Because they are regulated. A job at McDonalds is an actual hourly wage job regulated by the government.

Did you know that the US is not the only country in the world?

I'm not from the US, never been there. But I thought the context here was obvious. Even still, it's regulated in almost all countries.

I was thinking about Singapore, which pays as little as 2.50 SGD/h at McDonald's, yet has a thriving food scene. (And, yes, they have plenty of regulations eg about food safety. But no minimum wage.)

In any case, perhaps a faulty analogy. But your claim "[...] when Uber undercuts competitors by a large margin using inhumane practices, the competitors tend to vanish over time. In the end, guess who is your only choice." doesn't hold up at all.

Whoa there, grandpa. Don't box me in. I can't be weighed down with health insurance much less a stable income that I can plan around. Pfft, next thing you know I'll be able to retire when I'm old.