09/21/2026
I want to say something—not as a business owner, but as a family member.
My dad started this business over 22 years ago. He poured countless hours, money, blood, sweat, and tears into building Maritime Cab and serving the Manitowoc community.
When my dad passed away in 2021, my mom took over the business immediately. She didn’t have the luxury of taking time to grieve, step away, or figure things out. There were customers who still needed rides, employees who needed direction, bills that needed to be paid, vehicles that needed to be maintained, and a business that had to keep moving.
She kept going.
Then, on April 26, 2026, my mom suffered a stroke. She is still recovering, and there is a very real possibility that she may never be able to drive again.
So when people see a taxi company having a difficult night, a shortage of drivers, or a service interruption, I wish they could see the people and the story behind it.
Do people actually realize what it takes to maintain a taxi business?
We currently have around six vans that constantly need maintenance, repairs, tires, oil changes, brakes, and everything else that comes with keeping vehicles on the road.
Then there’s GAS.
Insurance.
Taxi badges.
State requirements.
Licensing.
Vehicle inspections.
Employee costs.
Unexpected repairs.
And all the other expenses that come with operating a transportation business.
And we’re one of the few services like this still serving the Manitowoc area.
We aren’t just giving people rides.
We help people with disabilities get where they need to go.
We get people to work.
We get people home when they have no other way.
We get people home safely after a night out.
We help elderly people get to appointments and run errands.
We answer the phone when someone desperately needs a ride.
And yes, we are a cash-paying job. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy job. Driving a cab comes with long hours, difficult situations, responsibility, and a lot more than simply getting behind the wheel.
So when our service isn’t perfect, or we don’t have enough drivers, or we have to temporarily shut down, please remember that there are real people behind this business trying their absolute best to keep it going.
My parents dedicated more than two decades of their lives to this company and to this community.
My mom continued it after losing her husband, without even having time to properly grieve.
And now our family is trying to figure out how to keep the business my parents built alive while also dealing with everything that comes with my mom’s recovery.
We are doing everything we can.
So before you s**t on a local business that has spent more than 20 years serving this community, please take a second to remember what goes into keeping the doors open.
We aren’t a giant corporation.
We aren’t some faceless company.
We’re a family.
A family that has put an incredible amount of time, money, love, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears into keeping Maritime Cab on the road.
And we’re going to keep fighting to do exactly that. ❤️🚕
-Cheyenne Knorr (Sebo-Matthews)
