The laws put in place are not stupid -- they are put in place to protect both riders and drivers against well-known market failures such as information asymmetry and market-for-lemons [1,2]. They may be outdated and in need of revision, but I think it's premature to conclude that Uber has all the right answers.
While I agree that many of the laws aren't stupid and should be followed, I can't figure out any justification, other than greed, for restricting supply the way many cities do. If you can, please share.
I was being sarcastic, and if that's not fairly apparent I should probably change my approach; there's a tendency for HN to go full meritechnocrat in these situations and side with whoever seems the most disruptive. I find it obnoxious for exactly the reasons you've posted here, among others.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Market_for_Lemons [2] http://time.com/3592035/uber-taxi-history/