<story><title>Taxi Medallion Prices Are Plummeting, Endangering Loans</title><url>https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-30/taxi-medallion-prices-are-plummeting-endangering-loans</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>pfarnsworth</author><text>I wonder where all of a sudden all this mass sympathy for taxi drivers come from.  I guess no one remembers how shitty and expensive trying to get a cab was in SF not even 10 years ago.  I for one will be celebrating when the entire medallion system is completely dismantled and all the monopolists who exploited that system are bankrupt.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>moomin</author><text>Londoner here. From my perspective the medallion system always seemed crazy. Contrast with London, in which becoming a licensed cab driver requires you to pass examinations, health and character checks, but the actual ticket price is pretty cheap in comparison. &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;tfl.gov.uk&amp;#x2F;info-for&amp;#x2F;taxis-and-private-hire&amp;#x2F;licensing&amp;#x2F;apply-for-a-taxi-driver-licence#on-this-page-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;tfl.gov.uk&amp;#x2F;info-for&amp;#x2F;taxis-and-private-hire&amp;#x2F;licensing...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;The difference being: London saw a need for cab drivers and introduced licensing to ensure quality, New York (and other cities) saw a need for cab drivers and saw a revenue stream.</text></comment>
<story><title>Taxi Medallion Prices Are Plummeting, Endangering Loans</title><url>https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-30/taxi-medallion-prices-are-plummeting-endangering-loans</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>pfarnsworth</author><text>I wonder where all of a sudden all this mass sympathy for taxi drivers come from.  I guess no one remembers how shitty and expensive trying to get a cab was in SF not even 10 years ago.  I for one will be celebrating when the entire medallion system is completely dismantled and all the monopolists who exploited that system are bankrupt.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>benjaminjt</author><text>Wasn&amp;#x27;t the system that you seem to be condemning at least in part exploiting taxi drivers? Why wouldn&amp;#x27;t that earn them your sympathy?</text></comment>