There is also a very good TV comedy-drama film of 1979 about some characters working towards passing the Knowledge exam. The film was, of course, called The Knowledge:
A lot of detractors miss the fact that the Knowledge is about much more than just memorising routes.
The Knowledge is a very egalitarian way of hugely increasing the value of a taxi permit to the holder, creating a strong disincentive against any behaviour that might jeopardise their license. If you've spent four or five years working to get your Green Badge, you'll think twice about cheating a passenger or taking liberties with traffic laws.
The exams ("appearances") are conducted in person, and are deliberately intended to be highly stressful. Examiners want to see not only that the candidate knows the routes, but that they can remain calm and courteous under pressure. By design, the Knowledge is a long and arduous test of character that happens to impart practical skills.
If your interest has been piqued by this article, there is an excellent (albeit slightly dated) BBC documentary on the subject:
It is also worth noting that the iconic black cab is a perfectly designed tool for the job, not just a kitsch symbol. It is fully wheelchair accessible, has a durable wipe-clean interior, and is designed with a very tight turning circle to maximise manoeuvrability in the tight streets of London.
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There is also a very good TV comedy-drama film of 1979 about some characters working towards passing the Knowledge exam. The film was, of course, called The Knowledge:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knowledge_(film)
It's available on YouTube (potential geoblocking notwithstanding):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSAAB1ZmudY
A lot of detractors miss the fact that the Knowledge is about much more than just memorising routes.
The Knowledge is a very egalitarian way of hugely increasing the value of a taxi permit to the holder, creating a strong disincentive against any behaviour that might jeopardise their license. If you've spent four or five years working to get your Green Badge, you'll think twice about cheating a passenger or taking liberties with traffic laws.
The exams ("appearances") are conducted in person, and are deliberately intended to be highly stressful. Examiners want to see not only that the candidate knows the routes, but that they can remain calm and courteous under pressure. By design, the Knowledge is a long and arduous test of character that happens to impart practical skills.
If your interest has been piqued by this article, there is an excellent (albeit slightly dated) BBC documentary on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvFKh_3evC8&list=PL759B26B057F30955 http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007796l/modern-times-streetwise
It is also worth noting that the iconic black cab is a perfectly designed tool for the job, not just a kitsch symbol. It is fully wheelchair accessible, has a durable wipe-clean interior, and is designed with a very tight turning circle to maximise manoeuvrability in the tight streets of London.
There's a fairly decent little film that follows four (fictional) characters seeking to aquire "The Knowledge".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082624/
There's a documentary about that called "The Knowledge:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYZcG2mY9Fs