3 days ago
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Besart Bilalli scanned the road through the windshield on a sunny Friday, thinking hard about his next turn. We were crawling down a busy London road in the upscale Knightsbridge neighborhood as drivers and cyclists shot past, their phones hoisted up on dashboards or handlebars.
Mr. Bilalli’s phone lay idle next to him, the GPS switched off. In this city, navigating the streets without technological help is essential to becoming a cabdriver. And for Mr. Bilalli, a key to his family’s future.
He was taking us from the Nusr-Et Steakhouse to the La Famiglia Italian restaurant on Langton Street and avoiding the main roads, relying only on his memory of the neighborhood.
In the back seat, I discreetly typed the destination into my phone and saw we were two miles away. Mr. Bilalli peered at signs, murmuring street names under his breath. Fifteen minutes later, having encountered zero lights, we pulled up in front of La Famiglia. He exhaled.
It was his first time driving the route and he felt confident now that it was embossed in his memory.
