Originally Posted by tandempower

So if you give someone a ride home and they give you 'a few bucks for gas,' you're operating a taxi service?

If you drive your kids to school to avoid paying a taxi, you are effectively making the money you would have paid out, so does that make you a taxi service?


Of course it does. Anyone could lend out any appliance(s) they own to others and share the costs of ownership if doing so wasn't regulated and taxed. You could charge your neighbors to use your washing machine, for example. Or you could lend out tools to friends for a fee. If someone comes along as says you have to pay for permits and license fees and inspections and hire the people who run the appliance at designated wage-rates, etc. that inhibits you from lending out your appliances in this way. Then the appliance makers/distributors sell more appliances so everyone can own one for themselves. Isn't that obvious business/marketing strategy?