The first London taxi, or Hackney carriage, appeared in the 1600s and were horse-drawn. A law requiring cab drivers to carry a bale of hay for their horse was only repealed in the 1970s. The carriages would originally have been horse-drawn and the then cab drivers were required to carry a bale of hay for the horse. This law was not repealed until the 1970s despite the fact that the last horse-drawn cab driver returned his license in 1947. Even today the odd cab driver carries a small piece of hay in their taxi to remember their history.
In the mid-1800s there were complaints that cab drivers didn’t know where they were going. Therefore, in 1851 a test nicknamed ‘The Knowledge’ was introduced. Black cab drivers must still pass it today, they study for years and by the time they pass they must know from memory 25,000 streets and about 20,000 landmarks which include museums, theatres, schools, and churches.
The distinctive style of a black cab is known throughout the world, it has a tight turning circle so that it can turn around in London’s sometimes very narrow streets, they are painted black because when they were first produced black was the cheapest paint, and a taxi has a high roof so that a gentleman may enter without removing his top hat, perhaps less of a problem these days! Nowadays you may notice that quite a few of the cabs are not all black, just like the London Buses, many are carrying advertising or even have the whole vehicle body wrapped with a brand name.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, bought a taxi in 1999 for his private use and quickly realised nobody recognised him as he drove around London so he continued to use it until his retirement in 2017. Many other celebrities have realised the anonymity that driving a taxi cab can give you so if you get in a black cab check that the driver isn’t famous! Even if not, taxi drivers will often regale you with stories of the famous names they’ve driven around in the back of their cab.
