There are no words to fully describe the tragedy that has characterized the events of this last week in the United States. The seriousness of this situation makes what we do here seem trivial—yet we know it’s affecting individual drivers professionally as well as personally.
Although Gridwise is by no means a political group, we are a group that’s devoted to drivers; in fact, our sole mission is helping all drivers reach their potential both on and off the road. And a huge part of that mission is our commitment to stand with every driver who has experienced injustice or inequality—along with our strong condemnation of all acts of racism, discrimination, and senseless violence.
So with that, we’re going to do everything possible to help drivers navigate this extremely difficult time.
There’s no doubt that the civil unrest itself, and its aftermath, will have a huge impact on rideshare and delivery drivers. The instability of the environment created by civil unrest, along with the looming COVID-19 pandemic, make it tough to do your job.
If you decide to work in areas where there could be unrest, we want every driver to be safe, so we put together this post which details what drivers need to know about driving amid protests.
In this article we will cover …
- Why this situation is so difficult
- Measures you should take to protect yourself
- How the rideshare and delivery companies are reacting
- Actions you drivers can take to prepare for a more prosperous future
The wild ride of 2020—wasn’t COVID hard enough?
The COVID-19 shutdowns have already decimated business for many, maybe even most of us. If you asked, “What else can happen?” you may have your answer by now.
It’s especially tough to deal with yet another condition that makes it difficult for drivers to function fully, but deal with it we must. We’re going to have to think smart and take self-protective actions.
If you work anywhere near a city, you’ve seen demonstrations before. Protesters gather, possibly blocking a road or a bridge, or spilling out into the streets around a park. There might be spatterings of violence, but it typically gets handled, it stops, and before too long life comes back to normal.
Well, that was then. We’re in entirely new territory now. For one thing, the unrest is not confined to one or two cities—it’s countrywide. And along with peaceful protestors come bad actors who never cared about what the protests stand for, but simply want to cause destruction and looting.
Also, protests are not restricted to residential neighborhoods. The most activity is taking place in the central business districts of the urban areas we normally serve as drivers, and in some cases it is spreading to the suburbs.
Ideally, you won’t have to drive anywhere near any of these bad actors—but these days, they’re not easy to avoid.
We’re not about to tell you to go out there and drive, nor will we advise you to stay home. What we will do is respect your right to make your own decisions about whether you will or won’t drive, and in both cases, we’ll offer some items to ponder.
Measures you should take to protect yourself
Check your insurance
- Have you taken a look at your insurance policy lately? Would it cover something like vandalism? When bad actors who don’t represent peaceful protestors, are picking out cars at random to set on fire, you don’t have to drive your car anywhere for it to be damaged or even destroyed. Make sure your policy will cover it if that happens.
- This might be the moment when you recognize that your ability to make a living as a driver depends on your car. Make sure you are insured, both while driving for rideshare and when you’re not. If you haven’t yet, you may want to come clean with your primary insurance company and get a policy that doesn’t get nullified the moment they find out you’re a rideshare driver. Most policies won’t cover you for using your vehicle commercially—don’t get caught in that situation! Consider paying the extra money for your own peace of mind.
- If you don’t have it yet, consider getting gap insurance. This is a policy that covers the difference between the value of your vehicle and what you still owe on it. For example, if your vehicle with a $10,000 value is totaled, and you still owe $15,000 or $20,000 to your bank or finance company that holds the car loan, you’re stuck with owing the difference. Gap insurance will cover that amount, and it can be a life saver.
- When or if you do decide to drive for a rideshare or delivery company in this environment, you might want to check what’s in the policy that goes into effect when you drive for them. What would happen if you were to get caught in a situation where bad actors are stopping vehicles and smashing windows and kicking in side panels? You’ll want to be fully insured, with coverage for your passengers as well as yourself.
Abide by curfews
- If you decide to drive or deliver, please be aware of your local curfews. We would be delighted to list every city that has a curfew and tell you if it’s okay to be out driving while they’re in effect, but that’s impossible. There are just too many cities with curfews in effect, and their rules are not only different, they change constantly.
As an example let’s look at June 1, 2020, in three different cities:
- Pittsburgh’s curfew went into effect at 8:30 p.m. local time. The terms of the curfew were that if you entered the downtown area, you would be stopped by law enforcement. The rest of the city was not affected.
- In Los Angeles, the starting time for the curfew changed throughout the day, and wound up being 5:00 p.m. Other districts, such as Beverly Hills, began their curfew at 1:00 p.m. Under the terms of this restriction, no one was allowed to be on the streets at all after curfew.
- In Washington, D.C., curfew began at 7:00 p.m., and during the curfew no one, unless designated as an essential worker by the mayor, was permitted to be on any street or in any park or public place. The “essential workers” mentioned in the mayor’s statement included credentialed media and healthcare personnel, when engaged in essential functions.
Most curfews end at 6:00 a.m., but some end at 6:30 a.m. Obviously, it’s different everywhere, just as curfew starting times differ.
- Be aware of the curfews in your area, and know that if you don’t abide by them, you could be arrested.
- You can find out about your curfew through local news outlets on the Internet, or on radio or TV, and “311” services that might give you up-to-the-minute details on restrictions in effect for your locale.
- We can’t stress enough the seriousness of abiding by curfews. If you violate it, and get slapped with a misdemeanor, you’ll have to worry about taking time off for a court appearance AND clearing future background checks. Another thing to consider is that unlike the COVID-19 curfews, these restrictions are being enforced not only by local police, but in some cases also sheriffs, state troopers, and even the National Guard may be involved.
As we said, your decision to drive is yours alone.
We just want you to know about the risks, and what you could be up against if you decide to take them.
How are rideshare and delivery companies responding?
In compliance with city orders, Uber suspended services in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and parts of Minneapolis during curfew hours, according to a CNBC report.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted Sunday that the company would donate $1 million to the Equal Justice Initiative and Policing Equity “to support their important work in making criminal justice in America more just for all.”
Similarly, Lyft confirmed to USA TODAY that it is following local guidance “when relevant.” Lyft also donated $500,000 in ride credit to national civil rights organizations.
According to a Buzzfeed news article, DoorDash is “tailoring operations based on the guidance they have received from governments,”.
A Postmates spokesperson said the company is “adhering to curfew orders” and “working directly with Mayoral administrations to balance our essential services designations with the curfew orders as each municipality has a distinct approach.”
A spokesperson for Seamless and Grubhub said the company is “evaluating the situation in each city individually and making decisions based on” input from “local officials, restaurants and drivers.” The company said it is suspending operations when curfew begins in some cities, but declined to name specific locations, citing the “fluidity” of the situation.
Given how fluid the situation is, drivers will need to be diligent about checking to see what apps have shut down and where.
This is when it pays off to be on multiple platforms.
Now, let’s turn our attention to what might happen, and how you might shield yourself from the impact.
Take action to make sure you’ll stay solvent
This situation is a tragedy, no matter how you look at it.
If the protests along with COVID-19 force you off the road, you’ll need to take some self-protective measures. Here are a few suggestions.
- Unemployment compensation. If you haven’t applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance yet, consider doing so. Because of COVID-19, business is not really back to normal anywhere. Even if you’ve been driving all along, you can still file claims for future weeks, since complications from the unrest could prevent you from making much money. Check out how rideshare drivers and delivery drivers can file for unemployment.
- Additional sources of financial aid. There are other ways to receive compensation. Most of these funds have been set up for COVID-19, but as the ripple effects of the pandemic continue to impact the rideshare business, you can still look to these sources for help. Learn more about how rideshare drivers can get more financial assistance.
- Find some side hustles. As an independent contractor you’re highly motivated and capable of disciplining yourself to go to work, even when there’s no boss telling you to be there. That makes you an ideal candidate for the many freelance jobs that are available. Learn more about how there are many, many ways to make money from your home.
- Volunteer to help with cleanup. This is an act of kindness, rather than a money-maker, but it’s a way to get out and do something good for your community. It will make you feel good, and it can help to get things moving faster, too. Plus … you never know who you might meet. There could be an employer in need right there who offers you a part-time gig to tide you over until happier and more wholesome times return.
Less stressful horizons ahead
It’s been a sad time in our world, and so far 2020 has brought more than its share of trials and challenges. Still, it’s up to us to make the most out of even the worst situations. We hope this post helps you think about your options, so you can do what’s best for you.
Whether business comes back right away or not, here at Gridwise we’ll continue to look out for the rideshare and delivery driver community, giving you our best ideas and advice in blog posts and in J & Brandon’s amazing podcast.
We also love to hear from you! Comment below if you have any further ideas or contributions to make. Also, be sure to download the app to have instant access to information, income tracking, and discounts and deals for drivers.
