> They charged him $150/day to drive for them no matter what.
Not that I particularly want to defend taxi companies, but they also own and maintain the cars. Purchasing a newish vehicle and maintaining it isn't free - while not being charged daily, it's still a sizeable invoice you have to pay, no matter what. $150/day does seem extortionate, though.
Of course, but the quantity is outrageous. Financing a taxi-level car is going to be, what, $200/month? Maintenance should be substantially lower than that amount. That daily charge is literally an order of magnitude higher. "No matter what" is fine. $150 could be fine, if you earned a lot. It's the combination that's crazy.
Not that I particularly want to defend taxi companies, but they also own and maintain the cars. Purchasing a newish vehicle and maintaining it isn't free - while not being charged daily, it's still a sizeable invoice you have to pay, no matter what. $150/day does seem extortionate, though.