The Knowledge

Ledge said:

Good luck to you lads doing the K. I've been out 6 years now best job in the world as long as you work hard .

Keep at it . My only advice no matter how far through the knowledge is never stop calling the blue book runs .

Cheers ledge. Good to hear. A book a day from me without fail. Going vegas this week and will somehow manage to carry on calling.

O-Randy-Hunt said:

Ledge said:

Good luck to you lads doing the K. I've been out 6 years now best job in the world as long as you work hard .

Keep at it . My only advice no matter how far through the knowledge is never stop calling the blue book runs .

Cheers ledge. Good to hear. A book a day from me without fail. Going vegas this week and will somehow manage to carry on calling.

I went on holiday with maps points sheets , blue book did at least hour a day by the pool . Had to be done .

Just read this interesting article in the Graun. Discusses the threat from the new competitors. I've always been a black cab fan and still use them when in London, together with Ken from Cameo if its a run to the airport. Realised that things are changing ( as I first discovered when discussing Ipswich away and getting home from North Greenwich).

So I'd be interested to hear what people think of this article, and what exactly Uber is all about, pros and cons.

PragueAddick said:

Just read this interesting article in the Graun. Discusses the threat from the new competitors. I've always been a black cab fan and still use them when in London, together with Ken from Cameo if its a run to the airport. Realised that things are changing ( as I first discovered when discussing Ipswich away and getting home from North Greenwich).

So I'd be interested to hear what people think of this article, and what exactly Uber is all about, pros and cons.

I've used Uber extensively in London, LA, San Fran, NYC & DC and consistently the experience has been brilliant.

It's hard to see a downside really and especially for women the fact that no money changes hands - you can even pay by PayPal, the driver (and a picture of him & his car) is made known beforehand and he never has your phone number all mean improvements in safety.

It's ridiculously cheap - in LA I got a regular cab outside the airport for $80 to my hotel, the same journey in reverse cost $28.

Oh, and the drivers don't accept tips.

Curb_It said:

To those doing the knowledge... Without cheating, I'm currently sat staring at the Dutch Church. Where in London am I?

I always ask this as I know it's one of the points on the knowledge.

Is the Dutch Church a PSV Eindhoven striker with a tulip-like foot?

I do have some standards Mr P! Just to a lovely new build at Monument.

Anyway gone off topic.. Soz.

No.

Austin Friars

IA said:

se9addick said:

PragueAddick said:

Just read this interesting article in the Graun. Discusses the threat from the new competitors. I've always been a black cab fan and still use them when in London, together with Ken from Cameo if its a run to the airport. Realised that things are changing ( as I first discovered when discussing Ipswich away and getting home from North Greenwich).

So I'd be interested to hear what people think of this article, and what exactly Uber is all about, pros and cons.

I've used Uber extensively in London, LA, San Fran, NYC & DC and consistently the experience has been brilliant.

It's hard to see a downside really and especially for women the fact that no money changes hands - you can even pay by PayPal, the driver (and a picture of him & his car) is made known beforehand and he never has your phone number all mean improvements in safety.

It's ridiculously cheap - in LA I got a regular cab outside the airport for $80 to my hotel, the same journey in reverse cost $28.

Oh, and the drivers don't accept tips.

Uber have some dodgy business ethics like this. Might not be a concern for customers, but it looks like the plan is to create a monopoly then increase the margin and rates.

That Graun article is very good, thanks to Prague for sharing. I'm not really a taxi/cab person but I enjoyed it. The Glasgow story is very Glasgow, in my experience

In the litany of unethical business practices that take place in the world I'm not entirely sure Uber trying to actively recruit drivers from other companies is particularly horrendous.

I have reservations about how much the drivers actually get paid though, simply because sometimes it seems so cheap - for instance I got an Uber the other day from my work in the City to my home in Peckham and it cost £9 - but I'm not sure if I've just become so accustomed to paying the high charges for a black cab (that's if they'll even take you south of the river in the first place) that this just seems overly cheap when it shouldn't.

"Uber have some dodgy business ethics like this. Might not be a concern for customers, but it looks like the plan is to create a monopoly then increase the margin and rate"

Is that not what black cabs have done for years essentially?

MrOneLung said:

Not sure but don't think the black cab drivers set the prices.

I think that's right. The cabbie I was talking with last time I was over said it is TFL. He also said the cars are too expensive, but that they (need to) have a shorter turning circle than ordinary vehicles.

Like I said, I'm a fan and a user, and have huge admiration for those doing the Knowledge (ever since I saw that great Jack Rosenthal film all those years ago). But my marketing instincts make me worry about them. The writer of the article said, after asking a few cabbies what their big advantage is, that it is hard to make a case. At the moment it is too negative "the others do this, don't do that". Their Association needs to hire a decent ad agency. Seriously. They will quickly work out what the positive story is, the "competitive advantage", and then how to communicate it effectively. It's crying out for that kind of support.