Text ‘HOME’ to 60835; it'll give you localised cab numbers for where you are. Very useful in a tight spot.

Hey greycap, that's an excellent tip - is that just for London or does it work anywhere?

Grouse: please, please tell your friend to avoid mini cabs - there was a campaign last year to raise awareness after a series of sexual assaults carried out by unlicensed mini cab drivers. Stick to black cabs or use greycap's number above and you'll be fine.

Yeah, I doubt she would get in an unlicensed minicab. Good point though.

Is there a list of London taxi stands? I used the one in Leicester Square to go back to Chelsea the last time I was there.

The text number is Ken and the GLA's innovation. So I think it's just London only. There is more about taxi stands etc here.

I spent an hour and a quarter wandering around London at 2am a few weekends ago because I couldn't find a cab that would take me from central to South London.

Ended up getting an unlicensed cab so unlicensed that it was really just a guy in a car.. fun (and safe!) times.

Wow, hugsnkisses, glad you're okay. Rather you than me...

The interesting thing about the 'HOME' thing is that it proves that mobiles have GPS in them, whether you like it or not:

You can text ‘HOME’ to 60835 and receive the numbers of licensed minicab and black cab firms in the area you are texting from.

This is part of the really interesting subject that is ubiquitous computing (ubicomp), something that fellow MeFite Adam Greenfield wrote an entire book about (intro, conclusion). I read it on holiday and, despite the fact that he uses some very non-standard words that need a dictionary to make sense of, is a fascinating, eye-opening, slightly scary book. Well worth a read, especially if you follow it up with 1984 and Brave New World.

/massive derail

Mobiles do not have GPSes in them, at least most don't. They determine your location by which antenna tower you're communicating with, which will be one that's close to you.

I cover my mobile with tinfoil so the government can't track me. It has the added effect of keeping me from making or receiving calls, but that is a small price to pay.