A day in the life of a London taxi driver
OK, er, I’m Peter, I’ve been driving a London taxi
For about eight years now.
Er, generally start work at about 6 in the morning,
picking up people from, like, hotels and stations,
Off the street, taking them to, well,
various places around London…
through, I work through, usually work through til
About mid-afternoon.
Peter drives all over London, and often passes
Famous sights – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey.
There’s Downing Street.
Prime Minister Tony Blair lives there.
They’re changing the household, household
Guard… horseguards there.
Plenty of tourists hanging about there.
Well, we’re going round Trafalgar Square
At the moment,
and we’re trying to cut across about five lanes of
Traffic.
Oh… oh, come around the Square now.
Got to cut across another two lanes of traffic now.
Oh, managed to do that.
Many ways of travelling around London.
By bus, tube, on the underground, taxi;
Probably the best way.
Er, driving down The Mall, towards Buckingham Palace.
Round quarter past 11, not long before the
Changing of the Guard starts,
there’s bound to be a crowd sort of, getting ready,
all ready to come and see what’s going on.
So the Queen’s at home today…
got her flag hang… flying from the pole.
Er, I can’t speak, er, German, or I can’t speak
French really, actually, there’s not
any language that I can speak, apart from English.
Er, I usually pick up 10, 15 and 20 fares a day,
I would think.
Hello, 23 Wimpole Street, please. Thank you.
The yellow light shows that the taxi is free,
and the driver switches it off when he
Has a passenger.
You see the famous black cabs everywhere in London.
You can get a taxi at a taxi rank, or in the street.
You wave at the driver if the yellow light is on.
You can go almost anywhere in London for five
Or ten pounds.
How much is that?
Er, Four fifty, please.
You usually give the driver some extra money
When you pay. This is called a tip.
Keep the change.
Thanks very much. Where is number 23?
It’s just down there on the left – I can’t get
Down there.
Oh. Oh, OK, I can walk. Thank you.
Thank you. Bye bye.
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