December 23rd 2023.
For David Burnetts, life was forever changed in 1976 when he began to ride his moped through the bustling streets of London. As he drove, he made sure to keep his eyes on the road while his other eye stayed fixed on the map of London's streets that he had attached to his handlebars.
At the time, London was home to thousands of hotels, routes, and landmarks, and David was determined to learn them all in order to become a black cab driver. Before that could happen though, he had to pass the ‘Knowledge of London’, a test that has been required for taxi drivers since 1865.
The exam is a challenge, testing prospective taxi drivers on their knowledge of a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. The most famous route is still the same as it was in 1965 - Manor House to Gibson Square run. The process to pass the exam can take up to three years and has been studied by scientists due to the sheer amount of memorisation it requires.
Today, the Knowledge may seem outdated to some, but to those in the black cab game, it still has a place. David, who has been a London licensed taxi driver since 1978, explains, “People get in a cab with a sense of trust. Of course, we’d be silly to completely ignore the usefulness of sat-navs, but when it comes to speed and reaction time, the cabbie has it beat.”
The Knowledge is more than just memorisation though, it has a deep personal value to those who take the exam. For David, it was his father-in-law, Alf, who encouraged him to take his career in a different direction. After leaving school at 15, and a career in the fashion industry, David and his wife Maureen had met by chance at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in 1971.
In 1975, David and Maureen were married and just one year later, David had quit his job and began studying for the Knowledge. The exam was tough, taking years to pass, but by 1978, David had joined the ranks of London's black cab drivers.
The Knowledge of London is a challenging exam and has been a requirement for taxi drivers since 1865. Despite the introduction of technology such as Uber and Google Maps, the Knowledge still has a place in London's black cab game. For David, it was more than just an exam - it was a life-changing experience that led him to the career he loves today.
For David Burnetts, 1976 marked the beginning of a long and gruelling journey. At the time, the Tottenham-born tailor was just 22 years old when he made the decision to switch up his career. With the guidance of his future father-in-law, Alf, who was a well-respected cabbie in London, David decided to take up the challenge of becoming a black cab driver.
A daunting process, it meant David had to tackle the infamous 'Knowledge of London' exam. Established in 1865 for all prospective taxi drivers, the exam is designed to test the candidate's extensive knowledge of the capital's streets, landmarks, and hotels within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross.
To prepare, David would often be seen riding his moped around the city with a map of London’s streets attached between his handlebars on a clipboard. It was essential that he memorised the thousands of roads and routes of London inside out if he ever wanted to succeed as a cabbie.
For some, this lengthy process can take up to three years to complete. Many of the successful candidates have even been studied by scientists due to their remarkable ability to remember large amounts of encyclopedic knowledge.
The gruelling exam has a special place in today’s world, despite the growing use of technology such as sat-navs and Google Maps. According to David, ‘people get in a cab with a sense of trust’. The cabbies can provide a reaction time that technology can’t, and when the signal goes down or a device loses battery, the cabbies still know exactly where to go.
David has been a London licensed taxi driver since 1978 and today he runs Capital Cabbie Tours. He and his wife, Maureen, often look back on how they first met in 1971. After a misunderstanding of directions led him to the wrong hotel, David bumped into Maureen and the two have been inseparable ever since.
The Knowledge is still a requirement for all aspiring taxi drivers today, and its importance is undeniable. For David, it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all those who take up the challenge and succeed.
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