Need a ride?  Call Uber.  It’s officially regulated.

Uber was the talk of the table during our Thanksgiving meal. One of my cousins drives for Uber in her spare time. So does her boyfriend. They compete for who can earn the most extra spending money. I’ve used Uber myself several times. I’ve rated all my drivers a 5. And I’ve never worried about whether taking Uber was safe. But for those who do (my mother and aunt), legislation enacted by the General Assembly last session may provide some assurance.  First, what is Uber?  Uber is a transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco that provides a taxi-like service for users of its mobile application. A network of independent contractors in cities around the country provide Uber services in their personal cars. To use Uber services, a rider registers with the company, providing her name, email address, mobile number, and credit card information. After registering, a rider opens the mobile application on her phone, which defaults to her location. She can then see the precise location of Uber drivers nearest to her and an estimate of how soon one could arrive to pick her up. I just opened the app on my phone, and an Uber driver could be here in 5 minutes. When I use Uber, the trip is automatically billed to the credit card I have on file. Uber says there is no need to tip. Uber is the most talked about transportation network company in my circles, but it isn’t the only such company. Others include Lyft [...]