Uber, Lyft clear out of Austin; Cabbies rejoice

Normally, you think of Austin, Texas as a place that embraces new technology and forward thinking ideas. Unfortunately, the ability for ridesharing services powered by apps will not fly in the state Capitol thanks to a vote of the people.

The ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft backed new rules allowing them to operate in Austin under Proposition One which voters defeated 56 to 44 percent. The full details of the struggle are here, which include fingerprinting all Uber and Lyft drivers.

On the other side of the sharing services are the cab companies, drivers and their representatives. They're happy campers today.

This seems like a disappointment for those with new ideas and proponents of technology. Uber and Lyft seemed like cool ideas not treacherous corporations. Indeed, they seem to power individual drivers and allow regular folks to put a few extra coins in their pockets. I could be wrong; If anyone wants to tell me where I've gone astray, please feel free to write.