Tom the Taxi Driver: Can he navigate London’s streets BLINDFOLDED?
- Perry Richardson
- Jun 10, 2021
- 2 min read
They say taxi drivers know their cities like the backs of their hand. But can they navigate a taxi journey BLINDFOLDED?!
One brave cabbie risking his gold standard reputation as a London taxi driver did just that by jumping in the back of black cab blindfolded. Using just the motion of the cab to guide him on a £9.40 taxi fare around Covent Garden he successfully named ALL the roads he was travelling on.
If that wasn’t enough he was also able to point out shops, statues and other places of interest all from memory whilst travelling.
Every taxi driver in the capital must complete a test called the ‘Knowledge of London’ before they are granted a licensed taxi badge. The process takes on average 3 years and requires each taxi driver wannabe to crisscross the capital’s streets, learning thousands of street names and places of interest.
Tom Hutley, a London taxi driver and successful YouTuber, posted the video to thousands of subscribers showing the level of detail most cabbies know of the capital.
The cabbie’s YouTube channel has been a massive hit with viewers ever since it first launched in March 2020. The London black cab driver and qualified taxi guide completed the ‘Knowledge of London’ in 2017 after 3 years of studying. Four years in to the job he now also has a fast growing channel with over 24,000 subscribers tuning in.
Tom has also published a book about his time on the Knowledge, and recently progressed to Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers.
