Cabbies, Callers & The Community

City Council meeting is coming up on Thursday, February 18th, and the groundwork is laid for another interesting meeting. On the agenda - AGAIN - Green Taxi making application to start service here in Wilson while local cab drivers oppose the idea.
Recent local headlines read, "Taxi riders, drivers bond." OK. So what? Customers call and drivers come. That's what's suppose to happen. So what's the big deal that has folks in an uproar about adding another company to the city's transportation system. Local taxi drivers claim a new company would be "bad for business." "They would be taking customers away from us and we don't have enough business to go around as it is" are the frequent cries of the local cabbies.

At the last council meeting cab drivers presented a petition from riders who opposed allowing a new cab company. Green Taxi services Raleigh and Wake Forest with hopes of expansion to Wilson.
The meeting begins at 7pm in the City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor of City Hall.

Truth be told, its the old versus the new. A mindset hard to change when you've been the main source of taxi service in a town for over 70 years. And just because you have - doesn't necessarily mean things have got to stay that way. It's 2010 now not 1940 something. Seasons change. Many moons passed.

True, the economy according to the cabbies economics may not be able to sustain three cab companies. However living in American allows an individual the opportunity and right to free enterprise without the comprise of opposing forces who fear competition. Bonding between drivers and callers does not equate to revenue profit. The community is not interested in the lovefest between the two.

To deny a company the opportunity to start a business in the city simply to pacify local taxi drivers who don't want to compete for the customers business really borders ludicrous and lame. Ok, here’s an excellent example especially for this city. To help you NOT get it twisted, let’s talk about barbeque.                         

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY- Ok, Mr. Mayor & Council make the following proclamation to the citizens of Wilson NC,  Dear Fellow citizens, you can have barbecue here in Wilson, BUT you can ONLY have ONE RESTAURANT in the city. You’ll have to choose between Bill’s or Parker’s, and one of em’ will have to close up shop, cause we can’t have both operating in the city. So you'll need to make a choice by next council meeting which one has to go. You can only have ONE.

The operative word being “CHOICE.” Citizens have a right to choose who they want to support. A choice of where they decide to spend their money. And a choice for who delivers to them the quality of service they’re looking for. Choice. It makes the difference.