The difference is that there's now a rating system for them, and because Uber's broken the protectionist medallion racket, even if they're rude and unhelpful, a

The difference is that there's now a rating system for them, and because Uber's broken the protectionist medallion racket, even if they're rude and unhelpful, at least you can get a ride reasonably quickly, and they can't take kooky routes without being accountable. It's pretty clear that even if the driver pool includes all cab drivers that this is a major net positive for riders.