While everyone has a right to their transportation preferences, I find that pretty vague. Please give details from your personal experience that support these sweeping conclusions.

My experience has been radically different in over 20 years of frequent regular visits to Rio. The rides I have been "taken on" by drivers of the regular yellow taxis have been pleasant and direct, and drivers have acted honestly in all transactions, charging on the meter. I take yellow taxis that are known entities, members of a cooperative with a home base, and with the name and phone number of the cooperative painted on the back fender. I can only recount my lack of any problems as evidence for the character of these family men who are simply trying to make an honest living to support a wife and children.

I find the "paranoia" deliberately incited on one other forum regarding taking pre-paid taxis from the airport for "peace of mind", rather than those totally "rogue" yellow taxis, to be equally unrealistic as this sales pitch for Uber.
YMMV