In a similar vein, to drive a black taxi in London you have to pass The Knowledge of London exam which requires becoming a human routing database for over twenty thousand streets and landmarks.

Yep, if you see someone on a scooter with a clipboard attached to the handlebars it's quite likely to be someone studying for The Knowledge.

Made me think of this as well.

If I remember the story I read correctly, they just call it "The Knowledge". What a great name.