I welcome any expansion of Uber service and availability, and oppose anything that supports the entrenched and terrible existing taxi services. I've only taken

I welcome any expansion of Uber service and availability, and oppose anything that supports the entrenched and terrible existing taxi services. I've only taken a handful of Ubers, but the quality of service is far higher. Moreover, it's the convenience that really wins out. Being able to see the GPS locations and ETA of an incoming Uber is far superior than calling a taxi and hoping they show up sometime close to when the dispatcher said they would. Not to mention that it's a completely friction-free experience - the driver arrives, you jump in, chit-chat a little on the way (Uber drivers are, in my experience, far more pleasant human beings that taxi drivers...), then you jump out, and they charge your card. No frigging around with change, or having to make sure you hit an ATM before you call the cab so you have cash on hand, or getting the evil eye because you didn't volunteer the unstated but expected tip on top of the exorbitant fare. Taxi companies can die in a fire, for all I care. The last trip I took, I had to get about 10 miles from a train station to where I was going. The first leg, I caught an Uber, and it cost me about $13, in a clean vehicle, with a very pleasant driver. The way back, I had to take a taxi, and I spent $40 to ride with a driver who was kind of a dink, swerved all over the road, and drove a dirty, rattle-trap old Crown Vic. Uber uber alles.