HN commenters are just people like you and me. They care about people like themselves more than people not like themselves. To HN commenters, Uber's founders are like them and taxi drivers aren't. Of course they're going to side with the company here.
I have gone through my life with one rule, anyone who is providing me a service I address by Sir or Ma'am. I do not care if its the order taker at McDonalds, the register operator at Wal-Mart, or my Doctor. They are people performing jobs whose service I need or may need, I respect anyone out there earning a living for themselves and their families. For myself it puts everything in perspective, we are all trying to make it in this world and there is nothing to gain by disparaging the position of others.
There are times where I really like the people at McDonalds than those I work for, the pretentiousness at times is discouraging.
I'm not so sure. I've always felt there's a quite specific form of elitism among many HN readers. Somewhat similar to what you find in business schools, but less based on privileged and more on a lack of "bildung".
