Emotions run high as unhappy drivers pack TLC hearing

A car with the Uber decal on the windshield

A public hearing on the effect of Uber and Lyft on industry economics almost turned ugly Thursday in the lobby of the Taxi and Limousine Commission's headquarters. As about 100 people waited in a line running from the elevators out to the sidewalk, the overflow crowd learned that only the first 30 would soon be allowed upstairs to testify.

"You should have gotten a bigger room," said Fredy Tello, owner of SempeRide Transportation, a black-car service that specializes in serving the disabled. "We don't have a voice?"

Tello, who founded his business in 2012, said his revenues have fallen 50% since the ride-hail companies began operating in force over the past couple of years. He survives only because he provides