倫敦的士 (計程車)一般稱為 black cab, 但其正式名稱是 hackney carriage。有説這名稱源自倫敦城東 Hackney 區, 數百年前 Hackney 還是一個小村落,養了不少馬匹,而那些馬匹就是用來帶動最早期的馬動的士。持牌的馬動的士從十七世紀中已開始在倫敦市內行走,到第二次世界大戰後才完全消失。而現在的倫敦的士獨有的渾圓驅體是由柯士甸車廠 (Austin)在戰後的設計逐漸演變而成,現在是由已被上海吉利車廠收購的倫敦的士公司生產。因為車型獨特而遠近馳名,不少遊客也喜歡與之合照,而遠至阿塞拜疆首都巴庫也引入倫敦的士作為其城市的的士。
雖然倫敦的士名稱叫 black cab (黑色的士),但其實現在有不少的士車身被塗上其他顏色。的士一般為五座位設計,其中兩座位為摺椅。車廂因此頗為寬敞,不僅能容下普通嬰兒車或大型行李,也可容納一部輪椅。為了司機個人安全和乘客私隱,司機座位後有一塊屏風,而司機旁的座位一般非用來載客。正所謂各處鄉村各處例,這裡坐的士的方法也與別不同。的士前座的窗戶通常開啟,上車前乘客先透過窗戶把目的地告知,而到達目的地時也是先下車,然後透過窗戶付車資。
為了保持倫敦的士的良好信譽,運輸署對發的士司機牌照有嚴格管制。任何人欲成為的士司機,除要接受背景調查、考筆試、考路試、還必需考一名為 The Knowledge 的考試。這是個被喻為世上最困難的的士司機考試,考生需面對一連串的單對單面試。考牌官會隨便提出倫敦市內任何地方為起點和終點,考生必需立刻提出一條最直接的路線。這考試的合格率頗低,為了應付考試,不少準考生花上數年時間來認識倫敦市內所有街道、地標、景點。筆者時常在街上看見一些小摩托車,駕駛者總是邊盯著放在車把中央的膠板上的地圖,邊觀察環境,然後慢慢地行駛。不久前才得悉這些摩托車駕駛者其實是的士司機牌準考生,因為駕駛摩托車既方便又便宜,他們便用這方法來熟習倫敦道路。
或許要成為倫敦的士司機實不容易,司機們都很有專業精神。筆者有回拿著數件行李從 Paddington 火車站乘搭的士回家,那天晚上一直下著雨,當抵達家門時司機著筆者拿隨身行李盡快走到簷篷下避雨,而他冒雨從車廂把大型行李送到簷篷下,真是十分細心。又有一回因從希斯路機場出發的尾班地鐵只往 Hammersmith, 抵達後便步出地鐵站找的士。有的士將要駛至時,一男子不知從哪裡走出來欲捷足先登,豈料的士還是停在筆者面前。登車後,司機正義地説他不忿那沒風度的男子的行為,而且一個女子深夜時在街上也不安全,所以拒載那男子實在有理云云。數月前,新聞報道有一位善忘媽媽竟然在城東 Shoreditch 下的士時把孩子遺留在車上,司機一直把的士駛至購物大道 Oxford Street 時才赫然發現後座有個小孩在探頭看風景,嚇得他連忙把的士駛回那媽媽下車的地點,幸好善忘媽媽在報警後沒有離開下車處,很快便母子團圓。
倫敦的士車費昂貴眾所皆知,起錶費為£2.40, 之後一英哩由£5.60至£9不等。車費高昂,不少大公司也不允許來倫敦公幹的員工坐的士來往市區與希斯路機場。因此, minicab (私人出租車)公司便如雨後春筍出現來競爭生意。Minicab 全為預約制,其牌照只容許接載預先於網上預約或電召的乘客,而車資亦於預約時決定。Minicab 的管制較寬鬆,司機質素十分參差。近年有些 minicab 非法地於周末晚上在鬧市公然兜客,令合法的倫敦的士司機為之側目。更有女士為貪圖較的士便宜的車資而冒險乘搭非法 minicab 而遭不法之徒性侵犯,情形令警方束手無策。很多倫敦的士司機既不值那些 minicab 司機的非法行為,亦為自保飯碗而群起對抗,聯手於周末晚上在鬧市堵截非法 minicab。
某些路邊的士站附近建有綠色的木製小屋,不少倫敦人也不知是什麼。這些小屋名為 cabman's shelter (的士司機庇護站),早在維多利亞女皇時代已出現。一班慈善家不忍當時的馬動的士車夫每天坐在馬車上日曬雨淋,便集資來興建這些小屋讓他們有地方休息和吃些小點充飢。現時市內還有十三間綠色小屋,由慈善團體經營,有些不只為的士司機服務,一般市民也可在那裡購買飲食。讀者如到倫敦旅遊,不妨找間綠色小屋探頭看看。
雖然倫敦的士名稱叫 black cab (黑色的士),但其實現在有不少的士車身被塗上其他顏色。的士一般為五座位設計,其中兩座位為摺椅。車廂因此頗為寬敞,不僅能容下普通嬰兒車或大型行李,也可容納一部輪椅。為了司機個人安全和乘客私隱,司機座位後有一塊屏風,而司機旁的座位一般非用來載客。正所謂各處鄉村各處例,這裡坐的士的方法也與別不同。的士前座的窗戶通常開啟,上車前乘客先透過窗戶把目的地告知,而到達目的地時也是先下車,然後透過窗戶付車資。
為了保持倫敦的士的良好信譽,運輸署對發的士司機牌照有嚴格管制。任何人欲成為的士司機,除要接受背景調查、考筆試、考路試、還必需考一名為 The Knowledge 的考試。這是個被喻為世上最困難的的士司機考試,考生需面對一連串的單對單面試。考牌官會隨便提出倫敦市內任何地方為起點和終點,考生必需立刻提出一條最直接的路線。這考試的合格率頗低,為了應付考試,不少準考生花上數年時間來認識倫敦市內所有街道、地標、景點。筆者時常在街上看見一些小摩托車,駕駛者總是邊盯著放在車把中央的膠板上的地圖,邊觀察環境,然後慢慢地行駛。不久前才得悉這些摩托車駕駛者其實是的士司機牌準考生,因為駕駛摩托車既方便又便宜,他們便用這方法來熟習倫敦道路。
或許要成為倫敦的士司機實不容易,司機們都很有專業精神。筆者有回拿著數件行李從 Paddington 火車站乘搭的士回家,那天晚上一直下著雨,當抵達家門時司機著筆者拿隨身行李盡快走到簷篷下避雨,而他冒雨從車廂把大型行李送到簷篷下,真是十分細心。又有一回因從希斯路機場出發的尾班地鐵只往 Hammersmith, 抵達後便步出地鐵站找的士。有的士將要駛至時,一男子不知從哪裡走出來欲捷足先登,豈料的士還是停在筆者面前。登車後,司機正義地説他不忿那沒風度的男子的行為,而且一個女子深夜時在街上也不安全,所以拒載那男子實在有理云云。數月前,新聞報道有一位善忘媽媽竟然在城東 Shoreditch 下的士時把孩子遺留在車上,司機一直把的士駛至購物大道 Oxford Street 時才赫然發現後座有個小孩在探頭看風景,嚇得他連忙把的士駛回那媽媽下車的地點,幸好善忘媽媽在報警後沒有離開下車處,很快便母子團圓。
倫敦的士車費昂貴眾所皆知,起錶費為£2.40, 之後一英哩由£5.60至£9不等。車費高昂,不少大公司也不允許來倫敦公幹的員工坐的士來往市區與希斯路機場。因此, minicab (私人出租車)公司便如雨後春筍出現來競爭生意。Minicab 全為預約制,其牌照只容許接載預先於網上預約或電召的乘客,而車資亦於預約時決定。Minicab 的管制較寬鬆,司機質素十分參差。近年有些 minicab 非法地於周末晚上在鬧市公然兜客,令合法的倫敦的士司機為之側目。更有女士為貪圖較的士便宜的車資而冒險乘搭非法 minicab 而遭不法之徒性侵犯,情形令警方束手無策。很多倫敦的士司機既不值那些 minicab 司機的非法行為,亦為自保飯碗而群起對抗,聯手於周末晚上在鬧市堵截非法 minicab。
某些路邊的士站附近建有綠色的木製小屋,不少倫敦人也不知是什麼。這些小屋名為 cabman's shelter (的士司機庇護站),早在維多利亞女皇時代已出現。一班慈善家不忍當時的馬動的士車夫每天坐在馬車上日曬雨淋,便集資來興建這些小屋讓他們有地方休息和吃些小點充飢。現時市內還有十三間綠色小屋,由慈善團體經營,有些不只為的士司機服務,一般市民也可在那裡購買飲食。讀者如到倫敦旅遊,不妨找間綠色小屋探頭看看。
London taxis are generally called black cabs, but the proper name is hackney carriage. Some thinks that the name comes from Hackney, a suburb in east London. Hundreds of years ago Hackney was just a quiet little village and there were stables that kept horses used for running private hire carriages. Licensed horse drawn carriages were already running in London streets in the mid 17th century and the last ones only withdrew from services after the second world war. As for the current shape of most London cabs, it is evolved from the ones designed and built by Austin after the war, and currently they are made by London Taxi Company. The shape is so unusual that tourists are often seen having photos taken with one. The fame of London cabs travels far, for the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku have imported London cabs to be used as their city's fleet of cabs.
Black cabs are not necessarily black in colour. Some are painted in other colours for advertising purposes, and for the Queen's golden jubilee back in 2002, 50 cabs were painted gold. The average London cab has five seats, two of which are back-facing jump seats. Hence the inside of the cab is quite spacious, all can fit a baby buggy, wheelchair or larger suitcases with no problem. For safety and passengers' privacy, all cabs are fitted with a partition window behind the driver's seat, and the seat next to the driver is generally not used, though some cabbies are happy to use that seat to hold extra luggage if needed. It took me a while after moving to London to figure out the "right" way of taking a cab. After flagging a cab down, one should inform the driver of the destination through the window before boarding. The driver usually confirms with the passenger the route at the start of the journey. After reaching the destination, the passenger can disembark the cab first, and pay the fare through the window.
In order to maintain high standards and good reputation, it is extremely difficult to become a London cabbie. Aside from having compulsory criminal checks, potential cabbies have to sit a written test, a road test and the world-famous The Knowledge test. The Knowledge is comprised of a series of interviews whereby the examinee is given any two points in London as the start and end points, and he/she has to immediately point out the most direct journey. In order to pass The Knowledge, potential cabbies need to have an extremely detailed mental map of London streets and its landmarks. It is not uncommon for people to spend years studying for The Knowledge. I am used to seeing people riding scooters slowly, with one eye on the map stuck to the big plastic board between the handle bars, and one eye on the road. Only recently I realised these scooter drivers are actually cabbie students, for it is much more economical to use a scooter to drive around London to learn the roads.
Perhaps because it is no mean feat to become a London cabbie, these men and women really have a sense of pride and are very professional. One time I had to get home from Paddington station with several pieces of luggage. It had been raining all evening and when the cab arrived in front of my building, the cabbie told me to just grab my hand luggage and make a run to the porch to avoid getting drenched, while he helped getting the larger luggage off the cab. Another time, I managed to get onto the last tube from Heathrow but the tube only went as far as Hammersmith. So after arriving at Hammersmith, I tried to find a cab outside the station. Just when a cab was approaching, a man appeared from nowhere and tried to flag it down before me, but the cab stopped in front of me anyway. After getting on, the cabbie said he despised the man's un-gentleman behaviour and reckoned it is not safe for a lone female to be out at that time of the night so he felt justified not picking him up. A few months back, it was in the news that a mother somehow managed to leave her young child in the cab after getting off in Shoreditch at the eastern fringe of the city. Without realising this, the cabbie drove all the way to Oxford Street near the west end when he suddenly saw in the rearview mirror that there was a child at the back looking out the window. The shocked cabbie immediately u-turned and drove back to where he dropped off the mother. Luckily after reporting to the police the mother stayed where she got off, and mother and child soon reunited.
Taking a London cab is by no means a cheap form of transportation, for there is a minimum fare of £2.40 and the first mile can cost £5.60 to £9 depending the time of the day. Many companies do not allow their staff on business trips to take black cabs between the city and Heathrow airport. This gives rise to the growth of minicab firms. Minicabs are private hires, their licensing only permits them to pick up passengers who have pre booked online or on the phone, and the fare is also predetermined at the time of booking. As licensing of minicab drivers is less stringent than black cab drivers, their standards vary wildly. In recent times some minicab drivers engage in touting on weekend evenings by illegally stopping near nightclubs and bars in the west end to try to pick up passengers without prior booking. Some females risk taking these illegal minicabs as they usually offer a cheaper fare than black cabs, but end up getting sexually assaulted by the drivers. With passengers' safety and their livelihood at stake, a group of black cab drivers teamed up to combat touting by using their cabs to block black spots where illegal minicab drivers are known to tout.
Near some taxi stands in London are little green wooden structures, which even some Londoners have no idea about. These wooden structures are called cabman's shelters. These shelters have been around since Victorian times when horse carriage drivers were exposed to the elements with nowhere to rest and shelter from poor weather. Several philanthropists pulled together their resources to build these shelters and since then they have been run by charity groups to continue to serve snacks and drinks to cabbies. There are only thirteen of these cabman shelters left in London, and some now serve the general public as well. So next time you see one, why not poke in to have a look.
Black cabs are not necessarily black in colour. Some are painted in other colours for advertising purposes, and for the Queen's golden jubilee back in 2002, 50 cabs were painted gold. The average London cab has five seats, two of which are back-facing jump seats. Hence the inside of the cab is quite spacious, all can fit a baby buggy, wheelchair or larger suitcases with no problem. For safety and passengers' privacy, all cabs are fitted with a partition window behind the driver's seat, and the seat next to the driver is generally not used, though some cabbies are happy to use that seat to hold extra luggage if needed. It took me a while after moving to London to figure out the "right" way of taking a cab. After flagging a cab down, one should inform the driver of the destination through the window before boarding. The driver usually confirms with the passenger the route at the start of the journey. After reaching the destination, the passenger can disembark the cab first, and pay the fare through the window.
In order to maintain high standards and good reputation, it is extremely difficult to become a London cabbie. Aside from having compulsory criminal checks, potential cabbies have to sit a written test, a road test and the world-famous The Knowledge test. The Knowledge is comprised of a series of interviews whereby the examinee is given any two points in London as the start and end points, and he/she has to immediately point out the most direct journey. In order to pass The Knowledge, potential cabbies need to have an extremely detailed mental map of London streets and its landmarks. It is not uncommon for people to spend years studying for The Knowledge. I am used to seeing people riding scooters slowly, with one eye on the map stuck to the big plastic board between the handle bars, and one eye on the road. Only recently I realised these scooter drivers are actually cabbie students, for it is much more economical to use a scooter to drive around London to learn the roads.
Perhaps because it is no mean feat to become a London cabbie, these men and women really have a sense of pride and are very professional. One time I had to get home from Paddington station with several pieces of luggage. It had been raining all evening and when the cab arrived in front of my building, the cabbie told me to just grab my hand luggage and make a run to the porch to avoid getting drenched, while he helped getting the larger luggage off the cab. Another time, I managed to get onto the last tube from Heathrow but the tube only went as far as Hammersmith. So after arriving at Hammersmith, I tried to find a cab outside the station. Just when a cab was approaching, a man appeared from nowhere and tried to flag it down before me, but the cab stopped in front of me anyway. After getting on, the cabbie said he despised the man's un-gentleman behaviour and reckoned it is not safe for a lone female to be out at that time of the night so he felt justified not picking him up. A few months back, it was in the news that a mother somehow managed to leave her young child in the cab after getting off in Shoreditch at the eastern fringe of the city. Without realising this, the cabbie drove all the way to Oxford Street near the west end when he suddenly saw in the rearview mirror that there was a child at the back looking out the window. The shocked cabbie immediately u-turned and drove back to where he dropped off the mother. Luckily after reporting to the police the mother stayed where she got off, and mother and child soon reunited.
Taking a London cab is by no means a cheap form of transportation, for there is a minimum fare of £2.40 and the first mile can cost £5.60 to £9 depending the time of the day. Many companies do not allow their staff on business trips to take black cabs between the city and Heathrow airport. This gives rise to the growth of minicab firms. Minicabs are private hires, their licensing only permits them to pick up passengers who have pre booked online or on the phone, and the fare is also predetermined at the time of booking. As licensing of minicab drivers is less stringent than black cab drivers, their standards vary wildly. In recent times some minicab drivers engage in touting on weekend evenings by illegally stopping near nightclubs and bars in the west end to try to pick up passengers without prior booking. Some females risk taking these illegal minicabs as they usually offer a cheaper fare than black cabs, but end up getting sexually assaulted by the drivers. With passengers' safety and their livelihood at stake, a group of black cab drivers teamed up to combat touting by using their cabs to block black spots where illegal minicab drivers are known to tout.
Near some taxi stands in London are little green wooden structures, which even some Londoners have no idea about. These wooden structures are called cabman's shelters. These shelters have been around since Victorian times when horse carriage drivers were exposed to the elements with nowhere to rest and shelter from poor weather. Several philanthropists pulled together their resources to build these shelters and since then they have been run by charity groups to continue to serve snacks and drinks to cabbies. There are only thirteen of these cabman shelters left in London, and some now serve the general public as well. So next time you see one, why not poke in to have a look.