4 ms·

>dismantling the medallion mafia Is that really a thing outside of NYC? Pretty sure it isn't.

dylanjermiah 11y ago
It was a thing in almost every developed city around the world.
rconti 11y ago
Literally medallions and literally the mafia? Not as far as I know. But most cities restrict supply of taxis to keep prices high and fix prices as the behest of the taxi industry -- in addition to all of the other fun things the taxi lobby does. When Seattle built the Link light rail system, it stopped 1 mile shy of the airport because the taxi drivers didn't want the competition. Fortunately public outcry shut that down, but it's pretty rare that the general public gets upset enough about an issue to overcome the power of a specific interest group (yes, this includes Uber as well!) There's plenty of literature to explain why price fixing and limiting supply/licensure is bad. There's no competition, no incentive to improve or provide a premium service. There's no reason to provide service in far-out areas where it might be hard to find a return fare. There's no reason to provide service in less "desirable" (read: minority) areas. Of course, there are problems with the Uber model, too: Surge pricing being one of them. Some people think it's gouging, some think it's the right solution to provide supply for excess demand.
- hoopd 11y ago
  > most cities restrict supply of taxis to keep prices high and fix prices as the behest of the taxi industry Why is it always left out that a limited number of taxis is good for society as well? Taxis operate on public roads, pollute public air, cause traffic congestion the public must deal with, cause car accidents and hit pedestrians. When you're not catching a ride taxis (and Ubers) are a nuisance and society has decided to limit their negative side effects.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
    - hoopd 11y ago
      ? The argument is that there are reasons other than inflating prices to regulate the number of taxis on the road. Cars have externalities that society as a whole pays for, it's reasonable to limit those externalities.
      - fwn 11y ago
        But with limiting taxis you increase the amount of cars on the streets, aren't you? People probably won't stop traveling because there are no free taxis. They jump in their own car.
        emodendroket 11y ago
        Do you typically drive around 8 hours a day?
        fwn 11y ago
        No. I drive twice. And while I do that I'm stuck in the traffic and search for parking lots. No way everyone driving in their own car is somehow better for the environment than a specialised subset of carholders.
        emodendroket 11y ago
        What I'm saying is that taxis don't drive for an hour or two and then park, they're congesting the streets all day.
        fwn 11y ago
        Not in the cities where I live. They generally park in specific hubs made for them by city planners in front of strategic places like train stations, hotels etc. It's Germany though..
nmcfarl 11y ago
This is definitely a thing elsewhere. The amount of rudeness that I received from cab company dispatchers in Seattle is astounding. I would much prefer to deal with nearly anyone - Comcast, traffic cops, DOL - than a cab company even today, and there has been a marked improvement in customer support since Uber, Lyft, etc have become a real thing. They where a monopoly, and they acted like it, and now they aren't.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
chrisrh 11y ago
I assumed it was a thing all over. Is here in Ottawa as well, at least.

It was a thing in almost every developed city around the world.

Literally medallions and literally the mafia? Not as far as I know. But most cities restrict supply of taxis to keep prices high and fix prices as the behest of the taxi industry -- in addition to all of the other fun things the taxi lobby does. When Seattle built the Link light rail system, it stopped 1 mile shy of the airport because the taxi drivers didn't want the competition. Fortunately public outcry shut that down, but it's pretty rare that the general public gets upset enough about an issue to overcome the power of a specific interest group (yes, this includes Uber as well!) There's plenty of literature to explain why price fixing and limiting supply/licensure is bad. There's no competition, no incentive to improve or provide a premium service. There's no reason to provide service in far-out areas where it might be hard to find a return fare. There's no reason to provide service in less "desirable" (read: minority) areas. Of course, there are problems with the Uber model, too: Surge pricing being one of them. Some people think it's gouging, some think it's the right solution to provide supply for excess demand.

hoopd 11y ago
> most cities restrict supply of taxis to keep prices high and fix prices as the behest of the taxi industry Why is it always left out that a limited number of taxis is good for society as well? Taxis operate on public roads, pollute public air, cause traffic congestion the public must deal with, cause car accidents and hit pedestrians. When you're not catching a ride taxis (and Ubers) are a nuisance and society has decided to limit their negative side effects.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
  - hoopd 11y ago
    ? The argument is that there are reasons other than inflating prices to regulate the number of taxis on the road. Cars have externalities that society as a whole pays for, it's reasonable to limit those externalities.
    - fwn 11y ago
      But with limiting taxis you increase the amount of cars on the streets, aren't you? People probably won't stop traveling because there are no free taxis. They jump in their own car.
      - emodendroket 11y ago
        Do you typically drive around 8 hours a day?
        fwn 11y ago
        No. I drive twice. And while I do that I'm stuck in the traffic and search for parking lots. No way everyone driving in their own car is somehow better for the environment than a specialised subset of carholders.
        emodendroket 11y ago
        What I'm saying is that taxis don't drive for an hour or two and then park, they're congesting the streets all day.
        fwn 11y ago
        Not in the cities where I live. They generally park in specific hubs made for them by city planners in front of strategic places like train stations, hotels etc. It's Germany though..

nmcfarl 11y ago

This is definitely a thing elsewhere. The amount of rudeness that I received from cab company dispatchers in Seattle is astounding. I would much prefer to deal with nearly anyone - Comcast, traffic cops, DOL - than a cab company even today, and there has been a marked improvement in customer support since Uber, Lyft, etc have become a real thing. They where a monopoly, and they acted like it, and now they aren't.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

chrisrh 11y ago

I assumed it was a thing all over. Is here in Ottawa as well, at least.