This article has some good points. Most of the apologists for 'duper have no idea how the transportation industry is actually regulated. For example, somehow Uber and Lyft found a way to fully comply with New York State's transportation regulations, but ignored them everywhere else, until their lobbyists took care of those pesky, gutless state governments.

I drove for a taxi company in Arizona for a few years.It was a lot of fun, at the beginning. The company I drove for built its reputation/brand over 25+ years, and incorporated the latest technology as it became available. The arrival of the "super-duper-not-a-taxi-apps" ruined the economics of the business for the companies that were complying with Arizona's free-market approach to taxi regulation. The companies are adapting, but it's hard to compete with well-funded venture capitalists.

People who have a sense of self-preservation should not use the services of predatory not-transportation companies. There are times when people really, really need a ride, and the smartphone app won't be able to send somebody to pick you up. (It's more than running out of battery power while at the bar - those people were whiners.)