Thank you for an informative response. I had stayed in London and other areas in England back in the 80's and really found the black cabs very helpful and enjoy

Thank you for an informative response. I had stayed in London and other areas in England back in the 80's and really found the black cabs very helpful and enjoyable. I think the training and requirements produce a good bunch of workers to serve the industry. The ubiquity of map applications from Google, Apple, and others, seems to have dropped the requirement for a driver to know the best route from experience. I am from New York, but Google Maps has gotten me to where I need to go within the time estimate while I am in Orlando, Florida, with great accuracy. It announced 'Speed Trap' and sure enough a cop pulled out and nabbed a speeder who just flew past me! These things are sometimes known by heavy drivers, but not like they are compiled and delivered by Google Maps. I guess demeanor, dress, etiquette, and a bunch of other pleasantries are still a commodity, but then again the stereotypical NY cabbie gets their fair share of likes and dislikes from the movies and tourists too. To me, Uber and Lyft are indispensable for doing business across teh US now. I can go away with car rentals where I only need to make a few hops during a day, and I can stay somewhere without worrying about parking or hailing down a cab.