Going Full Time? Favourite Jobs? - Ask Me Anything!

[@Willdu87]

Noooo. Shift videos are the best. They’re what brought me to the channel and now I subscribe to a few other taxi drivers who do shift videos. Please don’t stop them!

[@kwato]

That Heathrow week idea would be a good video

[@ottarkraemer9001]

Regarding the taxi tours and "stage fright": Tom, the best day I ever had in the UK was when I went on a guided tour with you! You excel at finding the cool little details to tell stories about and it felt - truly - like a non-stop one man show all the way until you dropped me off at Heathrow. I could not recommend you as a tour guide high enough. Extremely good value for money and an experience I will never forget!

[@lordlondon1able]

I drove a London cab for 31 years. Started the knowledge in 1984. Love watching these clips and seeing how the trade has changed.

[@HereBeBarr]

Congrats Tom on 100K. I know how important that milestone is for any KZbinr. And you have EARNED it! Enjoy the moment.

[@andrewcairns7719]

Great video and well done Tom👍🏻

[@rollingtroll]

Congrats Tom! Very consistently good videos deserve views, and you definitely will keep growing. Your food recommendations even made it into my next London trip (which is based on music, but we still need to eat!) Looking forward to your future videos, and though I always take the tube (too poor for a cab) I'll make sure to try and hail you, should I see you. No worries, no tour needed. Thanks for the great videos from the Netherlands.

[@T.S.T2014]

Huge Congratulations Tom, I’m hanging around for the 500k.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Might take a very long time if at all. I'm just focusing on the right content rather than the numbers 😊

[@mattpilgrim2607]

Congratulations Tom you are a legend. Keep up the hard work Tom

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thanks 👍

[@celiawarberton2901]

Your channel is about your taxi work. No taxi work = no YT channel, unless your channel changes direction.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Not really. I see it as an ambassadorial role for the trade. Lots of union bosses might not have worked actively in their chosen profession for years. But still maintain lots of important functions of that profession. My aim for the channel is to get more passengers and new drivers into taxis. Arguably I have a much better chance of that from KZbin than I would just driving around.

[@BrockMak]

I've even watched a full-time KZbinr that transitioned to become a part-time taxi driver in HK.

[@Antoine_ZR1]

Congratulations on 100K 🎉

[@hotfixen]

Congratz man! You inspire me a lot with your hard work! Keep the amazing content coming!

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thank you!

[@lyricaljaffacakes2946]

hi tom, i think it would be fun if you did a London or uk wide geo guesser series for the days you arent bothered getting into the taxi. Or it could be like a livestream idea! Love your videos mate.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I would love to do more London Geo guesser videos, but currently limited on my internet connection. Watch this space!

[@lyricaljaffacakes2946]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver oh I see, will do indeed!

[@jungleboy1]

i actually wud sit and watch that. The less i pop into London the more i get lost and forget places.

[@hutchiplayz6633]

Hi a comment about when you were talking about video ideas. I personally love the videos where there is nothing special happening and it’s just you driving round in the taxi and showing us on the map how your going to get from a to b. Don’t overthink it. Love the videos

[@BrockMak]

3:48 Yes. In our company, the driver would need to send a message or call the dispatchers (my supervisors) saying they are "off the grid" due to soilage. Timing is poor if they are also preassigned dialysis or school run drivers.

[@Autumnblueskies1]

Big congratulations on 100k Tom! It’s very much deserved! Keep up the great work! We love watching your videos!

[@mrpstapley]

WELL DONE!!! You deserve it and MORE!!!!

[@rajath-videos5663]

Congratulations on 100 k Tom I have been watching you since you did your videos in the back of your cab in 2020 👍

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thank you 😊

[@chrisfinch3019]

Keep the videos coming ,you do a remarkable job.... Fellow cab driver

[@baz041268]

Well done Tom great work

[@AaronD_]

Congratulations Tom! Great videos on this channel!

[@CesarCastillo-vo4vd]

King’s Cross to Paddington of course bus lane that’s why you like , for me as Chaffeur it’s the worst

[@cabottaxi]

Wondering what is the most ridiculous thing passengers have tried to bring into your cab. I once had someone try and bring in a chest of drawers, flat screen tv and even a fridge.

[@londonstories161]

More of these AMA videos! Really interesting.

[@Moxhification]

Onwards and upwards!

[@RandomProductionsRP]

Keep up the fantastic work, maybe a travel video take a rest from the rain?

[@dorsettyke]

I'm intrigued Tom....how can someone who does KZbin videos about driving a taxi become a full time KZbinr and not drive a taxi? 😉

[@bdeithrick]

Always great sound Congratulations on 100k You can’t give up taxi as you need it for content. 😌

[@jungleboy1]

dude has time to make vids plus do full time taxi job. No chance in hell i can do that, so kudos!

[@karansinghklair]

the taxi vids calm me down for some strange reason. I know my city a lot better now as well

[@EffMTee]

Nice one Tom, you are a legend!

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thank you

[@jamesparkinson3796]

Cheers Tom. Your shift videos are the best.

[@julle50]

Congratulations TOM!! Well earned! Keep the good work up!!

[@CptVXR]

Have you ever as a passenger taken a taxi tour in another city? The ones in Belfast are pretty famous, and probably show you some very different things to the London ones.

[@BrockMak]

1:23 Planes that are delayed or cancelled for whatever reason are difficult. I even have seen a plane that was landed hours ago, but the driver had to reject the job because either they were held up by Customs, didn't get their luggage in time, or missed the plane altogether yet never called the call centre to follow up. With you not having a call centre or dispatch centre for backup, it would be more difficult to get any kind of closure.

[@stuart9074]

Planes were the bane of my existence as a taxi driver, you'd have a nice schedule of prebooks then one delayed flight messes with the whole shift, in summer it's hit or miss if airport pickups are worth it

[@BrockMak]

@@stuart9074 Yet our drivers still rank there to chase the big bucks, especially in smaller cities. I get it if it is morning to early afternoon arrivals. After about 2pm, I question if it's worth it. Some drivers go as far as chasing cancelled flights so there may be stranded passengers needing flight replacement taxis to go crosstown. It only works going one way. I don't think they can help out when they go to the other city if that said city has a shortage of drivers.

[@LegoMiniMovies]

Bonus video, nice!

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thank you, might try more bonus videos like these

[@BrockMak]

17:59 Jeez: This really put Camrys to shame! A common question I get is: What sized van do I need if I have a bike in a box?

[@aussiewheelz2538]

Congrats on 100k Tom. Love all the content. Subbed for research purposes (was going on a holiday in london) have been on said holiday (may '24) and used some of the stuff i learned from your content to get the bearings, etc.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thank you! Hope it helped!

[@aussiewheelz2538]

@TomtheTaxiDriver it absolutely did. The fact that all taxi's are wheelchair accessible was a surprise and such a relief when we got to heathrow only to find out the transfer we had pre-booked hadn't provided an accessible vehicle.

[@davidsnuggs7623]

Well done Tom congratulations love your work 😊

[@tramcrazy]

Would definitely like to see a video working exclusively at Heathrow for a week! Sounds like very good content…

[@BrockMak]

19:04 I have to decline bookings like that and offer them actual moving companies because not many of our vans have removable seats. The ones that do are mostly on jobs for wheelchair-bounds customers.

[@CptVXR]

What's the furthest you've gone on a street hail? I very occasionally see London taxis around the Bristol/Bath area...

[@bobparsons77]

Well done Tom..great visions.

[@Scotts_Status]

Congratulations!

[@RichardPonsford-kv2uy]

Love your channel.

[@stephenbreslin5684]

When I had a Vito, you get asked to move stuff a lot, and they always say they only have a couple of items, but it never is

[@mohamedadan5842]

Feeling like Saturday on a Tuesday😂😂 Tom the taxi driver effect

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Might move my uploads to Friday mornings 😃!

[@mohamedadan5842]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver nooooooo please leave it on Saturdays

[@andrewdodds2275]

I’m a taxi driver and there is nothing worse than some one moving house and expecting you to help I get quite stressed with them

[@samhudson8033]

love ya work mate

[@listey]

So he broke up with the Watford/Wycombe girlfriend and now lives where he wants? Or am I misunderstanding?

[@jdeuk499]

Another great video boss 👍

[@JohnnyH1992]

Wooo High Wycombe Mentioned! Bit of a shithole, but somewhere I really enjoyed living. 😂

[@GaelicLad]

I really don't see how Tom the "Taxi" Driver would work without the 🚕...🤯

[@moods1837]

As I am watching this video I get an Uber and a bolt add back to back the irony is amazing 😂

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Sad times, black cabs forever!

[@brunob97]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver does it worry you that uber may take over at some point ?

[@Irsu85]

BTW, taxi's cannot become the most efficient form of transport in London as long as the Tube exists. Also yea when you got multiple train stations you gotta do train station jobs and nice that you like that one (actually when I would arrive by train in London I arrive at St Pancras, so maybe ill see you at KX one day)

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Didn't realise the tube could drive you directly to your door?

[@Irsu85]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver Fair, but I can walk. Here in Limburg where I live, we don't have taxi's so people walk places. And what if there is a street closure but the tube station connected is still open? Then the tube actually gets you closer than a cabbie. (also from what I have seen from your video's, people also walk in London)

[@BrockMak]

2:49 I don't think we can afford do to that. I think have a small exclusion list, though.

[@LeClaw]

congrats tom on the 100K. If I'm ever drive in Central london I try looking out for ya 😎👍 or if I'm watching your videos I'm looking at the roads and thinking "Have I driven down that one?"

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

It's a fun game to play! I love seeing it come together in real life

[@LeClaw]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver exactly...not bad for someone from Sheffield haha. to be fair realising you mainly work afternoons. I think our paths would rarely cross as I'm usually in London in the morning and out ASAP

[@mrjohncharlesbrown]

Tom are you buying a property or renting? If your renting do you intend to purchase or is that out of reach?

[@jamesjimbob71]

well deserved, next stop 1 milion

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thanks, not too sure about that. I just want to focus on getting more customers and drivers into London taxis 😊

[@cossie6824]

Why did you pick Loftus Road for the picture of a football ground?? Was it just a stock picture, or are you a secret QPR fan??

[@lukemullet]

Lovely shot of Loftus Road there. Do you have a football team? Also, want music do you listen to? This question has always intrigued me.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

No football team. Music I listen to everything. But a big bias to metal, and Drum and Bass

[@lukemullet]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver Ahh my spidey sense was correct then. 15-20 years ago I would say 100% you looked like a metaller. Now you can't be sure anymore, metal culture is often copied by the mainstream eventually. Keep up the good work Tom, I'll try and get my questions in on time next time for your 500k AMA. 🤘

[@mabbas7841]

Congratulation all the best

[@xvgm24]

Do you watch much KZbin yourself and is there anyone you're hoping to collab with? Some kind of collab with GeoWizard would be fantastic, I remember when you tried helping him with one of his GeoDetective photos.

[@yoshiadams2349]

Tom

[@robWolvesfan1]

For the pre-booked airport pickups, what’s the procedure? Do you have a taxi park you go and wait in to get called (like we do with coaches) or do you just turn up outside?

[@BrockMak]

9:44 As I'm in the call centre, Tours are as bad as an occupied function room with no turnover of covers. In our thinking: It's great for the driver to earn on hourly hire rate, but you are off the grid for that tour, then you need to make up your rests for meals and toilet breaks after the tour. It could be half a day gone before you are back on the grid, if you are able to at all. 10:12 Great tie-in. If you start a Tour booking at 11am, even for a small tour, it's still halfway through the third session before we'd see you on the grid again. I don't like watching sports live. I NEED commentators keeping me focused on what I need to see, then having the footages to rewatch and analyse something that I may had missed.

[@waagzangertje]

tom the taxi driver. That is the job and the vids that made this channel so big. The route vids. So in my opinion going full time youtube does not make sense. What are the vids going to be about? I do enjoy the educational ones and the complete random food ones but those are the rare ones. So i cant help being curious what vids would come out if not about the taxi life. oh and i enjoyed this ama.

[@BrockMak]

5:01 However: Is London (or maybe England in general) get Bus Lane exemptions? Australian and NZ cabs in general don't, unless if they pick up more than 2 to 4 people (including the driver).

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yes in London, Taxi's get access to about 90% of the bus lanes

[@D_B_Cooper]

Being hungover this made me want to be sick. But I’m ok now. I think 😇

[@michaelz.7140]

60 pounds for 3 hrs of out of work plus cleaning fee? this doesnt even cover the removal of the soilage,

[@nassalspray77]

Ever considered contracting your editing out so you can keep driving?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

about 3/4 of my editing is currently done by a dedicated editor. Basically this video and any video that has epic editing on it, is not done by me 😂

[@pokemonsuper9]

"Probably the most efficient moving transport in London currently" Did he forget that the tube exists?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I'd call the walking between trains and platforms inefficient.

[@samhudson8033]

listen to the jam ..down in the tube station at midnight ????

[@tallthinkev]

Back up vids? Not too much work over all, I've got 5 backed up, ready to upload. If needs be, a trip from A to B, just the footage and some background music?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

The issue is, the scrappy nature I had when I started is no longer something I feel confident in doing now. But simultaneously punishing myself because I “didn’t work hard” on it isn’t good either. Putting videos like this out certainly helps so will analyse the data to know if it’s a viable option for now

[@tallthinkev]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver Well keep up the good work. your channel is doing a hell of a lot better than mine. I get half the views than I did 6 months ago and 'lost' 200 subs at the weekend

[@nathannewt]

Ayyy gg!

[@zulfqarali905]

Hi well done Tom keep it up you are doing a great job and having fun making some brilliant videos superstar Ali Walsall west midlands england junction 10 m6 Walsall churckery up the walsall

[@johnnylawrence7232]

How much money do you make from KZbin ??

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Millions… don’t know why I bother making videos when I can just retire now

[@johnnylawrence7232]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver It was a serious Question.... A lot of people are curious as to what Channels make

[@jpaulc441]

What's the official procedure if someone dies in the cab?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I guess contact the emergency services. There was an incident a few years back where a passenger from Heathrow died en-route.

[@BrockMak]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver Ah, yes. This is why all drivers need at least first aid cert. Taxi drivers can't beat speed limits, but some taxi trips are cheaper than an ambulance ride.

[@54spatula]

What famous people have you picked up down there?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Alan Carr, Bricktop, Noel Fielding, Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Hugh Laurie, Dave Myers (RIP), Sophie Ellis Bextor, Matt Hancock, Kevin Bridges, Rob Brydon, Mitchell and Webb, Paul Gascoigne.

[@oneteaminbristolbcfc]

7 years no puker go get yourself a lotto ticket

[@brunob97]

what about uber ? do you think eventually uber will just take over ? do you feel like theres less and less jobs now?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

It’s the busiest I’ve been in the nearly 7 years of driving 👌🏻

[@brunob97]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver woow, do you think you will ever become an Uber driver or not ?

[@GrandSlamScotty]

9 hours sleep?? Most people would kill for 9 hours sleep 😂😂😂😂

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I do try, enviable position that isn't going to last I'm sure!

[@GrandSlamScotty]

@TomtheTaxiDriver As a class 1 driver who doesn't get enough sleep (my own circumstances) I say enjoy it. Keep up the good work Tom.