Maybe. If Uber and Lyft both ride their excellent technologies down to penny-stock share prices, because even good technology just barely keeps companies in business, then anyone who expected to profit from their success might be disappointed.
While I'm certainly no ridesharing apologist, Uber/Lyft have raised the bar significantly in terms of forcing drivers to do basic things that cabs simply failed to do in most places:
1) Actually freakin' show up.
2) Not take the lifetime of the universe showing up
3) Accept credit cards
4) Clean their car occasionally
I can go on ...
If Uber/Lyft completely flame out, I would not like to see these things go back to the way they used to be.
But they work pretty bad from their shareholders perspective since they generate loss on every ride. Even if they avoid all the legal landmines, they still might have to shut down for the simple reason of running out of money (and shareholders running out of patience).
> they still might have to shut down for the simple reason of running out of money (and shareholders running out of patience).
My prediction is that Uber and Lyft will either themselves morph into something more like traditional cab companies, or their technology will be bought out of bankruptcy to build something similar. The world will run out of suckers who want to lose money subsidizing their rides and suckers who are willing to wear out their vehicles to drive for them.
