March 2016 | DC Beacon

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VOL.28, NO.3

A way to pick up a few bucks

MARCH 2016

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY REY LOPEZ

By Barbara Ruben Walter Shepherd’s career has been driven by traffic. He was a cabbie for a couple years when he was in his 20s, and then spent years as a traffic signal technician for the City of Alexandria, Va. When he retired four years ago, Shepherd spent a lot of time playing golf and working out. But he found he still had a lot of hours of the day to fill. Then Shepherd, who is 63 and lives in Ft. Washington, Md., saw that Uber was looking for drivers. Uber is the rapidly growing company with a smartphone application that lets people easily request a lift from drivers like Shepherd, who use their own cars. [For more details, see “How Uber and Lyft work” on page 6.] “I just wanted something I could do when I wanted. Not a job,” Shepherd said of his part-time work with the company. Older drivers are a growing component of Uber’s freelance workforce. In fact, nearly one in four are age 50 or older, according to Uber spokesperson Kaitlin Durkosh. It’s a popular option for older drivers who have both time on their hands and want the freedom to decide if and when they’ll work. For example, “if they aren’t comfortable with driving at night or rush hour, that’s OK,” Durkosh said of Uber’s older drivers. While most drivers quickly get the hang of the smartphone app for picking up riders, Durkosh said the company has support centers in Washington and Baltimore where new drivers can get help with technical issues. Danyelle Ludwig, a spokesperson for Lyft, a similar ride-providing company, said she could not share information about its drivers’ demographics. But she noted that, “drivers in the 55-plus age group value flexibility more than any other age group. They also value the community and meeting other people more than any other age group, which translates into fun, memorable rides for passengers.” This flexibility was one reason AARP’s Life Reimagined program — an initiative that encourages members to explore new directions in their careers and personal lives — partnered with Uber last year to spread the word about working for the company. “When you look at the Life Reimagined

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Nearby Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Great Wolf Lodge waterpark make for a great trip with the grandkids; plus, visiting Liverpool, but not to see the Beatles page 40

ARTS & STYLE

Stuff: one man’s show about his family; plus, premiere of a Pulitzer-finalist play in Olney, a comforting choir, and Bob Levey on the allure of TV Walter Shepherd, who retired in his 50s, earns about $300 a week driving Uber customers around the area in his Nissan Rogue. Nearly a quarter of Uber’s drivers are over the age of 50. Uber — and its rival on-demand ride service Lyft — are finding older drivers particularly enjoy the flexibility of the job and its social aspects.

audience — primarily people in their 40s, 50s, 60s — a lot of these people are facing unprecedented financial pressure,” said Adam Sohn, vice president for strategic initiatives at Life Reimagined. “We saw this as a great way for people who are in the midst of career-oriented transitions, or looking to stay connected to the community or meet new people, to stay plugged in and make a few dollars at the same time.”

Part of the “sharing” economy Sohn said that Life Reimagined wants to help older adults better take advantage of the new “sharing” economy. This includes not only earning extra income through services like Uber and Lyft, but also

Airbnb, which enables homeowners to rent out rooms to tourists to earn extra cash. Veronica Rose, who splits her time living with her father in Washington, D.C., and daughter in Upper Marlboro, Md., is similar to the Uber drivers Sohn has in mind. Rose retired at age 62 from a job working as a financial aid advisor for colleges, but discovered she needed more income in retirement than she had expected. Her granddaughter suggested she consider Uber. “At first, I thought she was a little crazy,” Rose said. “[I thought] that she should drive for Uber, not me. “It’s hard finding a job at 62. But for Uber, all I had to do was submit an application, See UBER, page 10

page 53 TECHNOLOGY k See your doctor — online

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FITNESS & HEALTH 11 k Gum care may save your heart JCA EMPLOYMENT EXPO

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SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 35 k Give charity the deductible way LIFETIMES 45 k Newletter of the Charles E. Smith Retirement Communities ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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