Scott Reeder on One Woman's Fight Against Bloomington's Taxi Cartels

Julie Crowe's dream of starting her own business was stifled when a group of potential competitors pressured Bloomington City Hall not to give her a taxi license. In this small central-Illinois college town, Crowe perceived a need for the services she could provide driving drunken college students from downtown bars to dormitories, fraternities and sororities. Bloomington rejected Crowe's request to add a 15-seat van to the city's mix of cabs and buses after competitors said the market was saturated. While Crowe's situation may seem unique, writes Scott Reeder, it's a common predicament faced by folks wanting to enter the heavily regulated taxicab industry.