Popular ride-share company Uber hits Monterey County.

Catching a cab, in the movies anyway, always seems to involve a lot of hand waving and whistling. But these days it’s as simple as a tap of your phone.

Uber, a San Francisco-based ride-share company, launched in Monterey Feb. 3. People who download an app onto their smartphones can now quickly hail rides from citizen drivers who contract with Uber, forgoing the streetside hysterics of yesteryear.

The company operates in about 70 cities around the world. The Monterey operation is one of about 25 U.S. cities that is part of Uberx, a low-cost version of the service using cars like Priuses, as opposed to the fancier Lincoln Town Car-type rides other versions of Uber offer.

The company doesn’t own cars or employ drivers, explains Uber spokesman Andrew Noyes.

“These are drivers who are able to do this on their own time, on their own schedule, make some extra cash, or do this as a small business venture and do it as much as they want,” Noyes says.

But Uber, and companies like it, have been controversial, with lawsuits popping up from San Francisco to Chicago.

Carl Sedoryk, general manager and CEO for Monterey-Salinas Transit, says ride-share companies aren’t subject to the same local regulations as taxis: “For those who are inclined to use one of these types of services, the term ‘buyer beware’ would be best suited.”

Sedoryk says the state’s Public Utilities Commission has some authority, but it’s currently being disputed in court how local jurisdictions fit in.

The company is currently the target of a lawsuit regarding the death of a 6-year-old girl crossing a San Francisco sidewalk on New Year’s Eve. The suit alleges the driver was logged on to Uber’s app (it’s how he gets fares) at the time of the incident. Christopher Dolan, attorney for the victim’s family, has said in news reports that Uber didn’t provide insurance protection that would have covered the family and driver.

County cab companies aren’t thrilled about Uber’s arrival either.

“If it’s necessary for us to jump through all these hoops to run a taxi business, why doesn’t Uber have to do it? And if it’s not necessary, why do I have to do it?” says Bob Buswell, owner of Seaside’s Associated Taxi. “It’s unfair competition.”

Meanwhile, Uber is continuing to grow, expanding not only to Monterey County but in Santa Cruz and Fresno as well. People who own sedans or SUV models newer than 2005 can become drivers by filling out a form online and undergoing a background check. The customer links his or her credit card to the Uber app, and is charged with no exchange of cash. The driver keeps most of the money; Uber gets a commission.

Uber organizers took advantage of one of the county’s biggest tourist draws, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, to coincide with its launch. Ads went out for Pro-Am visitors with promotions, and there was a dedicated Uber pickup and drop-off spot during the tourney.

Associated Taxi owns just a handful of cabs in the Monterey County area and is looking to expand. “I’m not worried,” Buswell says. “Whatever happens I need to add more cabs.”