Riding into the Golden Years: For older Angelenos, Waymo promises adventures for a lifetime
Giving up the car keys in favor of downloading Waymo One is an appealing option for aging Angelenos at the Fairfax Senior Center who want to dictate when and where they go places without compromising on safety or independence.
From taking a photo with a smartphone to using an app for the first time, demystifying technology for aging adults is what Angeleno Bill Meyerchak hopes will help them live their lives to the fullest.
He is a beloved volunteer at the Fairfax Senior Center in Los Angeles, one of 29 centers for adults age 65+ operated by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, where he does everything from call bingo games to lead a weekly technology class called Tech Tuesdays.
Bill teaches a Tech Tuesday class at Fairfax Senior Center in Los Angeles.
“I like to be able to cover the whole gamut [of technology] for older adults,” said Bill, who teaches everything from software and cellphones to ride-hailing apps. “It's very important for me, personally.”
A quarter of Angelenos will be aged 60+ by 2030, according to the city controller, and serving this aging population is a major point of focus for policymakers, nonprofits, and volunteers alike.
Bill began volunteering with older adults as a way to give back to the community after an injury left him disabled and unable to work. The experience led to his newfound purpose empowering them with opportunities to gather and stay curious.
One Tech Tuesday at the Fairfax Senior Center, he was enthusiastically sharing a technology that he says has changed his life.
“Today we’re going to be going over Waymo 101. We’re going to learn how to install their app and how to use their services,” Bill said to the intimate group of smartphone-equipped attendees.
Bill first began using Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service when it launched in LA in 2024 to regularly visit a friend who was in the hospital at Cedars-Sinai.
“Being disabled, I rely on public transportation and Waymo changed my life at that moment,” Bill said. “I was able to have a private ride to the hospital to see my friend, and not only did it benefit my life, it benefited his life as well.”
Based on his own experience, Bill believes Waymo offers older adults a safe, convenient mode of transportation in a sprawling city of freeways where driving and cars are not only iconic, but often seen as essential.
“One of the issues that I've seen over my 12 years of volunteering is older adults getting to the point where they can no longer drive, and it is [like] giving up their freedom and this is a depressing, devastating moment for their lives,” Bill said. “Waymo will allow older adults to give up their keys more easily.”
The key to helping older adults adopt a new technology, he emphasized, is patience.
Hailing a Waymo autonomous vehicle at Fairfax Senior Center.
“The ability to have someone be patient and to listen to them is very important for an older adult,” Bill said. “Most of the help is provided by a family member who has grown impatient with that older adult, and patience is necessary to teach an older adult technology.”
Bill’s focus on teaching technology was not simply happenstance. He came to it after offering to help an older neighbor who was having problems with her phone in front of his house.
“That was really how I got started doing this – with a single cellphone,” Bill said. “I then learned that many seniors needed help with their cellphones or digital devices.”
All this is why Bill was so excited to share the joy of Waymo with his Tech Tuesday group.
“Has anyone here taken a Waymo ride?” Bill asked the group.
“Yes!” replied 90-year-old Julie Finger.
Julie attends Tech Tuesdays and is an active member of the Fairfax Senior Center. Bill had recently invited her to ride in a Waymo autonomous vehicle with him when she needed a ride home after a community bingo game at the Center. Now, Julie wants to try using Waymo to get to the Center on her own.
“I don't drive now, my friends pick me up,” Julie said. “I'm excited to try Waymo so I don't have to wait for someone to come.”
Bill said that while older adults might have initial hesitation about riding with Waymo, most of them embrace the experience after seeing someone else give it a try.
Julie and her daughter use Waymo for their day trips to the beach.
“One of the times I was in a ride, the older adults actually started laughing and I asked her what was going on and she said, ‘I totally forgot that there was no driver in this vehicle,’ and this was only after the second ride,” Bill said.
Waymo is designed to conscientiously, smoothly, and follow traffic laws while driving with the safety of passengers and all road users in mind, including cyclists, pedestrians, and other drivers.
After walking his class through how to download the Waymo One app and use the service, Bill said Waymo represents a game-changer for older Angelenos.
“Waymo provides a discrimination-free ride, judgment-free ride that is controlled by me where I get to choose the music, I get to choose the temperature, I get to choose if I want the windows up or down,” Bill said. “The more seniors that get in Waymo autonomous vehicles, the faster seniors will be able to have freedom in society.”
“The more seniors that get in Waymo autonomous vehicles, the faster seniors will be able to have freedom in society.”Bill Meyerchak
Julie said Waymo is perfect for older adults, who she said are often ready to embark on new experiences and try new things. And, she said, Waymo isn’t just freedom: it’s also fun.
“I definitely believe that Waymo would be a great help for older adults,” Julie said. “When they see more of us going in there, using Waymo, they'll be encouraged because they're also adventurers.”
“I definitely believe that Waymo would be a great help for older adults,” Julie said. “When they see more of us going in there, using Waymo, they'll be encouraged because they're also adventurers.”Julie Finger
