European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 5, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The knowledge turns out Street Wise cabbies by Patrick Mckenna special to the stars and stripes from an endless creeping queue of Black taxis which looks like a three Lane funeral procession inching Down London s Charing Cross Road a Lone taxi swings curbside in front of Foyle s Bookstore. Four americans a two women a Man and a 2-year-old girl a fight through London s saturday afternoon shopping frenzy to reach the taxi s Sanctuary. Inside the women plop Down in the Back with a sigh the toddler Between them and the Man adjusts himself on a flip Down chair attached to the Driver s seat. Quot where to mate Quot asks the cabby. Quot we want to find someplace that Sells a lot of imported Beer Quot says the Man through the Gap in the smudged plexiglas partition. The younger woman quickly adds Quot and see some of the  Quot no problem Quot says Caffrey Quot Jeff Quot Binns switching off the cab s Quot for hire Quot Light and nosing his Way into the traffic. Quot leave it All to  often it seems visitors to Many of America s big cities Are Lucky to Chance upon a Hack who Speaks English let alone one who knows the Way but London s taxi Drivers Pride themselves on their professional competency honesty and Street smarts. London cabbies must pass a series of tests that require both skill and scholarship before being allowed to turn on their meters. Novices voluntarily undertake an unpaid initiation lasting two or three years with a 70 percent dropout rate just for the right to carry the licensed taxi Driver s Quot Bill and  this trial is called Quot the  a columnist named Monty in taxi a the voice of the cab Trade described this metaphysical sounding process As gaining Quot an intimate knowledge of inner London s 100 Square Miles of streets As Well As More than a nodding acquaintance with the 1,000 Square Miles of greater London  the 37-year-old Binns spent two years Quot doing the knowledge Quot immersing himself in the Anatomy of London s Street system learning the 468 routes and 2,000 reference Points. Binns a who is much like his fx4-r cab boxy Black and genuinely London a worked part time As a motorcycle messenger while studying. He devoted every free moment to classroom work a Riding a Scooter equipped with a Handlebar mounted clipboard and map through London s West end. Quot you can t learn the streets by Reading maps a claims Binns who has been cabling for 10 years now. Quot you be got to get out to see pm. Get a feel for pm. Some blokes try beating the system a memorizing the London a to z a but books Aren t always right. They Don t even Tell you which Way the traffic flows or which Way to turn and if you Don t know that the examiner will Chuck the testing Book at  the examiners Binns refers to work at the Public Carriage office a Branch of the metropolitan police which controls the a amps Meridith Winder the knowledge helps Caffrey Quot Jeff Quot Binns find his away around London. Licensing of almost 21,000 Drivers and 16,500 taxis. According to Paul Bloomfield a Public Carriage office administrative officer six knowledge examiners test More than 60 would be cabbies daily. He says one in 10 finishes. Quot the first test a Driver takes is a one on one Oral exam with a knowledge examiner Quot Bloomfield says. Quot the examiner wants to find out if a Driver can get from Point a to Point b by the shortest route calling out All the lefts and rights. If he passes he comes Back in two months to take it again. If he passes again he s asked to come Back in 28 Days for another test then again in 21 Days then 14 Days and after that he s ready for his driving test and a examination on London s  Binns who grew up in London s working class East end says examiners often mislead students with trick questions. Quot for instance they la ask you to go from you can t learn the streets by Reading maps. You be got to get out to see pm. Get a feel for pm Caffrey Quot Jeff Quot Binns London cabby Montpelier Square to harrods which is right across the Street. But you can t drive straight across because drop offs Are done on the left hand Side. If you Tell pm you drive straight across you  the method of evaluating the knowledge is a mystery. Quot nobody knows How the test is graded Quot Binns maintains. Quot you really Don t know How you be done until you Check your answers  Quot we never Tell anyone if they re right or wrong Quot says William Mayhew Deputy knowledge examiner. Quot it s no tour Job. It s up to them to find out How they did on their  when asked How students were graded Mayhew responds Quot we Don t answer questions we ask  in Piccadilly circus As he drives under the aluminium gaze of Eros the god of love and the blinding Blitz of Neon incandescent colors a coca cola red Foster s ale Blue Kodak yellow Mcdonald s Gold a Binns nods his head in the direction of a famous London landmark. Quot that s the Cinema the Werewolf ran into in american Werewolf in London. It s a boots drugstore now Quot Binns says apologetically darting his bespectacled eyes Between the Road ahead and the passengers in the rear View Mirror waiting for their response. Throughout the journey Binns Breaks his commentary to allow the passengers to interject their impressions. Any Titbit of historical information he supplied that did t command an Quot of ooh Quot Quot a aah Quot or Quot my Mem Quot is an affront to him and the City of London. Quot what have you seen this already Quot he would say. Or Quot Don t you fancy that Quot or Quot wha Shamatta Quot or Quot is there any place you d rather go instead Quot Quot yes Quot says the Man. Quot let s find the  Quot i want to see Buckingham Palace Quot says the older of the two women. Quot Well do both Quot Binns replies. He radios his dispatcher at computer cab asks where Quot Beers from All Over the world Quot can be found near the Palace. The dispatcher puts out an All Points bulletin for the foreign brews and quickly finds an establishment on London Road. At the Palace Binns circles the roundabout that rings Queen Victoria s Monument several times so the americans can take snapshots. Quot they probably think i be got a couple of punters in Here that i m running the fare up on Quot Binns says with a chuckle. The quest for the International malt beverages encounters a Snag. Finding the Road named after the City in t an easy task. Quot i know it s near elephant and Castle and Lambeth Road Quot Binns says while craning his neck out the window looking for Street signs. Quot i think somebody s nicked stolen the  after making several circuits of the area the Man on the flip Down chair notices Binns slowing the taxi and quickly stealing glances at his Lap. Perched Between his Knees is a Nicholson s London Street finder. Quot it s been 10 years since i did the knowledge Quot Binns says defensively after being caught. Quot you forget. Everybody needs a Little help once in a while. Quot even ministers resort to the Good Book for  staff sgt. Patrick Mckenna is a Public affaire officer at Raf Ben Waters England. 8 stripes Magazine March 5, 1992