W.Va. residents look to get on board as Uber drivers

CHARLESTON, W.Va.— As Uber opens up for business in West Virginia a number of West Virginians are signing on as drivers for the ride-sharing service.  Although the service is extremely popular with young people, it’s also drawing the attention of retired individuals like George Jarrett of Charleston.

“I’m in an enviable position where I don’t have to work, but if you don’t have a job and you’ve worked all your life you get bored,” said Jarrett.

Jarrett signed up to become an Uber Driver when the organization was in town Tuesday to kick off the service.  He met another individual who was near his age and also looking for something to do in his spare time.

“This man has a business in Elkins and a home in Charleston,” said Jarrett. “He’s in Charleston about three days week and says he gets bored. He’s going to start driving for Uber.”

Prospective drivers sign up with the Uber service and provide a driver’s license, proof of insurance, and registration of the car they’ll be using.  The process, according to Jarrett, was fairly simple and within a few minutes they were established as official Uber drivers.

“Within a couple of minutes of going on line I got the first call. It was to the first block on Capital Street, but before I got there it was cancelled by the rider,” said Jarrett. “I had two or three additional calls that were cancelled and they said it was probably just people testing their phones and testing the system to see if they would respond.”

Uber drivers can set their own hours, which for Jarrett will probably be during the daytime since he goes to bed early and gets up early.

“Technically you’re on duty when you activate the app on your smartphone and you’re off duty when you shut down the app.” he said.

The Uber app uses location software on the smartphone of both the rider and the driver and sends a dispatch to the nearest Uber driver to the rider requesting a ride.  The transaction is completed via credit card over the phone even before the ride.  Uber gets 20 percent of the fare for administrative costs and another fee per rider.   Jarrett indicated some drivers complained about Uber’s share of the profit, but added without them drivers wouldn’t be getting anything.

“Seventy-five percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing,” he said.

For people like Jarrett it’s a good part time job to pass the time, meet people, and put a little jingle in his pocket.

“I told my son who is going to college in Oregon I was going to be a driver for Uber,” Jarrett laughed. “He said, ‘Well that’s what you do already, but don’t get paid for it. Driving around and talking to people all day.'”





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