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Hello all, i have been reading all your posts and sitting in the back for a while tonight and just firstly wanted to say what a great site it is, its certainly opened my eyes to a few issues and just highlights what shite the taxi drivers be it hackney or ph have to put up with, i am about to put in for my knowledge test in trafford and just want to ask a few questions which to some will probably be obvious but remember chaps and ladies you were there once so be gentle

firstly, has anybody ever done the trafford test and what can i expect?? obvious i know but wondered how it differs to the manchester test.

secondly, i will have to work mainly days, which i know will be less money but will be able to do an odd night and weekend but will mainly be days, however reading the many what seem at times to be unhappy posts regarding lack of work or muggings etc is there any good points to the job?? again obvious probably but i have not read many good posts and am now worried like many am i likely to get knobheads in the cab on a daily basis in the day time who are going to attack me as my back is turned and if so i take it its a lot safer to drive a black cab with the shield? anyone actually know if one of those has ever been put through??(curious?) just would like to know the honest truth about the job working days, i am no wallflower and will give as good as i get but i would love to do the job for the freedom its supposed to give not for getting robbed on a weekly basis.

and thirdly, providing i pass will be using a black cab off a guy who i did some signwriting on his vehicle, i am changing from the sign industry to taxis as my business more or less went tits up due to 5 companies going bust on me owing me thousands, yeh i could take the sign down but its no use then and some of them were companies who i dealt with for years but just went bust as a lot of people are at thew moment, so want a cash paying job, anyway he is saying its either a 50/50 split after motion lotion has been taken out, or 60/40 and he pays for the lotion??? what do yo all rekon? is this the norm for the trade or have i been bent over a barrel and now he is just about to whip my smalls down?....obviously he has the running costs etc etc so i would presume this is fair..ish...but would just like some guidance from you more experienced cabbies, so no laughing at the new boy pleeeeese youy were like me once remember

Well hello and welcome rob,

 

With regards to you getting attacked or robbed it is much safer during the day as alcohol usually plays a part in incidents.

 

Whilst drivers do get attacked it should be put in perspective, attacks are reported but nothing is said about all the hundreds of thousands of trips that are taken that go off without incident, I have never been attacked in all my 30 odd years in the trade.

 

The deal on the car sounds about right to me.

cheers hopper much appreciated, yeh the guy has been a cabbie for years and is a good lad, i trust him as he is a very genuine guy i was just curious thats all if the 50/50 split is the norm for hackneys? yeh i know what you mean about the beered up knobs causing trouble and as you said i would presume its more of an evening thing anyway, i just have not seen many posts on here where anyone seems happy with the job? i dont mean that in an arsey way just seems to be fact from what i have read on the forums, but then again i was unhappy in my job with people always owing money so i suppose if anyone asked about the sign industry they may get the same type of response, i was reading about the hackney test in manchester and the A-Z is part of the exam but when i mentioned about trafford they said they are not allowed??? confused? surely any new cabbie is not going know every single road within their borough?..........are they?..........gulp!!! :-)