[Timm]

John Stossel discusses private van companies in NYC in his new book. Apparently, some enterprising new immigrants bought vans and would give rides to people, as an alternative to the bus. The price was either the same or less than the bus-- I forget which, and I don't want to go open the book-- and the van would take people *exactly* where they wanted to go.

Of course, the vans were highly popular, luring many people away from the busses.

You can guess the ending. When union bus drivers learned of the van service, the city came down hard on these drivers. It wasn't "safe" for these non-union drivers to haul passengers around-- though, of course, the van drivers' licenses were indication the state thought it was safe enough for them to drive the vans around with non-paying passengers. These drivers "leeched" passengers away from the busses, etc.

So, of course, the van drivers were bullied out of existence and out of a demanded job, the customers were herded back on to the slower, and less convenient busses. And now NYC is a haven again for union bus drivers-- Democrat social progress in action.

Hooray.

[logician2u]

You'll be interested to know that a couple of enterprising African immigrants are doing the same thing in Denver and, so far at least, getting away with it.

How these guys figure to make money at $1/ride is what has me baffled. They've got a 9-passenger van to pay for, plus insurance and $1.50/gal gasoline.

Even though lots of people ride RTD's bus, fares don't come close to covering operating costs, much less the cost of equipment. And the transit agency doesn't pay income, sales, property or fuel taxes as private entrepreneurs do.

I'll have to get Stossel's book. Thanks for the reminder.