It's not surprising that people in the Twin Cities area are embracing alternative modes for taxi-type transportation ("Tensions rising over app-based transportation," April 17). I've lived in the area for more than 40 years and have never driven, so I know a bit about public transportation and cabs. These days, I would rather take three buses to avoid taking a taxi, and I used to take cabs frequently.

The cab service has gone downhill with surly drivers, unkempt interiors, front seats pushed so far back my husband can barely get in the back and drivers who really only want to go to the airport (forget about making a reservation to go to the doctor or hospital). Friends taking a cab asked the driver to stop at a wine store so they could purchase a bottle of wine to bring to dinner and were told "It's against the law." Not state law. And forget about using a credit card — always the excuse that the terminal is down.

I take taxis in other cities, and we're getting short shrift. I'm embarrassed when I see visitors getting into our cabs. I do agree that all companies should have to pay the same for licenses and insurance. Why can't the service be like it was in the 1980s?

Linda Benzinger, Minneapolis