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London Cabbie Reveals Tradition They All Do On Their First Job

London Cabbie Reveals Tradition They All Do On Their First Job

Tom spends his days navigating London and life while finding the time to create content for his YouTube channel

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

This London taxi driver has revealed a 'tradition' all cabbies do on their first proper job - give it for free, the generous LADs.

Tom the Taxi Driver explained on his YouTube channel how the custom comes off the back of a lot of hard work learning all the routes around London. Lucky for him, his first ride was only £3.40 ($4.80).

Tom says: "So this tales from the taxi takes us way back to December 2017 where I got this shiny green badge.

"Tradition, for London cab drivers - I don't know whether this happens anywhere else across the world or any other districts of cab drivers - but you've worked so long and hard on the knowledge that your very, very first ride, the very, very first fare you give to a paying passenger, you do for free.

"It's just kind of one of those unwritten rules, every cab driver's done it. I don't know where it comes from, but it's probably the idea that your first one is probably cr*p because you're panicking, you don't know where to go, you've spent three years plus learning the map.

"You just go out there and you freeze. You just don't know, you're so apprehensive to turn the light on."

YouTube/Tom the Taxi Driver

Tom - who has nearly 24,000 subscribers on YouTube - then goes on to explain how his own 'first time' went down.

He revealed that it was one of the last major drinking weekends before Christmas and when he got his badge they were asked who would be going driving... so Tom popped his hand up.

He went on: "The examiners were saying it was going to be quite a busy evening, even a busy weekend. It might not be the best time to get used to the cab, how the brakes work and stuff like that on that weekend.

"I thought to hell with it, I've worked so hard. I'm gonna get out and go in the cab."

Tom picked up a taxi to rent which was an automatic and, very sensibly, got to an area that he was really comfortable with.

PA

He soon saw some girls running across the road wearing high heels picked them up. Panicking, Tom realised the door wasn't shut properly.

He said: "I've got my foot on the brake, stopping it from creeping forward. I'm like 'yep, go on open the door,' they're sitting there yanking the door going 'it won't open, it won't open'."

After telling them to 'try harder', Tom realised the cab he was driving has a safety feature meaning that when you have your foot on the brake, the doors lock. Oops.

He added: "It clicked, done it. They were able to open up and we went for it.

"We got there and it was about £3.40 I think and it was the best job to have as your first job because you give it away as a freebie. I went 'no, no ladies, it's my very first job in the cab - have it as a freebie'.

"They were like 'oh my God, that's so good. Why can't every cab journey be like this?' It's like - yeah, I've gotta make money."

You can subscribe to Tom's YouTube channel here.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Tom the Taxi Driver

Topics: Taxi, Community, London, YouTube