Call Sign August 2009 - Page 11 - John Edwardes: My life as a taxi driver…

Continued from July… Appointments from hell! One day I was in the PCO Knowledge hot seat and instructed to take a fare from the Ritz Hotel to somewhere that I can no longer remember. I began calling it as leaving on the left in Arlington Street, before being stopped and questioned… "How many steps are there to the Ritz doors?" Five, sir. "How do the doors open?" Two open from either side of the revolving door in the middle, sir. "What colour are they painted?" They are not painted but are stained wood, sir. "What else is there either side of the doors?" Two tubs painted green with small fir trees in them, sir. "What else is on the steps?" Either side at the edge of the steps are highly polished brass rails, sir. " Get on your bike and look at the hotel, you’ve never been near it. Don’t come here and waste my time… get out!" You may not have realised it at the time, but that type of interview was to test your self-control and character. You may think that was the end of that particular episode - as I did - but you’d be as wrong as I was. Thirty days later I had the pleasure of a different officer. I was quite pleased with myself; I had been given four runs and got them all spot on. Then he asked me for the Ritz Hotel to (they all loved this one) Empire House. There were five Empire Houses. Take your pick - whichever one you chose would always be the wrong one! He had decided that I was getting too cocky and needed to be taken down a peg or two. "Ritz Hotel to Southwick Woman’s Hospital, the Private Wing." Leave on the left Arlington Street. "Just a minute, the Ritz Hotel how many steps are there to the doors?" He then asked the same questions about	*At the age of 81, DaC driver John Edwardes (H05) had to suddenly retire following a heart problem. Now he has written about his life as a taxi driver. Call Sign is serialising it…* John Edwardes: My life as a taxi driver…
	the doors etc. Again I was told I had never been near the hotel. "Come back in 30 days. And get on your bloody bicycle and look at the Ritz Hotel." He too succeeded in what he wanted to do, which was to take me down a peg or two. On another morning, three of us had stood outside the Carriage Office from 4am. It was snowing hard and freezing cold, my beard had frozen to my duffel coat! The wind was blowing off Lambeth Bridge and all us ‘lucky’ sods looked like the abominable snowman. Eventually at about 9am, I was called up to one of the offices. I was asked some runs and did fairly well while standing there with my hands in my pockets trying to get warm. Outside it was still snowing hard and dark. I hadn’t realised that with the light on in the office, the officer could see my reflection in the outside window. He asked if I was working or doing the Knowledge full time? I said I was on it full time. His response? "How are you managing? Are you doing a little bit of at stealing perhaps?" I said I was living on my savings. Suddenly he shouted at me: "Get out! How dare you stand in my office with your hands in your bloody pockets" Somewhat shaken, I scuttled out. Neither did he tell me to come back in 30	days, but after 30 days I turned up anyway and was seen. After creeping out of the Carriage Office with your tail between your legs, it was straight down the road to Mark Antonio’s where the walls were covered in blackboards, with plenty of chalk to write down all the points you could remember and hopefully help the other poor sods hoping to get a badge! Eventually I completed the Knowledge and came to the two final hurdles - the suburbs and drive. The suburbs were OK but I was lucky with the drive. This started behind the Carriage Office. First off you had to park your cab in a ‘garage’ marked with paint on the concrete. It was only just big enough for the cab to get in and you had to make sure you could open the door to get out. This was successfully accomplished and next came the actual drive with the inspector as passenger. Whilst I was parking my cab, I noticed another applicant getting into his cab. His inspector immediately told him to get out. Puzzled, he did so. The PCO pointed to the handle on the door. "It cost money to put that on the door, it was put there so you could shut the door. You closed the door by putting your hand on top of the window and pulling it. How long do you think before the window starts to rattle? This may not worry you, but it can annoy your fares. Come back in fourteen days when you have learnt how to shut a door! I was careful to shut the door on my cab by using the handle! Continued next month…

TAXI DRIVERS LEGAL PROTECTION

After only eight months of operation, Taxi Drivers & Owners Legal Protection Ltd is now firmly established, with an ever-increasing membership.
   Founded by Alan Fleming, former Chairman of the LCDC and Dave Cohen, former Membership Secretary and Treasurer, we are now providing legal representation for our existing members.
   Taxi Drivers & Owners Legal Protection Ltd is a non-political organisation, which has been set up to provide legal representation for London's licensed taxi drivers.
   For further information and membership enquiries, take a look at our new web site at:
   www.taxidriverslegalprotection.com.
Alternatively, our Email address is topsltd2009@googlemail.com.

Alan Fleming and Dave Cohen

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