Are you doing the All London or suburban?
I was quite surprised to see they accept applicants at 18, although you obviously cant get a license until you're 21.
He's not too keen on a ped for learning either. Would a smart car be suitable?
All London badge, hopefully ~8/9 months from getting my it, so I'm pretty far in. 18 is a pretty good age to do it. If he's doing it full time, 3 years should be enough to learn it all and get through the appearances.
Some people do do it in a smart car, but it's really not practical. Scooter or nothing really to be honest. It's not pleasant, in the winter it's horrid. I've never been so cold. That and it's almost inevitable you will have an off. I've had a few, none with any injury thankfully. But doing it in a car will take far longer, you may be paying congestion charges most days on top of all the other costs. I've raked up 30k so far, wouldn't fancy paying out 30ks worth of car maitenance for it.
As for the career myself, I'm lucky as my Dad does it so I have a better idea than most as to what it's like. You will hear a lot of people say that it's not the career it used to be and that "the game's dead mate". But do remember, cabbies do love to complain about things
. In reality, it can still be a very lucrative career, providing you're willing to do the hours. On a dusk til dawn shift on a fri/sat night, it's not unreasonable to expect to bring in £400 -£500 gross. And it's still busy enough during the week.
I guess it's not an obvious career choice for a young guy, obviously it's not hugely glamorous job, but at the same time it has some bonuses you just will not find in most other careers. The freedom to work when you like, no living between paychecks. No idiotic bosses or co-workers, no fighting for days off work and barring any criminal convictions or debilitating ill-health, it's a job for life. No much to worry about regarding job security.
The knowledge is tough, tougher than I thought it would ever be. The appearances (exams) are far more nerve racking than any exams I did at school. The amount you have to learn is seemingly endless and it requires a lot of hard work. But if you keep at it you will eventually get there. and that's it. No further tests ever, you're then your own man.
So I do recommend it, as long as he doesn't mind driving around for long hours by himself and can put up with the traffic, and obviously climbing the seemingly endless mountain that is the knowledge. I wouldn't really start on private hire to be honest, most places don't want you til you're 21, sometimes 25. You'll be working the same amount for about half the money of a black cabbie really.
There's a good introduction here:
http://www.taxitradepromotions.co.uk/green-badge-knowledge-whats-involved.html
I'd also recommend that if he does do it, join a knowledge school. There's a very good one within a reasonable distance of you here:
http://www.wizann.co.uk/
I go to one in West London and it's been invaluable.
At the end of the day, if he does it and decides to go and do something else in later life that option is always there. The taxi will always be there to fall back on. I'm doing it myself for similar reasons. Left school not knowing exactly what I wanted to do, so embarked on this. I want to do a lot of travelling and no other job will offer me the flexibility I want. I may do something else in later life, but for now, I think I will be happy behind the wheel of a taxi. I love driving and I love London, so if he likes both those things, then I'm sure he'll be quite happy being a cabbie.
Give me a shout if you want to know anything else
