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Call Sign is the only London taxi
mag with a reporter in San Francisco and after
several test drives, Charles Rathbone now drives a
TXII regularly. This is his report…
In the October 2003 Call Sign, I
reported on my test drive of the TXII taxicab. I
loved it then, but now as we head towards the tail
end of 2004, I can tell you that I now drive one
regularly! Your wonderful cabs and your awesome
Knowledge in London are a marvel to taxicab drivers
around the globe. Here in San Francisco, when we
talk of improving the industry, someone always says:
"We should be like London!" |
At last I'm Driving a |
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very positive. I like the
built-in partition and the seating arrangement that
keeps passengers in the back with just the driver in
front. There is lots of room up front for my
sack of maps, lunch, etc and a hook to hang my
jacket on! It's just a comfortable cab to work
in. I don’t hang around at the taxi lot any longer than I need to, so I haven't heard much of what other drivers at Luxor think about the London cabs, but so far as I can see, there is no shortage of drivers for these particular cabs that are in service for two 10-hour shifts each day. The folding ramp comes in handy just about every shift. Today I put it down onto the curb for a gent of about 80 years, which made it much easier for him to get in. It takes just seconds to unfold. Before the TXII was unveiled as a service cab in San Francisco, there were some concerns about London taxis suitability to our hilly terrain. It's true that the diesel engine does not deliver a huge surge of acceleration when the gas pedal is pushed to the floor, however, it does accelerate fast enough for normal purposes and has plenty of power for |
climbing the steep hills - even with
five passengers aboard. Passengers with luggage that I've conveyed were all happy to have their bags with them in the rear seating area with its large, flat floor area between the seating areas. With the additional room for more large bags in the front, I doubt I will ever lose a fare to a Crown Victoria cab on account of too much luggage! Luxor performs maintenance in a well-equipped 24-hour shop and I'm sure they have been trained to work on London cabs. I stopped by the garage one pre-dawn to talk to the mechanic about an unfamiliar feature of the taxi. During the ten-minute chat, he didn't have one negative word to say about the TXII. In brief, the TXII is a pleasure to work in and a very nice way for passengers to ride. I won't willingly go back to driving a regular US taxicab! You don’t know how lucky you are… Charles Rathbone Charles will be marrying the lovely Bettina on October 23 in San Francisco. Good luck to them both from Call Sign… |
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