In fact, it is hard to think of a profession whose reputation has taken a bigger battering in recent years than taxi driving.

Coal mining has suffered a similar fall from grace, while politicians, lawyers, dentists and used car dealers are perennial targets for scorn and ridicule.

But it has become something of a favourite pastime – or more accurately bloodsport – to lay the boots into taxi drivers by swapping horror stories among peers or strangers on the internet. Of course, everyone has their own taxi trauma to regale. Law of averages dictates that eventually you are going to come across a bad driver, or perhaps a good driver just having a bad day.

Erratic driving, rudeness, dirty cabs and a propensity to seemingly take the least the direct route possible are a few of the most common complaints levelled at drivers.

Some of these allegations might be legitimate, but undoubtedly many complaints are motivated by racism and/or elitism.

That rude driver? Perhaps he was just self-conscious about his developing English. That horrible smell? Perhaps an abusive drunk barfed in the cab at the start of the driver’s shift and still it lingers.

The rise of Uber has precipitated this greater scrutiny on the taxi industry. For the first time, passengers can exercise their power and hold Uber drivers accountable for their performances.

Equally, however, Uber drivers are able to rate the behaviour of their passengers. Drunk and abusive travellers will be called out and may find it harder to get a ride next time. This very 21^st century form of real time, online accountability is exactly what has been missing from the taxi industry. 

A failure to modernise left it vulnerable to the threat posed by Uber, which grew so big, so fast that the Victorian government had little choice but to legalise it.

The problem with giving legitimacy to untrained, unregulated and unlicensed Uber drivers is that it immediately devalued taxi licences that holders had paid up to $500,000 for only a few short years ago.

With the government offering to buy them back for a maximum of $100,000 for one licence and $50,000 for a second, it is little wonder drivers are taking to the streets.

If another industry was being treated this way, there would be public outrage. But these are taxi drivers, and it is a lonely job.

- Ross Tyson, deputy editor