If you believe accessing a URL manually, incrementing a number in a URL, or using wget is a hack, yes. At least you'd be in agreement with the US Dept. of Justice in that.
The web is open. If you put your a chair out in a public square with a sign on that back that says, "Only paying members can sit." don't be surprised when someone random sits in it.
This puts words in the mouth of the poster that the poster didn't say. The Lyft API is authenticated so it's definitely not like accessing a URL manually, using wget, or or incrementing a number. You have to sign up, get an account and then you can use it.
A better analogy would putting your chair in a private room with a locked door and sign on the door that says ask management for access to the chair. Anyone who breaks in to use that chair definitely knows they aren't supposed to be there.
The web is open. If you put your a chair out in a public square with a sign on that back that says, "Only paying members can sit." don't be surprised when someone random sits in it.