Actually, even in NY, almost a third of medallion cabs are owner-operated. A little over half are leased to the opetor and the remainder are owned by taxi companies. So, yes, damage to a cab is actually something the operator will most likely feel directly. Whether they care or not is a separate question. Of course this all assumes you're actually taking the above retaliatory responses seriously.

Being a cabbie's not unlike being a bike courier. You join a company to get access to their dispatcher, but you're still expected to bring your own equipment and may very well have to pay to lease anything provided by the company such as a radio.