Medallions only apply to yellow cabs and the green outer borough taxis. Any New Yorker will tell you stories of hail (yellow) cabs not stopping, not driving minorities, not driving to locations in the service area or not being present outside Manhattan. Calling for a cab, van, car service or limo does not require a medallion.

My taxi driver in barcelona still refused to turn on the meter until I argued with him for a few minutes, definitely not a solved problem

The most recent time I was in the EU, I used freenow everywhere for upfront fares and driver ratings - would it even exist if not for uber?

Cabs in Europe are shit too, to be clear. New York probably has the _best_ taxi system in North America though.