Forewarning: I'm about to use Uber/lyft synonymously.

8/10 times I get a regular cab, they are either talking on the phone or smell like shit. All I really want is an efficient, clean, and pleasant car ride. It's not enough to just get from point A to point B anymore when someone is getting you from point A to point B in a better fashion.

To sum my experiences up: I am NOT down with my driver talking on the phone. This may have happened to me in an uber one or twice out of the 30 or 40 times I've called them. Honestly, I can't even recall a single time. But I swear over 50% of the cabs I hail have someone jabbering on their phone. A) I don't think it's safe, B) it's fucking annoying and inconsiderate.

i am DEFINITELY down with my driver offering me candy, granola bars, gum, or mints. This has happened about 10 out of the 30 or 40 times I've taken Uber/lyft, but has never happened to me in a cab. I've noticed Lyft is a bit more on point with this, but some Uber drivers are stocked as well.

Also, cabs are way more likely to smell like fuckin shit. I've been in a couple ubers that smell kinda bad, but it's way more likely to hop in a smelly cab than a smelly uber. I've had a couple smelly ubers, but my most smelliest experiences have all been in cabs.

I am also down with my driver offering to turn the radio station to something I like. This is something that has happened about 10 times out of the 30 or 40 times i've taken Uber or lyft, but has never happened to me in a regular taxi. Sure, if you request, they'll probably honor it. Still not the same as the driver explicitly offering to change the station.

These are just a few examples of the customer service that uber/lyft provides that regular cab drivers don't even consider. it goes so much further beyond having an app that picks you up from where you're at.