[fjp]

Horrible things about cabs in Chicago (I literally haven't taken a single one since I started using Uber so idk if some of these got any better)

- Drivers always claimed the credit card reader wasn't working and tried to force payment in cash - the card reader was always just clearly turned off and they would slap it pretending to try to get it to work

- Drivers randomly deciding to charge 1.5x or 2x based on the ride going outside some made-up "zone"

- Drivers all crowding around bars blocking the street and sometimes getting into fistfights over their positioning in front of the bar (this doesn't happen anymore since Uber)

- Most of the cabs had absolutely disgusting interiors

I do agree that Uber's whole pricing competitiveness is a VC-funded greater-fool scheme, but the expectations of service levels in the ride hailing have been greatly improved.

[Gibbon1]

Interesting comment about Chicago. My memories of cabs in San Francisco were always pleasant enough if expensive.

Some older friends mentioned that before Dianne Feinstain was mayor you had unlicensed gypsy cabs that would shuttle random groups for a buck or two each.