump. I thought your taxi was electric. Have I missed something? :)
@@enochliu8316 Yes, thank you for clearing that up. I actually did not know his taxi was a hybrid when I wrote my initial response to OP. He switches between calling it an 'electric taxi' and a 'hybrid taxi' even though the distinction is rather important.
Box junction Upper Woburn Place (Camden!). Turning into Petty Wales when I first got my badge, and a right turn out of Perrin's Lane Hampstead when I was on The Knowledge.
@@TomtheTaxiDriver Perrins Lane, best Crepe around .. Everyone gets done for turning right there ! ..Ps, PLEASE Lose the background Muzic, while your Talking ..spoils enjoyment, Hard to hear, either that or my hearing going from the Diesel 'Knock'
Hi Tom, we were the Scottish passengers you picked yo yesterday, channel is good! 😊
This lad never fails to deliver! I have never been so mesmerised by somebody driving around and narrating where they are going. I dunno. Maybe it's because I am a Londoner myself (West London, Hayes area) or better yet, i think it's because Tom has a perfect voice and tone to inform us of exactly where he's off to and how he's going to get there.
Either way, another great video mate, and never stop doing them! Have a safe one. All the best!👍
Thank you so much!
I want to share what goes on inside my head as I drive, and most likely a lot of taxi drivers.
Always learning, always sharing!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Tom could be cloned 😁
I'm in Ontario Canada, and I'm mesmerized by Tom's content, delivery and video. London fascinates me - I wish I had seen so much more in the few times I've been there.
The London Cabbie: The most intense and mental + physical test someone could ever do. 3 + years on a bike before you even get in the driver’s seat and that’s why they are the best + the temperament test the examiners put them through to make sure they are Absolutely ready for the job.. My Cousin done it took her 5 years Tom .. the thing’s and places she had to know in Detail was Crazy..People just don’t realise..🌞🙏
Your comments about tipping made me remember a trip I did from the Science Museum one afternoon with the family. I wanted to go to St Pancras but the driver mentioned he needed to be at Victoria by a set time to clock off and meet his wife. We were off home to Ashford so we agreed to go to Victoria instead. The fare was £15 but he did it for a tenner as I did him a favour by diverting my journey and he had enough time for a coffee as well
Had the privilege of meeting you in front of Westminster abbey and taking a picture with you. Keep the vids going because they get better each time :)
Great to meet you!
Anyone who gets into your cab is so lucky to have you driving them!
That happened to me in Glasgow. As a kid, my family drove up to Glasgow, got there 10pm on Friday. We stopped to ask for directions, the guy got in the car and showed us the way!
I live in Madison, Wisconsin and drove here and in Chicago. As I watch this, I am amazed at the number of streets in Madison that were apparently named after streets or areas of London. As a example, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and many others. There is a section of the east side off of Cottage Grove road, where Knightsbridge is, where I believe all the streets are named like this. Also on the southwest side is a similar area. I find this strange since Madison was developed in the 1840-50 era by Norwegians, Swedes and Germans. In Chicago there is no area like that for any nationality. Although there are areas where there is a predominant ethnic makup. Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Greek, Black, etc. Although the areas are etnic, the street names date back to the 1800's are usually Famous Americans or famous events in the cities or countries history.
The amount of bikes going on red traffic lights is insane!
Frigging hell Tom now I’ve got to go find a place to park up and watch this! ✌️❤
08:45. It’s now 1030am and Trafalgar Square to Tower Bridge has Victoria Embankment in red 😂 👍
Finally a new video haha! After discovering you I’ve watched the entire back catalogue even the stuff from years ago on how to pass the knowledge! Been waiting for a new video, really appreciate these and I hope you’re doing well. I’ve caught three black cabs in the last two weeks and have been hoping it’s a one in 21,000 chance it’s you!
1 in 14,000 chance 🤪 there’s not that many vehicles licensed at the moment
@@TomtheTaxiDriver ah I thought I remembered it as 21,000 from one of your recent videos, I’ve probably binged too many that my memory has failed me. I like these odds much better then 😃
Brilliant vid Tom, your levels of both customer service and London knowledge are outstanding. Plus your editing skills are amazing too!
In liverpool all the house numbers run away from The Town Hall. When you've got the Town Hall behind you usually number one is the first on the left, number 2 first on your right. Unless the Road/Lane was in use before Liverpool Council was formed.
Great video makes me excited when I get notified you uploaded. My fav vids are these ones
Love the videos Tom. Good to see London and listen to an authentic voice.
Took a guy and his gal home one night in my Town and the fare was something like £10.The dude who was intoxicated and had decided to be flash in front of his woman by tipping me... a tenner!! I tried to refuse his generous offer but he was in full flash Harry mode. He's always doing that the lady told me. Well i hope you reward him, i thought😉
Great 'mini-series'. Totally absorbing, interesting and entertaining. The Glaswegian was correct, they are very friendly and helpful.
Trafalgar Square-Tower Bridge at 4.45pm on a Saturday: Victoria Embankment, Upper Thames Street, Tower Hill - but it's also saying the same time to go over Southwark Bridge, past Borough tube, all the way down to Bricklayers Arms and then Tower Bridge Road.
Heavy traffic heading east; 24/25 mins to go that way - 17/20 mins to come back west.
Enjoy watching your videos and entertained by your knowledge of London. Could never drive there
Loving this series - bring on 4/5!
Hi
I been a cabbie for 38 years and I love the way u always find quick street hails.Back in the day it was much better than today , especially in the city between 4 and 9pm
Anyhow I wish I could find as many street fares as you do today.Are you sure their not plants.😂😂😂😮
This was during 2022 when there was a mass shortage of Uber drivers and not the full force of cabbies back to work also.
In 2023, it’s a bit different. Uber are past 100,000. 2022 will definitely stand out as an anomaly.
Hey Tom love the videos, please can you do a video about double yellows, chevron’s red routes, loading and unloading, and how it applies to cabbies.
If you live in Lndon and want to learn London, studying his routes is probably one of the best ways LMAO
These video are so interesting. Really great work. Might be a bit late now, but a spooky tour of London for Halloween would be good. Annabels in Mayfair always puts on an amazing display.
Absolutely love these videos. Keep them coming as often as possible.
"Getting bare iron" is the phrase i use for getting legalled.
Was in London to see family this week. Got a black cab from Buckingham palace to borough market. Did keep my eye out for you but unfortunately didn't see you. Really enjoyable experience with the guy. 21 years he has been doing it but said he is starting to get sick of it and will start winding down his career soon. Says he now only works 5am-3pm. Lates and nightshifts are unbearable he said.
2030 on. Wednesday night and Apple Maps suggests Trafalgar Sq to Tower Bridge is 24 mins via Waterloo bridge, Borough Road, Harper road. Along the embankment would have been an extra 10 mins.
Hi Tom, Glasgow if you dare , I am Londoner that drives a Black cab in Glasgow City, always find it interesting watching your videos so if you ever have any questions regarding driving a Hackney in the city of Glasgow, or even fancy a city break in the UKs Toughest & friendly city get in touch, Be Lucky, Mike
As an on-and-off tipper I have to say that the amount I tip, and whether I do so in the first place, is largely dependent on my financial state rather than the quality of the service, unless it's particularly atrocious.
Keep meaning to take a book and make a note of the numbers and the way they run on londons streets , Google maps always help, good vlog buddy .
It's curretly 8 nearly 9 pm on a wednesday. The trafalga square to tower bridge route has a big red line in the middle adding 12 minutes making the journey 26 minutes.
Fascinating as always. Nice one Tom 👍
Great video as always. I also have problems with remembering numbers. It is easier when you have pictures in your head on things like houses, shops, churches and so on. Back in the days, people could say the phone booth in the street or road, and we all knew where it was. What are the restrictions on driving children in your cab? Child seat and so on. We also have problems with hotel names since there many Scandic and Radisson hotels in Oslo. Tipping has also become very bad. Twenty years ago, when I drove a 9-seater, I could almost make as much on tip as the regular pay on Fridays and Saturdays. Back then cash was king. About Pratt Street. I once read an article about some cab drivers who were fed up with a journalist who wrote negative articles about the black cabs. They phoned him and said they had a tip about something. They told him where to go and wait. They then took picture of him standing under the street sign Pratt Street.
Saw yfood in one of my local shops for the first time and instantly thought of this channel. Haha.
The whole street number thing is a by-product of the rideshare culture. As a taxi driver I'm not interested in the number just a nearby landmark building or if it's your residence you tell me when I'm close to it.
I did the experiment, this is the best result : ~20% orange congestion , ~10% red congestion (Via embankment route @ 7:28am London time , 17min time estimate)
As an aside a bike had a 14 min time estimate for the same route according to Google maps.
Hi Tom…..you mentioned how distinctive the name Ixworth is! It is also a village in Suffolk!
Very good morning to you Tom ☺️
Being an "out of town" driver who brings customers in from the south coast, the numbers on Hurley Street are a issue.
Keen for this one! Love this concept!
Thanks Tom
been fully enjoying these video tom your knowlege of london is just brill dunno how you keep everything in there but amazing to know espacally with me not a londoner but from doncaster so it just nice to know if i ever were to drive down there again atleast i have a rough idea where on earth to go keep it up mate been a fantastic series so far cant wait to see thursdays and fridays look after yourself and keep them coming
The more I watch your videos Tom the more I wana do the knowledge 🤠
Just checked the route Tom. It's 4.50 in the morning so not red just yet 😂😂
15:12 Numbers are always difficult. When I was a taxi driver in Helsinki, I mostly went by points of interest, because it was much easier. As a general rule, in Helsinki city center the numbering starts at the south end of north-south streets, and at the east end of east-west streets. However, this isn't always the case. Also, the numbering doesn't always begin from 1, and sometimes the numbering on each side of the street doesn't "match", for example the building opposite number 1 isn't number 2.
these vids are so fkn addictive. i'm an investment banker but in the next life i think i want to be a london black cab driver
Interesting as always Tom.
Great videos Tom. Keep them coming
Tom this shift series is coming along slow! Been checking your channel for days waiting for the 3rd one to come out. Great content as always
New subscriber, just found your channel, you are great at holding the viewer's attention with your knowledge of London. Not been for many, many years but makes me want to book a trip😊.
Please do a Q&A soon - so many questions 😅
Victoria Embankment - 17 mins mix of blue and orange so not bad for 15:49 on a Sunday
Greayt video as always, Tom! Took a cab from Victoria to Leicester Square the other day and was hoping it was you - alas! Maybe next time. Thanks for the tip on the yfood too - love it!
Love the history lessons in these videos, Tom. Keep up the good work
This channel is class I imagine your UA-cam channel generates you a full time wage now 😂 class 👏 one of the great things about the internet your probably one of the only taxi drivers who makes high quality videos
brilliant again,keep them coming,regards.
Loving this series - it's compelling - I don't want to miss a second - that could cost some pence ! Thanks Tom. Hello for N2 : - )
You asked about the direction roads are numbered in.
TL:DR: There is a pattern, but it's no longer helpful for finding particular buildings.
Firstly, a preliminary: within a post district, the subdistricts are numbered with first the "head district" then the others in alphabetic order, eg for N, N1 Islington (head district), N2 East Finchley, N3 Finchley, N4 Finsbury Park, N5 Highbury; for NW, NW1 (head district, coincidentally 1st in Alpha order) Camden, NW2 Cricklewood, NW3 Hampstead, NW4 Hendon, NW5 Highgate, etc; this doesn't apply to the Central areas: EC areas are clockwise from top left and there are only two WCs (aka Toulouse); anomalously, SE has a second pseudo-head district at SE19 Norwood, and the areas round it form a 2nd alphabetical list, while SW includes the previous S areas: the original S head district (Westminster) now serves as the SW head district, and SW2-10, the original S districts follow in alpha order, followed by the original SW head district, Battersea, at SW11, and the other original SW areas following in alpha order; finally, E20, SE28 and SW20 are late additions, not in alpha order. So, a system originally set up, I suspect, to avoid complaints of one area being graded above another, which was never a great help in locating areas, is now even worse than when it started out.
As for building numbering, that was originally very clear, but it has degraded even worse. AFAIK, London buildings were not numbered at all until IIRC the 19th century, at which point it was decreed that buildings in London must be numbered from the end nearest the local General Post Office sorting office [now Royal Mail delivery office] along a route a postman might reasonably walk, and must display their numbers (displaying them is still a legal requirement in London, though rarely enforced). That sounds reasonably useful -- after all, there would only be around 120 sorting offices to memorise. BUT, there are two major problems -- roads get shortened or extended, messing up the numbering -- sometimes they are renumbered, but not usually; and many (perhaps most) sorting offices have been relocated since the road system was laid out (and I don't know whether new roads are numbered based on the traditional sorting office location or the new one). Consider the NW1 district. The present delivery office is on Eversholt St/Barnby St, just north of Euston Station, and sure enough it has the postcode NW1 1AA (1AA is the normal inward code for delivery offices). But that's quite a new building, so old roads will not be numbered from it. The previous sorting office was on the SE corner of Crowndale Rd and Eversholt St ... but roads aren't numbered from there either, and looking at it, it could be an Edwardian building, built after the local roads were built and numbered. By following back along the road numbers of the principal roads, we find that the original sorting office was probably on Euston Road, somewhere on the Euston side of Marylebone. So unfortunately, the numbering rule turns out to be more useful for discovering sites of old sorting offices than for locating present day addresses!
As for when the streets are numbered in parallel and when they are numbered up one side and down the other, I have no clear evidence about that, but the latter seems to me to often be the case on cul-de-sacs (or roads which may previously have been cul-de-sacs), where the postman would walk up one side then back down the other, whereas on a double-ended road, in the days of light traffic, it may have been a shorter walk to keep crossing the road between houses in ascending order with odds on one side and evens on the other, before moving on to the next street, but this is a guess and I don't have any evidence for it. In the end, the only reasonable method for finding out, particularly after dark, if the customer cannot describe where in the street the required address is, would seem to be to tap it into Google Maps, or some competitor of theirs.
There is one way in which postcodes can help. Almost always, a postcode covers the distance between one side road and the next, presumably so that, if walks are reconfigured,a single postie will still always deliver to all the numbers in a given postcode, simplifying the pre-walk sorting. Exceptions are when new side roads are inserted (but if they are dead ends, the whole length of the previous postcode will in practice remain with the same postie) or when a company is given its own "large user" postcode (which also means that, if they pay extra, they can get a delivery by van, earlier in the day than their neighbours receive theirs from the walking postman). A side effect of this is that most branch post offices have a different postcode to the rest of their block. The minimum average delivery enabling a company to apply for a "large user" postcode is surprisingly low. IIRC, in the 1970s it was only 10 letters per day, but it may have changed since. Companies with a very large amount of correspondence to one address, eg DVLC, and various other government departments, can even apply to have several postcodes, so their post is pre-sorted by department before delivery.
Uni of Westminster also has a campus in Northwick Park, Harrow!
Another great video tom
I love these videos
love from romania
Get in been waiting for this
I just graduated from Uni of Westminster studying in Harrow! They are far and wide 😂
Thanks for bringing us along Tom. I honestly wish I found the channel later so I had more to binge on😂 I’ve subbed and will keep eye out for new releases 🙌🏽
You pulled into garage to get fuel ? your taxi is electric ? Love your videos I was a taxi driver in Dublin. Not now. Much easier to get cab licence here.
Hybrid Taxi.
Oooh National Theatre… used to work there 👍
26 min (3.3 mi) via Tower Bridge Rd/A100 as 12/13/2022 at 10:51 AM PST
It was very red in a lot of areas.
travelling by taxi may turn out to be cheaper for the big family group!
Yeah always better to get a hotel name or a business name rather then a number or yeah its by the shop those sorts of building are always easier to place
I would’ve thought up to parkway was too high , Robert , Camden Hi St ,
Not a cabbie but I am a delivery driver. Cannot remember street numbers for the life of me but instantly remember landmarks/ shop names etc
8:30 haha I thought I'll try this. It's Wednesday 5:30pm now. Opened Google Maps, says 44 minutes Trafalgar Square to Tower Bridge via Upper Thames St. Tom didn't lie. 😂
Make them an hour long tom great stuff
Amazing job mate your always doing so hard ❤😮😊
Cool channel. Subbed
New to the channel and loving it, but what has happened to days 4 and 5?
Nice shift video Tom. Have you been to Hogarth House just off the roundabout? Well worth a visit.
No it’s on the list though 🙌🏻
@@TomtheTaxiDriver head to The Black Lion in Hammersmith for something to eat afterwards.
Yep. Odds on the left, generally. And in any town they are usually lowest nearest the main centre, or a point of relevance. In my case, Bexhill seafront they will generally start by the sea and go up as it goes inland. Of course, once we enter a road, and spot just 2 numbers next to each other we know immediately if it's odds / evens, or uppy / downy. Just to add, we have a lot of country lanes here, and in the dark, when they are all called different names; nightmare. Nearly always call ahead and ask for specifics here (I drive PH so we have a contact system), and my pet hate is when they say "It's halfway down on the left". Erm, halfway? Halfway to where, the moon? I don't know how long your lane is. Only by google mapping can I just about work out what they might mean. Honestly, country lanes in the night with house names, a powerful torch is essential. Mine has a zoom function too to really isolate signs and numbers.
I have always been intrigued by why people choose to use Taxis or Uber istead of the tube as the prices are soooooo high these days. I guess people just have way too much money.
Mine said to go Upper Thames Street or Southwark Bridge+Union Street
Can’t wait for day 4 big fan of the channel but waiting ages for day 4
Yea, takes a lot of time to edit on top of being a full-time cabbie I'm afraid!
I guess Albert Hall Mansions was named after Albert Hall. I can't say I've ever heard of him.
I feel for you Tom with not getting tips, problem for you I guess is that you'll get a lot of out of towners (like myself) who'd have no idea if you did an absolutely banging job or not 😂
'being legalled' in by biz we call it goose eggs, geese, flock, zero zilch nada.
Tom, fantastic content as always. Can I ask, if you were to try to define the most fatiguing part of your job...what would it be? Keep up the great work mate.
Hi Tom, I'm a big fan of your channel and love watching you navigating London. Could you please tell me, where I can het my hands on such a map you always use to draw the routes on?
“at least its not a lewisham” 🤪
It would be so cool if there was an app that you can just book Tom 😆
There does seem to be fewer people about in Central London.
Not sure if you already said it at some point, but I was wondering, how much distance do you usually cover in a shift in total?
Hi Tom, I Was a Cabbie in Liverpool for 44 Years ( Just a Part-Timer Then ?? ) Until I Retired in 2016, Watched quite a Few Of Your Videos & Although I Only know a few parts of London Like Euston Station, Paddington Station & The ONE Place I Will always think about is Sussex Gardens as I Got A Job there FROM Liverpool about 10 Years ago now actually Clocked 376.00 Pounds on the Meter...1st Job of the day on an Easter Monday....Luvverly Jubbly 'Eh M8 ??
Being from Glasgow myself you are spot on, and thank you for not doing a Scottish accent 😂
Amazing what passengers can teach you! 🙌🏻
What adventures has Tom been up to in The Capital of England and The U.K ?
Tom your the best mate. I'm always in taxis. Do you rank up at Cranborne St Leicester sq
Haven't done for a while, that's more a late night rank 😊
Another brilliant video! You just confused me at 11:35 You said you are stopping for fuel and pull-up to a pump. I thought your taxi was electric. Have I missed something? :)
He mentioned electric taxis in the video in passing, he wasn't referring to his own though.
He has a Hybrid Taxi.
@@enochliu8316 Yes, thank you for clearing that up. I actually did not know his taxi was a hybrid when I wrote my initial response to OP. He switches between calling it an 'electric taxi' and a 'hybrid taxi' even though the distinction is rather important.
Brilliant video Tom. Quick question, have you ever got a ticket for a traffic offence, and if so what was it for and did you Challenge it?
Box junction Upper Woburn Place (Camden!). Turning into Petty Wales when I first got my badge, and a right turn out of Perrin's Lane Hampstead when I was on The Knowledge.
@@TomtheTaxiDriver Perrins Lane, best Crepe around .. Everyone gets done for turning right there ! ..Ps, PLEASE Lose the background Muzic, while your Talking ..spoils enjoyment, Hard to hear, either that or my hearing going from the Diesel 'Knock'
Coutts is only part of NatWest now - nothing to worry about😅
Trafalgar Square to Tower Bridge, no traffic at 03.00 in the night xD
I should have told the passenger to wait then 🤪
@@TomtheTaxiDriver 😆😆😆