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Uber and Lyft have fundamentally transformed the way people get around cities. There is no disputing this. But there’s also no getting around the ugly externalities of app-based ride-hailing: hundreds of thousands of low-paid drivers at the mercy of an uncaring algorithm, women passengers subjected to sexual assault and rape, cities choked with traffic congestion, public transportation systems struggling to maintain ridership.
It may shock you, but you don’t have to use Uber or Lyft. The apps have become so ubiquitous, especially for people who live in or travel to cities, that the idea of trying to get around without either sounds daunting or even impossible. But let me assure you, there are better, more ethical methods of…