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Location: Blogs Simon and Melody's Blog |
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| Posted by: supersi |
Saturday, March 17, 2007 |
It’s been proven: London cabbies have bigger brains. Brain scans show that London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus (the part of the brain associated with navigation – absent in most men) compared with people in other professions. As we have learnt first-hand since moving to London, navigating your way around this city is a brain-straining feat – and one that a mere mortal shouldn’t attempt without GPS.
London cabbies don’t have GPS though, and neither do they have a dispatch centre to call for directions. In order to become a licensed cabbie, you must pass a gruelling test called the Knowledge. To pass the test, one must prove they have a detailed knowledge of the 25,000 streets, major buildings and open spaces within a six mile radius of Charing Cross, and a more general knowledge of the major routes throughout the rest of London. They have to be able to recite 320 routes in either direction with all points of interest along the way, and account for traffic disruptions at the same time. An aspiring cabbie studies for three years before taking the test, and usually requires at least 10 or 12 appearances before receiving a passing grade.
Imagine my surprise, then, when one day I laid a real stumper. It was on our way back from a recent trip, sometime after midnight when the Tube had closed. We hauled our suitcases across a deserted London Bridge, and finally found a cab. “West India Quay, please,” I said, exhausted, as I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the seat. “Uh, West India wot, mate?” My eyes opened again. “West India Quay.” A few seconds elapsed while he drove off and went through those 320 routes in his mind. “Uh, that souf of the River, guv?” “No, north of the River.” “Oh right, right, that’s what I thought mate, norf of the River.” Sitting back there in the dark, I went from being half asleep to smug with glee as I realized that I’d given out a destination that a London cabbie didn’t know! I looked over at Mel to see if she shared my enthusiasm, but she was fast asleep, likely dreaming about catching an earlier flight.
After a few minutes, I thought I’d be nice and offer the final clue: “It’s just on the north side of Canary Wharf.” Okay, if he doesn’t know where Canary Wharf is, then he’s an illegal cabbie just off the boat from Timbuktoo. “Yeah right, it’s just on the norf side of the Wharf, innit guv?” From there it was smooth sailing, proving that he really was a tried-and-true cabbie.
Afterwards Phil told us that if you stump a cabbie then your ride is free. We were like, "Really?!?!" He was pulling our leg though. No award for cabbie-stumping... and I even gave him a tip. He deserved it though -- London Cabbie is right up there with Starbucks Barista as a job I could never do! |
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