Taxis: Another hated mode of transportation

I vaguely remember being sent to the baby sitter’s from school in a taxi when I was young. The fact that I was sick combined with being alone with a man I didn’t know and obsessing over the fact that I had no money and was he going to be angry made the experience terrible for me. It still seems really weird to me that this would happen but I remember it vividly.
I still don’t like taxis. I have nothing against the drivers. I’ve found most of them to be very nice although it does make me crazy when they spend their entire time on talking on their bluetooth and then getting frustrated when I don’t respond to the one sentence they say to me amidst the conversation. I think it’s mostly the situation: I’m not in control, I don’t like to not be in control. I’m in a small enclosed place with someone I don’t know. I have to pay this person and tip this person and I’ve never enjoyed the feeling that goes along with actually handing someone the tip (adding it to your bill at restaurants is fine though).
My other issue with taxis is that I’m seriously confused. Why am I the only person (other than the driver) who ever does up their seatbelt in a cab? Occasionally I can trick the person travelling with me into doing theirs up by example but I really don’t get this phenomenon. Not only are you (1) in a car (2) driving with someone you don’t know but (3) people are constantly complaining that taxi drivers are crazy and cut them off and such. Yet for some reason, they feel perfectly safe in a taxi with no seatbelt. Are taxis surrounded by some invisible shield that protects you in case of an accident? I realize that if I lived in TO I would have no issues with either public transportation or taxis...in fact, I would love taxis because it means that I wouldn’t have to walk home from the subway station. At least in a cab I don’t feel like I have to boil my whole body to sanitize, just my hands will do.