This is something I've always thought about Uber- they're just a courier service that happens to deliver people. The reason taxi drivers are unhappy with them has never really made sense to me since the oh-so-expensive taxi medallion gives them the right to pick up people hailing them from the side of the street. All of the problems consumers have with taxis are because they're trying to use them as a car service to schedule rides and go further than just the downtown area of a city.