In order to for New York City taxi drivers to operate legally, the drivers of the iconic yellow taxis must have a medallion issued by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission—the going rate for one is a cool $750,000. That's more money than the combined debt loads of a legal and dental student in New York. That would cover more than 1,500 permits to have a microbrewery in the same city. What's the deal with the insane cost just to be permitted to operate a legal taxi?