I was thinking of taxi legislation as the example (EU city example, can't speak for the US). Taxis in my city need to be registered and the drivers need to have

I was thinking of taxi legislation as the example (EU city example, can't speak for the US). Taxis in my city need to be registered and the drivers need to have a taxi license, the cars need to have prices clearly listed on their window, as well as the driver's ID visible in the car. All of this is due to consumers getting repeatedly ripped off, complaining about it to the city's politicians, which then wrote up the regulations. The consumers are much better protected now, and have a clear channel for complaints. To me that is clearly a consequence of consumers wanting more regulation. Same as with perishable products having to be clearly marked with its due date in stores, and practically every consumer protection law/regulation out there. Not saying that these laws can't be abused, but that doesn't mean the consumers aren't the main reason behind their existence.