HN downvoter herd mentality types can't handle the individuality and personal responsibility of libertarian utopias that Uber and its ilk will usher in, so they fight back with the only tools at their disposal. Stupid laws are meant to be broken, and 'kleptocracy' is a shibboleth, identifying you as a poor (or, worse, a poor-sympathizer).
The laws put in place are not stupid -- they are put in place to protect both riders and drivers against well-known market failures such as information asymmetry and market-for-lemons [1,2]. They may be outdated and in need of revision, but I think it's premature to conclude that Uber has all the right answers.
While I agree that many of the laws aren't stupid and should be followed, I can't figure out any justification, other than greed, for restricting supply the way many cities do. If you can, please share.
I was being sarcastic, and if that's not fairly apparent I should probably change my approach; there's a tendency for HN to go full meritechnocrat in these situations and side with whoever seems the most disruptive. I find it obnoxious for exactly the reasons you've posted here, among others.