Filipina drives Uber in Philadelphia to support ill hubby
“The cleanest Uber car in Philly” Jinky Maat-Littlefield and her Uber car. CONTRIBUTED
SAN FRANCISCO — She plies the streets of Philadelphia from morning until night. Jinky Maat-Littlefield, 41, is among the 14 percent of women driving Uber in the United States. For a woman, it may be an unusual job, but Jinky chose to become a driver for Uber because it is a “set your own schedule” kind of work.
Jinky quit her job in a computer firm in January 2015 to take care of his husband, Jerry, 66, who has stage-six Alzheimer’s and early stage leukemia. When Jerry is with her in Philadelphia she drives him to a daycare program and picks him up at night.
Jerry is currently in Minnesota. His family is helping him to take the load off Jinky. Although she says nobody can top the care that she gives him, she has to work and must move on.
In sickness and in health
Jinky and Jerry met on a dating website in 2005. In November of the same year, Jerry came to the Philippines to propose. Jinky’s family approved, knowing that she always wanted to have a foreigner for a husband. They flew to the US and got married in a civil wedding ceremony on April 4, 2006.
Jerry assured her family that he would take care of Jinky. But by a twist of fate, he lost his job two years after their marriage. Then, in 2013, he was diagnosed with advanced stage Alzheimer’s and stage-one leukemia.
To make ends meet, Jinky does not waste time pitying Jerry and herself. Instead she chose jobs that were flexible. Then she discovered Uber.
Driving for Uber
“At first, I was not very familiar with the cities, the navigation itself, and the diverse clients, and you know just like any other jobs, the getting the hang of it part. Well, the more we do something, the more we become better at it,” she says.
Jinky says many passengers are not being mindful of their acts. They stick gum under the seat or anywhere in the car, roll weed in the backseat, crank up the radio’s volume or smoke inside the car although it is not allowed. Some even do not put the correct destination address. The worst she has experienced were passengers puking inside the car, like a passenger who was charged $200 on top of the fare for the mess.
But she also has had good experiences being a driver. Knowing that she is a woman, some passengers start good conversations on any subject, whether they’re sitting in the back seat or next to her. There are also big tippers. Jinky is now a reputable Uber driver; her customer ratings are always five stars.
Jerry and Jinky Littlefield in 2013, shortly before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Jerry and Jinky Littlefield, shortly before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. CONTRIBUTED
“I also love kids as my riders, they’re excited, happy, grateful and always ask if I’m Chinese. I really prefer to drive in the evening and late night. There’s nowhere I can take the vehicle for cleaning because of the time so I end up cleaning it myself, and so I keep the cleaning fee for myself too, and I’m done for the night,” Jinky says.
She drives her own car as an independent contractor. Uber gets 20 percent while she gets 80 percent of the earnings. The earnings depend on how much time she works. Drivers can make as much as $1,500 a week. Sometimes she encounters prejudice or people treating her coldly because “she is just a driver”; but she does not care because she enjoys her job and decently earns from it.
Proud and whole
Jinky explains that her work is not really challenging because it is part-time and the schedule depends on her. But taking care of her husband for years at home with no one to help her had been mentally and physically draining. Oftentimes, she would just break down and cry.
Finally, she contacted Jerry’s family and they agreed to confine him to a nursing home in Minnesota near them. Since Jerry can no longer recognize her, she is working on their divorce.
Looking back at her experiences, she is proud to say that she succeeded in loving and serving her husband unconditionally and still remain “whole.”
“We are all capable of facing any challenges that come our way because these make us better persons,” she says.
Jinky likes a quote from Wayne Dyer: “With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”
Next time you go to Philadelphia, ride the Uber car of Jinky Littlefield. She will surely drive you anywhere in “the cleanest car,” as satisfied customers rate her.
