Some had been traditional cabdrivers, and others took to Uber after losing other jobs. The other drivers were reluctant to have their names used, though, on the chance of reprisal. Two San Francisco Uber drivers voiced similar complaints last summer, putting their names on a class-action lawsuit filed in August in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, which was granted class-action status by Judge Edward Chen. Since Uber sprang up in March 2010, that company and other smartphone app-driven transportation services, such as Lyft and Sidecar, have grown rapidly. Uber and its lower-cost UberX service provides services in 40 countries and 58 U.S. cities. The company has been in Los Angeles for two years and in Orange County since September. Those companies operate largely outside government regulations, unlike cabdrivers, who are required to have permits to pick up customers.