RANK REALITIES: Tom Hutley tries working just London taxi ranks during Kipper Season shift
- Perry Richardson
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
Tom Hutley, better known as Tom the Taxi Driver on YouTube, is a licensed London black cab driver. His channel has built a steady following by documenting the real-life experiences of working cab drivers. In his latest video, Tom focuses on a full shift operating exclusively from official taxi ranks — a method he rarely uses for an entire day.
Tom trained under the demanding Knowledge of London, the rigorous process required to become a black cab driver. It’s widely accepted as one of the toughest taxi qualification systems in the world, taking years of study and hundreds of runs across central London. Only after passing it can a driver operate with a green badge and work ranks across the capital.
Ranks, often positioned near key transport hubs, hotels, or attractions, allow cabs to wait in line for passengers. But success on ranks varies. Unlike app jobs or street hails, rank work is heavily reliant on location, timing and the behaviour of fellow drivers.
In this shift, Tom experiments with less familiar ranks such as those near the Natural History Museum and the Park Tower Hotel. Many yielded little to no work. He describes long waits, unclear etiquette, and at times, other drivers undercutting queue positions.
The video lays bare the inconsistency of rank-based working, especially during the quiet Kipper Season. By late afternoon, Tom had earned a figure that he reveals in the video that barely scratches the surface of a cabbie’s operating costs.
Tom’s video offers a frank view into the slower side of taxi work — one shaped by trial, error and timing. It demonstrates how even experienced drivers with in-depth route knowledge can face unproductive stretches when relying solely on rank trade in London.
