London Taxi Drivers

London Taxi Drivers李锡延选注London taxi drivers know the capital like the back of their hands. Just jump into one of the city's 22,000 distinctive shaped cars and tell the driver your destination. No matter how small and obscure the street is, the driver will be able to get you there without any trouble.The reason London taxi drivers are so efficient is that they have all gone through a very rough training period known as “the knowledge” to get the special licence needed to drive taxis. During this period, which can take from two to four years, the would-be taxi driver has to learn the most direct route to every single road and to every important building in London. To achieve this, most learners go around the city on small motorbikes, practicing how to move to and from different points of the city.Going around London on a small motorbike can have its problems, particularly during the winter. Collin Sinclair, 40, who has been a taxi driver for 15 years, described his training period as a time of blood, s weat and tears. “There was thick snow everywhere and I had to wear my mother's tights because I was so cold,” he said.Learner taxi drivers are tested several times during their training period by government officers. Sinclair thought his exams were a nerve-racking experience. “The officers ask you, …How do you get from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London?' And you have to take them there in a very direct line. When you get to the Tower, they won't say, …Well done.' They will quickly move on to the ne xt question. After five or six questions, they'll just say, …See you in two months time,' and then you know the exam is over.”Learner drivers are not allowed to work — and earn money — as drivers. Therefore, many of them keep their previous jobs until they obtain theirtaxi-driving licence. The training period can cost quite a lot, because learners have to pay for their own expenses (getting around London using private transport). The tests they take and a medical exam.Once a new taxi driver has a licence, the next thing he or she has to cope with is the public. Drivers agree that most passengers as Brian Turner, 53, a taxi driver for 30 years, explains: “Your job is to take them where they want to go in a polite and pleasant manner, whatever they are like. After all, if you're unpleasant to your passenger, you won't get a tip.”But sometimes it is not only the tip that is at stake, a taxi driver's job can also be dangerous. Collin Sinclair was once attacked by a passenger who did notwant to pay the far e. “He grabbed my hand and said, …I am going to beat you up,' and then he started pushing me towards the window. Luckily, I managed to reach the emergency radio and within five minutes 20 drivers had come to my aid.”To avoid situations like this, more and more drivers are joining radio taxi companies, which only deal with customers who have telephoned for a taxi and who often have an account with them. The big advantage of this system is that drivers then know the name and the destination of their passengers in advance, which is very useful if something nasty happens.Not all unexpected encounters are nasty ones, though. Celebrities and politicians often use taxis and this can add a bit of excitement to the lives of the drivers. Barin Turner once carried two princesses in his taxi — without even realizing it! He recalled: “They stopped me in front of the gates of Kensington Palace and kept me talking for 20 minutes while a policeman watched. I knew I had seen their photographs but I couldn't remember whot hey were. It was only after they left that I realized who they were!”London taxi drivers love to talk to people and most of them start a conversation as soon as the passenger steps into their vehicle. Collin Sinclair is unrepentant: “Why not? I enjoy tal king to people and I learn from them. I've learnt more from driving a taxi than I ever at school. I've had people in my taxis from Russia and Australia and they've taught me a lot. It's fascinating.”Simultaneously talking and driving smoothly. This is the art that London taxi drivers have brought to perfection. They and their taxis are a landmark of the capital and are recognized throughout the world, along with the Queen and Big Ben, as a great British tradition.（选自 2000 年第 9 期）。