Confessions of a taxi driver . . .

Sierra yankee one, three bravo foxtrot . . . my taxi driving mentor is attempting to reel me into base, adding: "It's not signposted, but you'll see about 100 cars with Central Taxis on them so you'll know you're in the right place when you get there!"

Lesson one in how to become a taxi driver is the Knowledge – how to find somewhere in Shropshire without the use of a map, sat nav or for that matter any other geographical cribbing device.

Unemployment figures may have hit new heights, but there are jobs out there for those willing to work unsociable hours – Shrewsbury-based Central Taxis, for one, is on the lookout for new drivers.

"Think of it like a cash machine," says general manager Phil Richards. "If you need an extra 40 or 50 quid, as a taxi driver you could get out and earn that money to pay the bills.

The qualifications needed, apart from a general like of other people, include two year's driving experience and to pass a medical, a driving test and the Knowledge.

But people skills are also key in the taxi driver's toolkit.

"What sort of experience have you got with people?" asks Phil at his office on the Battlefield Enterprise Park.

"You need diplomacy . . . you might have a couple arguing in the back seat and one might say 'what do you think, driver?'"

One new recruit who took the challenge is 26-year-old Ben Davies from Shrewsbury.

School runs, pub runs, club runs, shopping runs – as he tootles from A to B, it seems all of life passes through Ben's back seat. He has been in the job a few months, but already he's an old hand.

"I like to have a chat. I am a counsellor most of the time – a lot of people want to tell you things. It's like being a hairdresser like that. "But if people don't want to talk, that's fine too. You have to be adaptable and respect people's privacy."

Ben explains why he took the job: "I was going through a rough patch in terms of jobs – I have got a young family to support and I liked driving, so it seemed perfect.

"I can choose the hours I want to work and when the bills come through I can do a few extra shifts.

"Times are hard, bills are up, rents are up – you need a full-time job, and there's not a great deal out there for unskilled people at the moment."

Like all taxi drivers, to qualify and get his licence from Shropshire Council Ben had to have a medical, a driving and theory test, a CRB check and finally a 'knowledge' test which examined both his geographical knowledge of the county and his sense of direction.

As part of the latter, he was shown a map of Shropshire with all the town names blanked out and asked: "What would be the quickest road from Shrewsbury to Market Drayton?"

Then there are the tricky real-life situations. The reality of the job is that busiest times are at night when people are falling out of clubs and bars.

"I've only had a few awkward customers yet," adds Ben. "One was drunk and tried to get out of the car without paying – which did not work."

On another run he has a family in the back who are looking for a football team for the kids to join. Ben passes them the number of a couple of soccer coaches.

Later he helps an elderly woman with a stick get into the car. There's a bit of jolly banter, Ben helps her into the car and she's away.

"It's not just taking people from A to B," adds Ben.

Phil Richards, 47, has been a taxi driver for 22 years. He is now general manager at Shrewsbury-based Central Taxis, but still likes to keep his hand in with a spot of driving come weekends.

He got into the game as a result of a family circumstances at the time, which meant he needed to work flexible hours.

"You can choose your hours and work around other commitments . . . and then I fell in love with taxi driving.

"It's a unique job, with the camaraderie with other drivers. You can share stories – it is like a big family.

"I owned my own taxi company a few years ago and had a year off, but it did my head in! I had to get back to it. There is always a taxi driver in me.

"It's a very sociable job. You do work unsociable hours, but being a taxi driver becomes your social life in a way."

Phil says 99 per cent of passengers are fine – but you do get the odd one or two awkward customers from time to time.

The life of a taxi driver has its lighter moments, too, of course – problems and life stories are all aired on a passenger seat.

Then there's the old ice-breaker questions proffered by passengers.

"Busy tonight?" says Phil. "When the Peter Kay video came out with that on it there was a decrease in the number of people asking that question because people realised this was exactly what they did!"

And sometimes, just sometimes, you get people who leave the house without essential body parts . . .

"On airport runs I'll do a little check-list for passengers – passport? Tickets? I was doing it one time when this chap said 'hang on, I've forgotten my teeth!'

As part of the service, Phil turned back to retrieve the overlooked dentures in question.

"He proceeded to tell me that last year he left his teeth in Torremolinos. And that he had to get a courier to bring them back home. It's all fun and games."

As Phil says, there's more to life as a taxi driver than getting passengers from A to B.

"So," he adds, "do you fancy it?"

For more information about becoming a taxi driver, contact Central Taxis on 01743 441144.