The Knowledge - Why London Taxis Are Better than NY Taxis

 

"Can you tell me how to get to LaGuardia?"

Living in New York, we take taxis all the time.

And there is nothing more frustrating than having a taxi driver who does not know his way around New York.

I mean, it's a grid... how hard can it be?

On the other land, in London, all taxi drivers are required to learn 'the knowledge'.

The Knowledge is an intimate understanding of every street and every way to get there in all of London.

Before one can be licensed to drive a taxi in London, one must pass a very rigorous exam on 'the knowledge'.

It  can take years of study before one is ready to take the test, and years of driving a moped around London to learn the city - and if you pass, you know every twisting and winding street by heart.

Daniel Houghton, a photographer from Bowling Green, Kentucky, took our video bootcamp in London with The Guardian earlier this year.

After the got 'the knowledge' of how to 'cut the carrots' he went out with his camera and documented on aspiring London taxi driver's quest  to learn 'the knowledge' on his own.   NYVS students will quickly recognize the style of shooting!

Here are the results. Only the second video Daniel has ever made.

A great demonstration of his mastery of 'the knowledge' - and all in four days instead of four years.