Brian Doherty on Smartphones Vs. Taxi Drivers

Raido Kaldma / photo on flickr

Barry Korengold, president of the San Francisco Cab Drivers Association, has been driving for hire around the Bay Area for 35 years. These days, he's none too happy. Over the past year or so, revenues have plunged 50 percent, Korengold and other local drivers say. What happened? Along came Danetta, a bookkeeper who has been driving passengers around San Francisco for competing services like UberX, Sidecar, and Lyft. Brian Doherty dives into the battle between taxi companies trying to maintain their control over the marketplace, and the less-regulated challenge presented by new ride services.