Cab's are not private enterprise

Submitted by NYC (United States), Oct 11, 2006 at 18:54

Perhaps its different in St. Paul, but ordinarily cabs are licensed for operation by the state from a very limited supply of medallions. Thus, the state not only regulates the industry through regulation (in NYC the Taxi & Limosine Commission) but, critically to this question of discrimination, the state controls the total number of cab drivers.

Worse, at the airports, the state enforces the cue system that allows what must be the extremely obnoxious experience of a law-abiding travellor having to cycle through cabs just to get one that will "let" you carry booze. Ridiculous. This is not a private business but an integral part of the federal air transportation system; that Minn-St. Paul would permit this to stand (rather than taking the medallion back from the cabs that refused law-abiding citizens) is frightening.

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