Prices are rising for many Americans, with 65% of consumers saying the increases are outpacing their income, according to a J.D. Power survey of 4,000 U.S. adults conducted in February 2026.
Recent inflation data adds to that pressure, with the annual rate rising from 2.4% in February to 3.3% in March, according to consumer price index data released Friday. The increase was driven largely by a surge in energy costs as gasoline prices spiked amid the Iran war. Gasoline prices rose 21.2% in March, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the overall increase, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I believe these companies (Uber, Lyft, etc.) coined the term ‘rideshare’ primarily to skirt the taxi laws.
You see, they aren’t technically running an unlicensed taxi business - no, no, no. When you use their app to say ‘hey, I wish to go to the icecream shop on third’, it lets all the other people with the app (and a car) know. If any of them happen to also be going to the icecream shop on third, they can let you know and the two of you can connect to share a ride there - isn’t that nice!
These are in no way unlicensed taxis… That would be highly illegal and totally unfair to other taxi businesses that have to spend ungodly amounts of money to license their vehicles. It’s just you and a stranger sharing a ride to go get some icecream…
Yes, it very much is the perversion of earlier coordinated communities that probably defined (and still earned) the name.
Here in Germany still exist “Mitfahrzentralen” which roughly translates to ride-share-centres, which allow people to offer ride-along places for specific private rides (e.g. driving from Munich to Berlin on Friday afternoon), for a share of the costs for the ride.
See also: AirBnB as unlicensed hotels