The taxi-protecting laws and consumer-protecting laws are separate.<p>Uber could be regulated as a taxi service, just like pre-existing taxi services are. Consumer rights could be protected by the law.<p>However, in most places, there is a medallion system for officially-licensed taxis, which basically imposes a very high tax on anyone trying to operate as a taxi service.<p>Because Uber couldn&#x27;t function within the medallion system, it was also shut out of consumer protection laws. But that doesn&#x27;t mean things have to be that way. The problem is that allowing Uber around the medallion system essentially destroys a bunch of value already stored up in medallions.<p>Also, where else should someone editorialize, if not a comment on a social news site?