preparations

I've got the list of runs (the route descriptions) and some information about the points (points of interest, such as resturaunts, clubs, historic buildings etc). I visited a cab school, I knew I was in the right place because there were at least twenty motorbikes outside, lots of them the same model as my own - a Honda Cub 90. Inside I heard chanting, rows or men like Buddhists with prayer beads calling over the roads they've travelled. I bought my book and left quickly.

I don't want to join a school, I'm doing the knowledge solo. If this is a bad idea I'll pay for it later but for now it is cheaper and puts the responsibility on me. My new book contains the first eighty runs and over one and a half thousand points. I can see straight away that these points will be a bugger. I'm not encouraged by in my task because the points are described in a curious way. Each start and end point of a run, lets say Manor House Station to Gibson Square, which just happens to be the first, has a quarter mile radius map which with point locations. The run route is not mapped but only described in taxiese and the points along with it. the end result is that I'm mostly not visiting the points around the start and end of runs and mostly missing the points along the runs. I need to change this if I'm going to get my green badge.

so far...

I'm on the knowledge and I'm not the only one. I, like so many others before me and now are learning London's roads and points of interest to be a black cabby and to be awarded an official green badge to prove it. These are a record of my experiences to act as encouragement or warning as the case may be.