I think the biggest difference between your one off paying to hitchike with a single car and Uber drivers is that Uber drivers have in essence become common car

I think the biggest difference between your one off paying to hitchike with a single car and Uber drivers is that Uber drivers have in essence become common carriers. Additional safeguards to common carriers make common sense to me, since you are now holding yourself out to the public, and not taking one-off or by arrangement only rides. Kind of like the difference in regulations for airplane charter vs an airline. The hitchhiker example and just paying one-off car rides is different than someone that advertises and holds themselves out to the public.