On Mon, 8 Mar 2010, Ian F. wrote:

"redcat" wrote in message
m...

I'm not talking about the rest of the planet. I'm talking about one thing
only, the subject of the article: black cabs.

In the main, black cab drivers - and in particular the younger ones - are
rude, ignorant and unhelpful. I've lost count of the number of times I've
seen one sit behind his wheel smirking while an elderly man or woman
struggles to load a suitcase into the cab. I've never seen that happen in any
other country.

They are also appallingly aggressive drivers who have never knowingly let
anyone pull out in front of them, or given way to another vehicle if they
haven't had to.

On the other hand, some are a delight. I had one yesterday going from Baker
Street to Swiss Cottage - lovely old guy who took the time to explain to me
why he was going a slightly longer route (to avoid road works).

I took two black cabs today. One driver had never heard of my street,
despite it being a hundred a fifty metres (ish) from Liverpool Street
station. It's not a big street, but i thought they were supposed to know
the lot. In terms of driving and rudeness, both were fine; neither was
chatty. They weren't long trips, though.

tom

--
The future is still out there, somewhere.