"Taxi monopolies" or "Why are there so many drunk drivers on the roads - Page 3

BCPVP · #21 10-17-2007, 02:52 PM

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yukoncpa,

Fantastic post. This is the kind of post we need more of.

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QFT. Especially liked the part where cab companies were essentially taking over what are generally considered "police" functions and doing so effectively.

iron81 · #22 10-17-2007, 03:03 PM

My [censored] detector went off when I heard this, so I did a few minutes worth of googling. I didn't find any similar stories to the OP, but I did find this that Anchorage taxis still need licenses.

Even if the OP is telling the truth, I suspect his story has more to do with cultural differences in Alaska than a free market success story. Taxi service is not a monopoly in any major city and there is nothing to stop cab companies from offering more services in a more regulated market.

GoodCallYouWin · #23 10-17-2007, 03:09 PM

In my city it costs around $100,000 (CDN) to get a taxi license. They also have MINIMUM prices taxi's must charge. It costs like $20 to take a taxi anywhere.

WordWhiz · #24 10-17-2007, 03:46 PM

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Taxi service is not a monopoly in any major city and there is nothing to stop cab companies from offering more services in a more regulated market.

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Yes, there is. Have you somehow ignored every post in this thread about how NYC artificially limits the number of taxi licenses, rather than letting the market set the rate?

Borodog · #25 10-17-2007, 05:38 PM

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cabs will pick up multiple riders

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Slight hijack, but this is a huge pet-peeve of mine. If I'm opting for a cab over public transit, I don't want anyone else getting in the cab nor do I want to be the 2nd party.

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Then you can buy all 4 seats.

Borodog · #26 10-17-2007, 05:54 PM

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My [censored] detector went off when I heard this, so I did a few minutes worth of googling. I didn't find any similar stories to the OP, but I did find this that Anchorage taxis still need licenses.

Even if the OP is telling the truth,

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First you start giving race-baiting trolls their own threads to continue their race-baiting trolling, after personally endorsing it, and now you are insinuating that a long time poster is a liar because his personal experience does not conform to your idea of an omnibenevolent state-run Utopia. Your personal biases are totally out of phase with a large number of posters around here, if not the majority, and you are starting to suck.

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I suspect his story has more to do with cultural differences in Alaska than a free market success story. Taxi service is not a monopoly in any major city and there is nothing to stop cab companies from offering more services in a more regulated market.

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Would you care to make up anything else while you're at it?

All occupational licensure acts as a barrier to entry and is a manifestation of state granted monopoly privelege. That's the entire point. And I invite you to open up a cab company in New York City and post your trip report on how there's no government-created barriers to entry there.

Cab companies don't *have* to offer more services in a "more regulated market". By artificially restricting supply compared to demand, the government ensures that any cabby can do the minimum and charge the maximum and always have a warm body in the back seat any time he wishes.

Borodog · #27 10-17-2007, 05:56 PM

Oh, and I got it wrong. New York City cab medalions go for $600,000, not a paltry $200,000.

http://jalopnik.com/cars/taxis-cost-a-lo...room-265252.php

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyE...40666220070531

RR · #28 10-17-2007, 06:00 PM

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Cab companies don't *have* to offer more services in a "more regulated market". By artificially restricting supply compared to demand, the government ensures that any cabby can do the minimum and charge the maximum and always have a warm body in the back seat any time he wishes.

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Many industries enjoy being regulated because the regulators keep competitors outs.

Borodog · #29 10-17-2007, 06:11 PM

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Cab companies don't *have* to offer more services in a "more regulated market". By artificially restricting supply compared to demand, the government ensures that any cabby can do the minimum and charge the maximum and always have a warm body in the back seat any time he wishes.

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All industries enjoy being regulated because the regulators keep competitors outs.

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All regulation going back to before the Progressive era is of this form. Big players lobby Congress to cartelize their industry or place large regulatory burdens that cannot be borne by their smaller competitors. There is always some bull [censored] trumped up excuse about how it's for the children, or the public good, or openness, or health or safrty or the squirrells, but it's always for the big boys with the lobbyists and the dollars.

vhawk01 · #30 10-17-2007, 06:15 PM

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Cab companies don't *have* to offer more services in a "more regulated market". By artificially restricting supply compared to demand, the government ensures that any cabby can do the minimum and charge the maximum and always have a warm body in the back seat any time he wishes.

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Many industries enjoy being regulated because the regulators keep competitors outs.

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Of course they do. I'd imagine that just about every restaurant owner in DC loved the idea of smoking bans. They take the edge off of having to compete.