According to [1] the median Bay Area big tech worker earns $272k/year - or $130/hour.

According to [2] Uber drivers make $15 to $25 an hour, before expenses like fuel.

So while it's not normal it's certainly plausible that some people take taxis on a daily basis.

More broadly, as levels of wealth inequality rise in a given society, more people end up working in the personal service sector doing things like cleaning, food delivery, taxi driving etc.

[1] https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/san-fra... [2] https://www.triplog.net/blog/how-much-do-uber-drivers-make