The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
As a native Chicagoan I have taken plenty of cab rides. I know how to hail a cab and the etiquette to use when interacting with the driver, which to be perfectly honest is very little. However, when taking a taxi ride in London, the procedure is sharply different.
Here is a list of the steps to properly hail a cab in London.
About jackieJackie has the unfortunate pleasure of being married to Jonathan - Anglotopia's Anglophile-in-Chief. Follow her online activities on Twitter here.
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Hello from a london cabbie. I just came across your very nice article and wanted to add one other tip to your list…
Once you have reached your destination, it is customary to get out of the taxi and hand the fare to the driver through the passenger window. Most cabbies are happy to let you do this, and will only insist on payment first if they suspect you are a potential \bilker\ (someone who runs off without paying).
@Rusty … Really? I’ve been getting London cabs for a few years now, and I’ve always, without fail, paid using the little tray that’s usually between the driver and the passenger. I’d feel that by hopping out the cab I’d be looking like I was doing a runner.
Also, surely it’s tricky if, by getting out on the side where there’s a path, for the driver to lean over the passenger seat to reach you on the other side of the car?!
Black Cab drivers are the best taxi drivers in the world. Very few other taxi drivers have the same knowledge of their city as London Black Cab drivers do.
Always chat with your black cab driver, they are generally very interesting people with a colourful view of the world.
Mini cabs are reliable if you book them but they don’t have the same training as black cab drivers so often use sat navs.