Letter writer had correct signature

AS a taxi driver who has worked both in London and Dundee, the piece in the Tele about the “knowledge” caught my eye.

Postcodes are now an acceptable method of inquiry where someone is looking for an address.

Dundee is also the only area of UK where you need an SVQ in order to drive a taxi.

Although I have never asked for a postcode, I have asked “where is that?”

It isn’t possible to know where all the streets are so that’s not an unreasonable question.

Maybe akin to asking a customer where their stopcock is if you are a plumber?

Not all tradesmen know what they are doing. You can earn your gas tickets in a month and be allowed to work on domestic gas appliances without previous trade experience.

Who would you rather use — a taxi driver who has to ask, or a gas fitter with one month’s experience?

So, to the author of the letter, Unknowledgeable you certainly are!

Just saying.

UNKNOWLEDGEABLE is truly unknowledgeable.

Dundee city taxi drivers do have to sit a test to get a badge which includes knowing streets in Dundee and surrounding areas.

They also have to sit an SQA Level 2 NVQ certificate in road passenger vehicle driving which came into force recently.

I have been a taxi driver for 13 years and never once used a satnav.

On the odd occasion I may not have known an address but only because housing schemes are going up all over with new names to their streets.

London is at least 18 times the size of Dundee, so if you break down six years by 18 it comes to four months — which is about the time we spend passing our tests.

So please get your facts right before making a statement.

Dr Knowledgeable.

I DON’T have a problem with a taxi driver asking me where I’m headed and if I have a preferred route.

If I’m heading towards my home then obviously I have the best idea of how to get there and I’d be irritated if they were taking the “long way” round.

And as for when I’m headed to new places, I think it is fine for the driver to use a satnav — that’s just what I do too.

Drivers are just other humans after all.

Take me home.