Product Description

Forty years ago Alf Townsend passed The Knowledge after 14,000 miles on a moped round central London. Since then he has covered millions of miles in his taxi. This book includes a selection of his extraordinary and hilarious tales of everyday life as a cabbie, in which we meet Mr. Whippy and Violent Pete, Bread Roll Mick and the Motorway Mouse, Claude the Bastard and the mysterious Mr. X. Alf also examines the history of cab-driving in the capital including the variety of taxis that have been used and even tries to shed some light on the most ancient and obscure Hackney Carriage laws that are still on the statute book. (Do you know why a taxi is so tall? So a passenger can get on board wearing a top hat: it s true...) Concluding with a look at the seamy side of night work, the rise and the rise of the mini-cab, and what the future may hold for the London cabbie, Alf Townsend s book will be entertaining reading for all Londoners, and anyone else who has travelled in the back of a black cab.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45493 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-22
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 178 pages

About the Author
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Customer Reviews

Entertaining but out of date
This 2007 edition is a reprint of the 2003 book. And it shows. The first half of the book is mainly made up of stories from the past and they are great: interesting and entertaining. The second half deals with contemporary issues: also interesting, but out of date.

I bought, what I thought was a new book and the references to the "proposed" Terminal 5 and "expected" licensing of mini-cabs were confusing until I checked the copyright page. It wouldn't have taken a lot for a decent editor to have checked this and to have brought the book up-to-date. Even an author's addendum would have been appreciated.

Generally the anecdotes and stories are amusing although I've heard some before and they sound like urban myths! Parts of the book are a cabbie's rant but that is too be expected and in my opinion there is nothing like a good rant.

Author's Review.
The success of my book was based on many of my fellow cabbies buying it and telling others how entertaining it was. If one can relate cabbie anecdotes and even entertain cabbies, then it must have something! many have asked me 'how about a Cabbie Number Two'? Watch this space!!
My heartfelt thanks to all my readers. Regards Alf Townsend.