There weren't enough cabs during peak periods even before Uber. And yes, I've tried catching a cab from UH or downtown to Waikiki on a Friday night in the rain,

There weren't enough cabs during peak periods even before Uber. And yes, I've tried catching a cab from UH or downtown to Waikiki on a Friday night in the rain, and it's nearly impossible. Cars (even ignoring the medallion scam) are expensive to leave sitting around idle, and you have to pay a driver a lot to make it worthwhile to work for a few hours a few times a month) so cab services can't afford to staff for peak service, instead they just make riders wait (or reject them at dispatch by not answering the phone). At least with Uber, if I really need to be there, I can pay to get a car. Would you rather pay a 5X surcharge or have no car at all? Uber is already has incentive to keep the surge pricing reasonable -- not only do they suffer from spoilage, but if a driver clocks in during the surge and doesn't get a rider, he's less likely to clock in during the next surge. Uber already has competition in Lyft -- I just use "Uber" as a generic name, I only take Lyft unless I'm in a city that Lyft doesn't serve. It's (mostly) the same drivers anyway.