Hearne: Legendary KC Radio Host Now An Internet Cabbie

How about a quick game of, “Where are they now?”

Today’s subject is none other than longtime WDAF 61 Country morning host David Lawrence. 

Lawrence parted company with Entercom Kansas City in 2006 following a ceremony honoring him by naming WDAF FM‘s new studio after him.

And after unloading his sprawling Prairie Village abode a few years back, Lawrence and his wife joined some former Navy buddies in a quiet San Antonio neighborhood for a life of leisure.

At least for awhile.

“I’m going down to San Antonio for a plumbing convention board meeting,” says Roger Peugeot of Roger the Plumber fame. “And I signed up for Uber and guess who’s picking me up at the airport, David Lawrence?”

That’s right, the legendary morning show host has gone cabbie.

For the unenlightened, Uber is “an app-based transportation network and taxi company” that operates in cities around the country, including KC.

“David sold his house here and moved about three years ago and he loves it down there,” Roger says. “He’s in a nice, gated community and he plays golf three times a week. And he was looking for a way to make some extra cash to fund his golfing and he looked into Uber, signed up, got the security clearance -a quite extensive security clearance – and now he drives his Lexus SUV that they call an UberX because he can handle six people.”

There’s more.

“He lives 10 minutes from the airport, so he hangs out and picks up people from the airport and takes them to town,” Roger says. “And as of the other night, he’s logged 900 rides and he loves it! He interviews people like when he was on the radio here.”

Speaking of which, does Lawrence miss being on the air?

“I don’t think he misses it,” Roger says. “I think if he’d wanted to do it, he’d have gone down there and asked someone for a job.”

Here’s how Lawrence’s Uber game is played:

“When you dial Uber’s number the closet car comes and gets you,” Roger says. “And rarely do you have to wait. I mean, here’s a nice guy working hard just so he can play golf. he was bored and so he’s doing it just for fun.”