'The Knowledge'

No trip to London is complete without at least one ride in a black taxi cab. These ubiquitous vehicles are unique insofar as that they are specifcally designed for just one purpose - to be taxis, and their drivers truly astonishing. The London taxi driver is simply the best in the world.
No need to call ahead for a cab if you're in central London, just walk out the door and flag one down in the street - you won't have to wait more than a few moments.
Here's the amazing thing: tell the cabbie where you want to go (Craven Hill Road, The Great Eastern Hotel, the John Soane museum, The Mitre pub....) and he'll get you there via the quickest route without using a GPS or asking directions. How so you ask. Because to be licensed as a London cabbie you have to pass a horrendous exam called 'The Knowledge'. To be successful the candidate must have memorized every street in central London, every point of interest and every hotel & pub etc. Additionally they must be able to promptly verbalise the optimum route from any point A to point B. Considering the size of London, the complexity of its ancient road system (it's not laid out on a grid system like Phoenix or Salt Lake City) and its numerous points of interest this is feat beyond most mere mortals.
It takes years of preparation to pass 'The Knowledge', and one can oftentimes spot candidates training as they drive round London on small mopeds with clipboard attached to the handlebars.
Given the arduous nature of the exam, and hence the amount of time needed to be invested to be successful, the London cabbie is a professional driver who may well spend his whole working life using his Knowledge to help the public move around town. I view it as an enjoyable privilege to ride in a London cab observing a true professional practice their craft flawlessly.
A few practical points: if the yellow light on the roof above the windshield is on then a cab is available, no one other than the driver sits in the front, the rear can comfortably accommodate four passengers.
Sit back and enjoy the experience.

'Cycle Hire' - Another Way of Getting Around Town

'Cycle Hire' is a relatively new scheme brought to us by London Transport, the folk that operate the Underground and Double Decker buses. It is therefore a government-run program that happens to be sponsored by Barlays Group (a large British bank).
You may already be familiar with the concept. Throughout central London there are 'Cycle-Hire' locations where one can rent a bike for, say, one hour or a whole day and then return it at any other 'Cycle Hire' locations around town. It is, as such, designed primarily to relieve congestion on the tubes and the buses by providing commuters (and visitors) another way of getting from A to B. One can, of course, return to one's original Hire location if one wishes.
Okay - full disclosure: I've checked 'Cycle Hire' out quite a bit but have never actually rented a bike as I haven't had the need! That being said I have to say the program looks really very sophisticated. For example, all 'Cycle-Hire' locations (of which there are many) are un-manned, the rental machines take credit cards. The system shows the availability of bikes and return spaces at all locations, and it is possible to reserve a docking station in which to return a bike at  any chosen destination before heading off. (Let's say each 'Cycle Hire' has twenty bikes; if no bikes have been rented and all twenty are there there would be no un-used docking station in which to return a rental. It would be problematic for a commuter not to be able to return their bike to the system before heading into work). Based on my casual observations, however, it seemed as though the availability of return slots was not generally an issue.
The bikes are locked-up in something that looks like an old fashioned bike rack. Having bought a rental the rider is issued a code that then gets entered by the bike of their choice to release it from the rack. The bikes themselves are of traditional design, very sturdy and no drop handlebars etc., and are blue.
I'm committed to actually using 'Cycle Hire' on my next trip to London and am really looking forward to the experience, however I'll probably plan my journeys to limit road use for obvious reason - I'm no Boris Johnson! A rental from, say, Bayswater to Buckingham Place would be perfect for me as it's almost all through a system of inter-connecting parks. The locals are clearly made of stronger stuff than me because many can be seen cycling fearlessly on London's busiest roads - it's a very popular program. (It should be noted that there are currently four 'Barclays Super Cycling Highways' throughout the city, with more on the way).
'Cycle Hire' looks like a fun and practical thing that offers another efficient and inexpensive way to get around town. And hats off to Boris Johnson, London's iconic mayor who's probably the city's best know and most recognisable regular bike commuter.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx