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I doubt it, we shall see if the op gets turned around
What you doing “going to pick up my black taxi”
My TX4 London Black Taxi Project
- Thread starter randomshenans
- Start date
What you doing “going to pick up my black taxi”
Soldato
Sounds to me like he's taken precautions, the taxi doesn't seem that bad, and at the end of the day it's not like it'll need to be recovered immediately if it breaks down. It's managed 300k miles so far, so it should have another 1.2k left in it
Personally I'm interested to see how it goes, it'll be far more interesting than yet another covid thread.
Man of Honour
Isn't it? You're allowed to travel for business and this is going to be used for his business.
Sounds to me like he's taken precautions, the taxi doesn't seem that bad, and at the end of the day it's not like it'll need to be recovered immediately if it breaks down. It's managed 300k miles so far, so it should have another 1.2k left in it
Personally I'm interested to see how it goes, it'll be far more interesting than yet another covid thread.
That's why I can't drive 10 miles from my house to go for a walk round a park. That's why the OPs trip is a selfish move. Yes the risks are small BUT our health service is up against it. If we all limit our travel and activities there will be less accidents and it gives the NHS a fighting chance. In the context of only allowing essential travel the OP is taking the proverbial.
The used for his business justification... yeah ok. I hope he does get stopped to see if he can keep a straight face while he spins that line. I might give that a shot "Oh, just nipping up to Glasgow, I bought a box of ball point pens on eBay for work and stuff." Business trip AND click and collect. Damn I may as well take the MX5 and make a weekend of it via the North coast 500
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2000 miles?
Man of Honour
My mate does close to that every week visiting his sites up and down the country, I'm pretty sure there's no distance limit.
My point being it may not be in the spirit of the law however people see that but it's not illegal according to the letter of the law either.
Associate
Did you make it??
No, he got stopped at the border by people armed with lethal keyboards and pitchforks.
I'm home. Got home at 17:15 yesterday, slept like a log in my office after hosing myself down. I'm now in here until later this week and I've had another test.
She made it. 920km it did in total.
The trip? Going out was a breeze. Basel - Paris was a nice train, super fast and about 7 people in my whole carriage but no one near me. All good. Paris to London on the Eurostar was OK, train was a bit meh but no one seated near me and about 9-10 in whole carriage. Entering London and immigration I was asked for my passport and passenger locator document (I had it all digitally), they scanned the barcode on it and I had to stand to one side as I hadn't put an address I was staying at on the form. I explained I wasn't actually staying at an address and showed my letter on what I was doing (car collection). They were really friendly and simply said the only reason they had to stop me was due to the computer flagging it. I said I 100% understand and would have put one if there was, as I was trying to do it all as I should. Carried on on my way.
Train from London to Sandy wasn't busy, but at Stevenage a teenager (guess, 15?) got on with a bike, no mask. The train has a repeated announcement telling people masks are mandatory. I moved to another carriage. In fact, I moved again as a couple of rough as guts looking folk in tracksuits were sitting feet on seats with no masks on. Again, changed direction and moved. I never saw anyone without a mask throughout the French part, so was a bit disappointed in this I have to say.
Got the car, started on my way.
Got to Ashford and kipped there in the taxi. Man it was cold. 4 layers of clothes and a sleeping bag, gloves and a ski hat and I was frozen. Not only that, it's not the most comfortable thing to sleep in, or try. I think I got about 2 hours of actual sleep. I was also surprised that people, including groups of people knocking about at 1:30am! I was parked in a gym car park in a dark corner trying to keep out the way but considering it's a "lockdown" I saw a lot of people out. Same with the roads. They were pretty busy on both parts. Not much on the French side, but French people don't use the toll roads anyway as they refuse to pay for them, but I did, and there is no lockdown in France so you know.
Channel tunnel crossing back was fine. Leaving I had the UK side check passport and asked me if I had the right French forms, I said I did and moved on to the French controls. They asked where I was going, I said home, provided my proof of address, passport and negative covid result test and they laughed at me taking an English taxi to France and off I went.
Other things to note; In France now at the service stations you scan your own stuff so it's all contactless with anyone else. Pay at pump and if you buy 19 red bull you have to scan them yourself and then use contactless. I thought this was good. I used a lot of alcohol gel. Became a bit anal about using it after each step, and making sure my phone, the gear knob, handbrake and steering wheel were done regularly too.
The taxi is a funny one to drive. The steering is weird because of the small turning circle of 3.6m you have to drive it a bit differently round normal corners too. It maxes out at about 80mph, although I only hit that when I was about 20km from home. I plodded along about 65 for most of the journey to try and limit any stress on it. The gears are soooo short. We take the **** out of taxis for always changing into 4th / 5th but they really have no choice! That's the gearing in those things.
It has a very small tank of 40l which I thought would be bigger since you'd want it to be on the road as much as possible. It did about 30-35mpg on the journey.
Fixed the indicators at the back, the window is working fine now too and it even has electric mirrors and remote central locking which all work nicely. I say that, it's a 2010 car, it should have bloody car play in for that year ha but it honestly feels like a 90s car on the inside.
Oh and as I was parked up in Tesco car park a woman knocked on my window trying to get a ride... she was foreign and when I tried to explain to her I wasn't a taxi, she couldn't work out what I meant but wandered off shaking her head
I drove through the thickest fog, blizzards and had ice built up on my wing mirrors and all across the front, but she's home and I kinda created a bit of a bond with her along the journey.
Happy to answer questions, take your **** or anything that comes this way.
She made it. 920km it did in total.
The trip? Going out was a breeze. Basel - Paris was a nice train, super fast and about 7 people in my whole carriage but no one near me. All good. Paris to London on the Eurostar was OK, train was a bit meh but no one seated near me and about 9-10 in whole carriage. Entering London and immigration I was asked for my passport and passenger locator document (I had it all digitally), they scanned the barcode on it and I had to stand to one side as I hadn't put an address I was staying at on the form. I explained I wasn't actually staying at an address and showed my letter on what I was doing (car collection). They were really friendly and simply said the only reason they had to stop me was due to the computer flagging it. I said I 100% understand and would have put one if there was, as I was trying to do it all as I should. Carried on on my way.
Train from London to Sandy wasn't busy, but at Stevenage a teenager (guess, 15?) got on with a bike, no mask. The train has a repeated announcement telling people masks are mandatory. I moved to another carriage. In fact, I moved again as a couple of rough as guts looking folk in tracksuits were sitting feet on seats with no masks on. Again, changed direction and moved. I never saw anyone without a mask throughout the French part, so was a bit disappointed in this I have to say.
Got the car, started on my way.
Got to Ashford and kipped there in the taxi. Man it was cold. 4 layers of clothes and a sleeping bag, gloves and a ski hat and I was frozen. Not only that, it's not the most comfortable thing to sleep in, or try. I think I got about 2 hours of actual sleep. I was also surprised that people, including groups of people knocking about at 1:30am! I was parked in a gym car park in a dark corner trying to keep out the way but considering it's a "lockdown" I saw a lot of people out. Same with the roads. They were pretty busy on both parts. Not much on the French side, but French people don't use the toll roads anyway as they refuse to pay for them, but I did, and there is no lockdown in France so you know.
Channel tunnel crossing back was fine. Leaving I had the UK side check passport and asked me if I had the right French forms, I said I did and moved on to the French controls. They asked where I was going, I said home, provided my proof of address, passport and negative covid result test and they laughed at me taking an English taxi to France and off I went.
Other things to note; In France now at the service stations you scan your own stuff so it's all contactless with anyone else. Pay at pump and if you buy 19 red bull you have to scan them yourself and then use contactless. I thought this was good. I used a lot of alcohol gel. Became a bit anal about using it after each step, and making sure my phone, the gear knob, handbrake and steering wheel were done regularly too.
The taxi is a funny one to drive. The steering is weird because of the small turning circle of 3.6m you have to drive it a bit differently round normal corners too. It maxes out at about 80mph, although I only hit that when I was about 20km from home. I plodded along about 65 for most of the journey to try and limit any stress on it. The gears are soooo short. We take the **** out of taxis for always changing into 4th / 5th but they really have no choice! That's the gearing in those things.
It has a very small tank of 40l which I thought would be bigger since you'd want it to be on the road as much as possible. It did about 30-35mpg on the journey.
Fixed the indicators at the back, the window is working fine now too and it even has electric mirrors and remote central locking which all work nicely. I say that, it's a 2010 car, it should have bloody car play in for that year ha but it honestly feels like a 90s car on the inside.
Oh and as I was parked up in Tesco car park a woman knocked on my window trying to get a ride... she was foreign and when I tried to explain to her I wasn't a taxi, she couldn't work out what I meant but wandered off shaking her head
I drove through the thickest fog, blizzards and had ice built up on my wing mirrors and all across the front, but she's home and I kinda created a bit of a bond with her along the journey.
Happy to answer questions, take your **** or anything that comes this way.
Man of Honour
Well done!
Caporegime
Glad it went smoothly and well done for taking all the necessary precautions along the way. Common sense ones I mean, not necessarily the actual rules.
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I'm seeing more Black taxis pop up in the UK. I seen one near me in County Durham other day.
Did you pay in kind?
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It was converted. Had a bed in the back.
I think more and more are coming up as they switch to the new ones, so a lot of decommissioned ones will be knocking about.
Soldato
Excellent, well done
Part 1 of the journey for those interested
Man of Honour
Really enjoyed the video. We are worryingly similar!
Associate
Really enjoyed the video, nice one.