About a year ago, a local aspiring mini-tycoon, with no knowledge of the industry, bought out one of my largest competitors. About six months ago, they bought out another. And it seems that monopoly is alive and well. At least it is around here... That's right, the new kid on the block is proving to be a bully.
In May, dirty backdoor deals were cut to block smaller independent owner-operators from picking up customers at the local Amtrak station. Even the parking lot manager was in on it (Amtrak does not own its rails, and in most cases, does not own the buildings from which they operate), and proceeded to tell me that if I did not leave, I would be barred from the property.
I casually replied that as long as I had the same type of insurance, the same type of state permit, and the same city business license, I wasn't going anywhere, because he had no business telling me I could not do business in the same place a conglomerate could. I'd like to note that I worked for both of these companies and left because of unfair policies and poor service, which the drivers took the heat for.
Seeing as company owners' shortsightedness was forcing us to work for the same money I would have made 18 years ago, I got tired of getting yelled at by people who waited 45 minutes for a taxi, when it took dispatch 40 minutes to dispatch that customer's address to me. As an independent, I have also heard recent complaints from passengers that they waited anywhere from 45-90 minutes for service from these companies.
The next day, a tow truck backed up to my van and raised it for towing, while I was still at the wheel, without even verifying occupancy. This is COMPLETELY illegal. The city police officer in charge of taxicabs forced me to pay the idiot driving the tow truck a drop fee, due to a city licensing lapse that I had been trying to reach them for months to rectify. They claim they never spoke to me, but I know that someone identifying themselves by the same name returned my call when I specifically requested that he be the one that contacted me. My subsequent calls to the city to file a complaint about the tow operator violating state law were essentially ignored. From there on, tow trucks began chasing all of us out of the parking lot whenever we attempted to do business there.
Because I was not allowed to do business in peace, I was unable to make the down payment necessary to renew my insurance policy, and therefore have been forced out of business. People, this violates every anti-trust law on the books, as well as the customer's right to choose. If you are local to Charlottesville, Virginia, and take taxis on a regular basis, I suggest you look into this and start asking the city questions, because I have inside information that they are in on this and are going to let this monopoly happen. Would you like being told that you could only buy one brand of car? That you could only eat at one restaurant? Stay at one hotel? It could happen, if this sort of thing is left to stand.
One last note. If the city intervened and forced some kind of reparations so that I could re-enter the business, I wouldn't. I have wasted thirteen years of my life and have nothing to show for it. On average, I made about 25 cents per mile profit, which is below poverty level. Never again. But customers should stand up for their right to choose, before it's gone.
