No, it's not understandable at all. It's no different from Luddites destroying machinery that allowed unskilled workers to replace skilled ones. Progress might be a bitch (for the cabbies), but that doesn't give them the right to obstruct it.
No, it's not understandable at all. It's no different from Luddites destroying machinery that allowed unskilled workers to replace skilled ones. Progress might be a bitch (for the cabbies), but that doesn't give them the right to obstruct it.
London cab drivers, by contrast, had to make a significant economic investment (as well as meeting character requirements like having a clean criminal record) in order to get a cab license, a requirement imposed by the government body responsible for transit oversight (Transport for London). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knowledge#The_Knowledge
I find it quite reasonable that cab drivers question why standards should suddenly vary for other people such that they can offer similar service without having to meet any special requirements. This is not the same as an arbitrary monopoly grant like cab franchises in the US.
you think your average Londoner cares? all they want is a service that gets them where they want to go; a random guy off the street with a £150 satnav will do this 95% of the time without issue, for a lot less than the same ride in a black cab.