A London Black Cab Driver Will Spend 8 years Learning Every Road Before He Has To Pass The Black Cab Exam. There Is No Technology Used And Is Only Information And Knowledge Stored In Your Head. They Travel Up And Down Covering Every Single Street On A Scooter Whilst Learning For 8 Years.
Next month I am back in London which is a city I know only too well having spent a good 10 years learning the road layout. Back then we had the trusty A-Z map book which lasted if you were lucky 2 weeks before pages fell out reducing it's effectiveness warranting a replacement. I covered East London , South and Central London and only had North London to still learn.
I have often wondered how and if anything has changed especially in East and South London knowing how high the crime rate is in that area. I knew if I parked my work car in a certain spot that within 5 minutes it would be broken into including the parking spots opposite the mobile police station. This was not something I could ever get used to knowing the police were there yet were powerless and held no respect with the locals. If there was any trouble you were literally on your own and why the crime rate was so high in these particular areas.
This I saw as petty crime even though it was more of an inconvenience and became a game of cat and mouse. I would be followed daily whether on foot or in the car and the majority of the time my vigilance thwarted the criminal element. Having been in the military and playing sport keeping my fitness at peak level these guys stood no chance and why I often reclaimed the stolen goods with ease after a short chase. Those were the fun days which puzzled work having to repair a broken in car, but no reported stock stolen. Out of more than 20 break ins I think I had stock stolen only twice and even though the stock was taken on the majority of times I was able to get it back and continued working.
Work Had No Idea I Was Hunting Two Individuals Using My Work Car As Bait
My line manager never asked too many questions because I think he already knew the answer and being street wise and bigger than most I could take care of myself. On the really bad area days like Thamesmead I would wear all terrain boots because it would sometimes mean taking a run down by the river being guided by people in the flats above who used to be spectators often helping retrieve the stolen stock.
I was eventually removed from London's dodgy areas after I asked for permission to ram another vehicle which had been following me for a good 30 minutes. I had taken them on a goose chase and when I was 100% sure they were up to no good work refused me permission to take the vehicle out. I knew who they were as I recognised them and they could not have been very smart either because I allowed them to follow me and had to slow down so they were not left behind.
Back then I worked closely with Greenwich CID which was the detective department of the police force. We were after 2 individuals who had beaten up a female business owner and I had made it personal because I knew her well. The two following me in the car were the ones I had been hunting and the only regret is I asked work for permission because the police screwed up their capture and I had them right where I needed them.
These two criminals were the ones I had been hunting for a good 6 months and why I was retrieving the stolen stock hoping it was them each time. I knew exactly what they looked like and after every chase I was gutted it was not them when I finally caught up with those who had broken into the car.
I had been using my work car as bait for a few years working along side the police and on my own accord which I have to say it made work far more interesting. I doubt you could do this today with all the health and safety and the wokeness of companies. We see how criminals can shoplift and just walk out the front door and I know my personality that I could never let that happen.
Thankfully on this trip I will only be in London for 24 hours and in the central part so not much could go wrong and will not be looking for trouble either. I still wish I could go and look for those two that eluded me however as that is still unfinished business. They were older than me so I am sure they are either dead or long retired by now.
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I lived in East London for a few years. It has changed a lot. I didn't experience the times when it was more dangerous but I could say for what I lived and hear that it has changed a lot.