[alkonaut]

I think people are conflating two different things: medallion systems (bad) and other regulation (good)

Saying Uber should follow regulations that other taxi companies follow is just common sense imho. That includes minimum pay, insurance regulation, background checks, training requirements, employment security etc.

That some cities regulate the number of taxis via medallions or monopolies is a related but different topic. I find that practice very strange, and that I hope will be gone in most places soon. The irony though is that cities that don't have medallion systems are tougher markets for Uber because there Uber doesn't have the same obvious edge.