Taxi Driver Online :: View topic - What's become of the black cab?

“It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”.

Brummie Cabbie wrote:

“It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”.

So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. ](*,)

Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre?

Sussex wrote:

Brummie Cabbie wrote:

“It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”.

So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. ](*,)

Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre?

Brummie Cabbie wrote:

Sussex wrote:

Brummie Cabbie wrote:

“It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”.

So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. ](*,)

Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre?

but be fair, they wont do much speeding will they

if a u-turn is illegal how come its in the driving test disguised as a "turn in the road"?

wannabeeahack wrote:

Brummie Cabbie wrote:

Sussex wrote:

Brummie Cabbie wrote:

“It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”.

So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. ](*,)

Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre?

but be fair, they wont do much speeding will they

if a u-turn is illegal how come its in the driving test disguised as a "turn in the road"?

You dont mean turn the vehicle in the opposite direction in as many turns needed to do so (thats the new wording for the old 3 point turn)

Author:	Brummie Cabbie [ Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:06 am ]
Post subject:	What's become of the black cab?
What's become of the black cab? Harry de Quetteville laments the loss of our traditional "TX1" black cabs, as they are replaced by (German-designed) "Vito" black cabs. Published: 7:00AM BST 22 Jun 2010 These are tough times for symbols of English pride, and that’s not just because it’s World Cup time again. Just when you get over the shame of England’s pitiful performances, and Wayne Rooney laying the blame of a goalless draw with Algeria at the feet of deservedly disgruntled fans, you hear the plight of the red squirrel. The reds can’t compete with those ghastly imports, the greys. So endangered are they that the Prince of Wales now feels sorry for them, and is protecting them on the Cornish coast. And just when you’ve recovered from the idea of one foreign invader displacing a much-loved local, along comes a second. Behold the Vito Black Cab. You probably won’t notice one unless you look out for it. But once you do, let me assure you, they’re everywhere. They stand out from a traditional black cab (the “TX1” to aficionados). There’s no distinctive grille for a start. No friendly, round headlights, no reassuring engine putter. What there is instead, is a people carrier. It has electric sliding doors, so there’s no satisfying “thunk” when the door slams shut, and the protective cocoon against the outside world is sealed. Reassuring engine noise? Forget about it. Distinctive grille? Well, yes, it is rather recognisable. It’s got three points on it. You know the one. It’s a Mercedes. That’s right. The great British cab is now designed in Germany. According to Eco City, the company that refits the basic Mercedes design with all the cab trimmings (including the yellow “TAXI” light at the front), there are now more than 700 Vito taxis on the streets. It claims it has captured a quarter of the market for new cabs since it started producing them more than two years ago. Regular fares will not be surprised to hear that, for some cabbies, the arrival here of a German-designed taxi is not unfettered with “historical” issues. No one actually says, “We didn’t fight them on the effing beaches only to drive their effing cars up and down the Mall”, but you get the impression that the thought isn’t far away. “A lot of the cabbies say that they won’t drive it because it’s a German car,” says Elton Grant, who has been taking fares for 35 years and switched to a Vito just over a year ago. “But it doesn’t matter. We’ve been driving German cars ever since. What’s the difference with a cab?” On a rank at Victoria Station, Peter Barham, who has been a cabbie since 1959, and is on his last TX1 before retiring in two years is more concerned about the Vito’s handling. “It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”. And indeed, on first inspection, the Vito does seem cumbersome. But then it turns out that it’s like the Tardis, only in reverse. Big on the outside, smaller on the inside. In fact, despite the actual vehicle appearing to be twice the size of the TX1, the Vito’s dimensions feel unnervingly similar once you are in the back. And once installed, there are all kinds of mod cons. There’s a button for air-conditioning and a button for the dimmable lights. There’s even a socket to charge up a phone or computer, at which you can hammer away after stowing the frothing mocca-wotsit in one of the cup holders. Windows are a problem, though. A button for an electric window is there in the armrest, but all it does is open up a crack in the back through which you would be hard pressed to post a letter. Nor is there a window between you and the driver. He is completely sealed off and all communication is done via a microphone and speakers. In fact, there is a button that allows the fare to mute the cabbie. Mute the cabbie! You’ve got to hand it to the Germans. We’ve been looking for a way to mute cabbies for centuries. Of course, you may not want to. Like many cabbies, Edwin Grant is a charmer. And he’s evangelical about his Vito. “It’s comfortable and economical to run. Some tourists want a traditional cab but to go to weddings or the airport they want a bigger car. I get a lot of good fares that way.” Three of colleagues, he says, have followed his example and switched to the Vito. It’s not without its advantages. But wandering back to the office I bump into a woman brandishing her camera at a distinctly unattractive road. Susie Williams, from Washington DC, is in town for a single day before transiting to Greece. She wants a snap of a traditional black cab and will accept no substitute. “It’s a design classic,” she says. “It’s so distinctive. Don’t ever get rid of it.” Source; telegraph.co.uk

Author:	Sussex [ Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: What's become of the black cab?
Brummie Cabbie wrote: “It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”. So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn.

Author:	Brummie Cabbie [ Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:56 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: What's become of the black cab?
Sussex wrote: Brummie Cabbie wrote: “It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”. So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre?

Author:	Sussex [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:44 am ]
Post subject:	Re: What's become of the black cab?
Brummie Cabbie wrote: Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre? Oh yes.

Author:	wannabeeahack [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:32 am ]
Post subject:	Re: What's become of the black cab?
Brummie Cabbie wrote: Sussex wrote: Brummie Cabbie wrote: “It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”. So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre? but be fair, they wont do much speeding will they if a u-turn is illegal how come its in the driving test disguised as a "turn in the road"?

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Author:	skippy41 [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:51 am ]
Post subject:	Re: What's become of the black cab?
wannabeeahack wrote: Brummie Cabbie wrote: Sussex wrote: Brummie Cabbie wrote: “It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”. So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre? but be fair, they wont do much speeding will they if a u-turn is illegal how come its in the driving test disguised as a "turn in the road"? You dont mean turn the vehicle in the opposite direction in as many turns needed to do so (thats the new wording for the old 3 point turn)

Author:	Brummie Cabbie [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:06 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: What's become of the black cab?
skippy41 wrote: wannabeeahack wrote: Brummie Cabbie wrote: Sussex wrote: Brummie Cabbie wrote: “It’s too big, too long, too clumsy and too hard to park,” he said. “Nothing turns on a sixpence like the TX1”. So customer and drivers comfort, running costs, matters not as long as you can do an illegal u-turn. Are you inferring that LTI are 'aiding & abetting' drivers of their vehicles to act illegally on the highway by producing a vehicle that is capable of an illegal manoeuvre? but be fair, they wont do much speeding will they if a u-turn is illegal how come its in the driving test disguised as a "turn in the road"? You dont mean turn the vehicle in the opposite direction in as many turns needed to do so (thats the new wording for the old 3 point turn) Even when I took the test just after the middle of the last century, the driving instructor or examiner never called it a three-point turn. It has always been a multi-point turn; it's OK in three & OK in five, etc.

Author:	skippy41 [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:16 pm ]
Post subject:

Author:	wannabeeahack [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:58 pm ]
Post subject:
it was deffo a 3 pointer when i took my test 38 years ago...... touching the kerbs = an instant fail

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