Do you remember calling dispatch and never having a car show up? Do you remember credit card machines that mysteriously started working? Do you remember the last minute fees just as you were getting out of the car? Do you remember the regulatory capture that led to the taxi cab medallion system in NYC, where the medallions would cost up to $1,000,000?
Do you know that it's the existence of taxi laws that make it largely illegal for, after a concert or other large event lets out, it's illegal for Uber to just have a line of cars and for people to line up and just get into the next available car? So instead the parking lot right after is this ridiculous madhouse of everyone waiting around for "their" car.
Taxis did themselves in. Somehow, they've still not managed to catch up. Just a month ago I was in Vegas and got ripped off by a taxi. Took Uber/Lyft the rest of my time there.