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Battle To Regulate Ridesharing Moves Through States
New submitter jeffengel writes: The push to regulate services like Uber and Lyft has spread through state legislatures nationwide. At least 15 states have passed ridesharing laws in 2015, joining Colorado, California, and Illinois from last year. More could follow, with bills pending in Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and others. All this activity has led to new clashes with companies, city leaders, and consumers. Ridesharing bills have stalled or been killed off in Texas, Florida, New Mexico, and Mississippi. Meanwhile, Uber has exited Kansas and is threatening to leave New Jersey and Oregon, while Lyft has ceased operations in Houston, Columbus, and Tacoma. How this plays out could affect the companies' expansion plans, as well as the future of transportation systems worldwide.
We'll live in a better world when everyone realizes we don't need government regulations and the free market can provide everything we need with quality and competitive prices.
I'm outraged by theses stupid politicians trying to regulate away our freedom to do business with whomever we wish.
As a grown adult, I know what's better for me, thankyouverymuch.
So you've never taken a taxi in a small town? This is pretty much how it works in rural america. The taxi driver drives his own car. You need a new word for that, too?
Honestly, I haven't. For years I had enough trouble getting a taxi in my large (non-NYC) city, and it's even worse where I grew up (both are top 25 US pop). Pretty much any place I go anymore, if I need to hire transportation, I'm not looking up the number for Yellow Cab... it's just much faster and more convenient to pop open the Uber app.
And I do think the Uber/Lyft paradigm is different enough to merit it's own terminology. If I tell a friend I'm taking a taxi, she doesn't think "Oh, he's hailing one of many different types of paid transportation services, one of which is popularly referred to as 'ridesharing.'" She thinks I flagged down an actual cab that was driving by.
Then again, I don't think that "tweep" and "freegan" are all that worthy of new words, but language marches on. Ridesharing isn't really a ride you share with a serendipitous stranger and a peanut is neither a pea nor a nut.
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