LONDON CAB c. 1955 Poster

A ride in a London Cab is an awesome experience for any tourist. Imagine what it was like back in the day in one of these beauties from the 1950's. Right up till the late 1950's vehicles licensed as London taxis were required to be provided with an open-access luggage platform in place of the front passenger seat. In London, hackney-carriage drivers have to pass a test called The Knowledge to demonstrate that they have an intimate knowledge of the geography of London streets. There are two types of badges, a yellow one for the suburban areas and a green one for all of London. The latter is considered prestigious and far more difficult to obtain. Drivers who own their cabs as opposed to renting from a garage are known as "mushers" and those who have just passed the "knowledge" are known as Butter Boys. There are currently around 21,000 black cabs in London licensed by the Public Carriage Office.