Sunday, 5eptember Z21, 1915 r1t.Iu'iLJLTFenv i riC NtTC-rl1U^114 vRiL7 cr e tve PROFILE Taxi driving in Ann Arbor: Lending an ear to generations By CHERYL PILATE After holding a series of odd: ferent back then. Students GERALD VOICE FIGURES; jobs throughout the Depression, weren't allowed to keep cars he's travelled close to a ! Voice happened to see a help on campus and we'd spend ev- million miles in his Ann Arbor: wanted in the newspaper for a ery weekend taking them taxi over the past 38 years. And taxi driver. When he first start- around to the fraternities or sor- after decades of listening to all ed working, the flat rate fee for orities or down to the Union for the sad stories and crazy fan- anywhere in the city was 35c. a big dance," he muses, a tasies, a sense of wise perspec- Dial-a-Ride and spiraling fares smile teasing the corners of his tive comes pretty easily to him.: have since cut deeply into the mouth. "The J-Hop used to be After all, when a man has spent volume of student business - quite the big thing. Everyone nearly 40 years shepherding reducing it to a mere trickle would get all dressed up and flocks of sorority girls through trickle. there was hardly a weekend in rush, hurrying nursing home RUT DURING THE Depres- the winter when something patients to doctor appointments, sion and early war years,: wouldn't be going on." and guiding frightened frosh when Voice was working al- A I t h o u g h chauffeuring through their first tour of the most 100 hours per week to sup- students was not as lucrative city, he learns that his profes- port his family, students com- as driving around businessmen sion exacts much more than the promised the bulk of his busi- and celebrities with big bucks, ability to turn a wheel and re- ness. Voice found it to be one of the member a street number. When Glen Miller and the big most enjoyable aspects of his "I figure you really have to bands periodically liberated the job. have an open ear," he says with campus from high-browed pur- a genial smile.,"A lot of peo- suits, Voice was there, waiting IFOR INSTANCE, he recalls ple tell you all their problems. to chauffeur students to the IM that some of his busiest Sometimes you've got to be a building for a night of swing- moments as a cabbie came dur- psychologist a n d sometimes ing and fox trotting. ing sorority rush during the you've got to be a diplomat." "Yeah, things were a lot dif- 40's and 50's. "About four or VA Hospital: Consequences for the future greatest concern She spends much of her time job. "You learn a lot in the cab chauffeuring professors and el- business just by listening," he derly people and speaks affec- says. "And over the years, I tionately of "an old lady from think I've heard just about ev- Dexter I take to the doctor ev- erything." ery week." Voice believes he and hisE wife have received an invalu- Cheryl Pilate is Co-Edit or-in- able education through theirI Chief of The Daily. IN DOWNTOWN ANN ARBOR PICK YOUR NIGHT * Sunday-Tuesday OLD TIME MOVIES No Cover-No Minimum * Wednesday & Thursday HOT COUNTRY MUSIC with the GREVIOUS ANGELS No Cover--No Minimum * Friday & Saturday SING ALONG with THE GASLIGHTERS only 50c cover BEER-WINE-COCKTAILS FINE FOOD AVAILABLE 114 E. WASHINGTON Daily Photo By PAULINE LUBENS { Y i J 1 (Continued from Page 3) lain and his motives as they are' lie there on the bed and think with the consequences of his that maybe this guy is the actions. They worry about the 'one'." 'half-truths', the innuendos, and Three patients in the hospi- the fear the insinuations of tal's canteen discussed the poi- medical incompetence. And sonings in a combination of they say outsiders have dis- Mafia-esque and amateur psy- torted the evidence and rid- chiatrist's jargon. They con- died the situation with unwar- stantly referred to the victims ranted sensationalism. as 'hits' and dubbed the per- In fact, only ten of the 56 pa- petrator a 'lunatic," a crack- tients who suffered suspicious pot," and a "dope-crazed ma- arrests have died - only one niac" - seemingly convinced death was medically proven aI the person intended the pavulon direct result of the pavulon. to kill. Their beliefs are sub- The hospital staff's negligence stantiated, for the most part, did not cause the poisonings. by media reports . Rather,their expertise is re- sponsible for preventing the PUT AMONG HOSPITAL staff drug from taking its full toll. and administrators, the ac- The hospital employes' fears cepted theory is that poisoner of criticism have been unsub- is not a murderer. Hospitals stantiated to date. The details are stocked with drugs infinite- clerk, whose delicate job it is ly more fatal than pavulon. to inform next-of-kin of a pa-j And there are ways of taking a tient's death, maintained thatI life without drugs - a pillow no relatives complained or ex- can suffocate an immobilized pressed disillusionment with the patient. k system. "I haven't had a single "We still don't think the per- solitary family come in here son who's doing it is intending and say something derogatory, to kill," emphasized the has- about the hospital," she said. pital's Assistant Chief of Staff, "They're all mostly concerned Gary Calhoun. "I've talked to with what's happening at the those reporters so many times," immediate time. All they real- he added leaning over his desk ly want to know is, 'what do I in his office on the first floor do next?"' of the VA. "And the headlines Burns emphasized that "on always read, 'KILLER, KILL- the first day of re-admissions, ER, KILLER.' I think the the- there were 200 people waiting ory is that someone is trying to to be admitted." He said, "Peo- get back at the government, ple have faith in this institution, draw attention to the hospital, faith in this system. I know at the lack of staff, or some- that a lot of patients' attitudes thing." - were 'how could such a .thing: happen in this hospital?' Most patients had a feeling of trust: there was a lot of amaze- ment, and a lot of disbelief-{ which was good for our egos." THE STAFF SEEMS equally amazed. One of the biggest questions they ask each other is why the poisoner chose their hospital? They consider it a good facility; Mark Gulickson, an assistant administrator, claimed that it is one of the bet-, ter federal hospitals in the na- tion, certainly one of the best in the state. So why the VA? "There are just too many peo- ple running around the hospi- tal," McWhorter said, offering one possible explanation. "Too; many people are trusted be-' cause they have a green uni-' form on. I don't think anyone: should have free run of the hos- pital. If you are well enough to run around, you should be well enough to stay home." Perhap's McWhorter's expla- nation is valid, or perhaps someone does have a vendetta against the government -- or the hospital itself. But hospitals! are not prisons. They are not five girls would hop into my1 car and I'd be driving them around to the different houses all night long. It kept me real busy but I rarely got a tip. You never used to get a tip from a student. I think the first thing they were taught when they came to school is never tip a cab driver." Voice has five kids of his own, befitting the benevolent paterna aura he exudes. Soft- spoken and seemingly imper- turbable, he speaks of his life as one would tell an amusing story. Only an ever present cig- arette belies his rock-like pla- cidity. Although his children have long since left home, Voice feels he hasn't lost touch with young people. His residence on Sybil street is virtually suir- roundedbyoff-campus housing and he has ample opportunity to chat with students, particul- arly during the summer. "Students have changed a bit over the years. They seem to dress quite a bit differently these days and not care as much about how they look," says Voice. But they still have loud parties, sometimes right next door here. It don't bother me though. They may make a lot of noise, but so what - that's youth." EXCEPT FOR A short break to fight in World War II, younger days I would' ve jump- ed at the chance to take a drive like that, but I'm get- ting too old for that kind of thing.' He and his second wife Nell, whom he married eight years ago, take shifts driving a Vet- eran's cab, which Voice owns. Ms. Voice, who started driving' a taxi shortly after their honey- moon, says her job "is just a lot of fun." Both husband and wife down- play the hazards involved in NELL, who always drives during the day, contends she feels as safe in behind the wheel as she does in her house. To Get More ANCHOR INN TOPLESS WED.-SAT. -7 P.M. Do You Want a 5 a }V L r z From Your Years at U-M ? Consider TRn IGON Fraternity OPEN HOUSE: Sunday-Thursday cab driving. Although Voice has twice been the victim of an armed robbery in the past two years, he has not installed a safety shield in his car be-' cause "it would keep the heat from getting to the back seat during the winter." "I'm just gambling and I kind of take it as it comes," he explains. (Sept. 21-25) 7-10 p.m. Stop by the house any evening; We'll be glad to show you how we live. A Fraternity Co-ordinatinq Council Member 'Ii 0 Continuous Go Go * Seats 600 4 4 Stages * Comedy Acts 0 Largest in M-3 ~ANCHOR INN 'Erliir* PLYMHOTN Voice has driven a cab in this designed for crime prev Dr. Michael Cohen, a on intern at the VA, explain is perverse for anyone and kill sick people. But is no real way to preve Hospitals are not se See VA, Page 8 e e- ed t :t e Ic -ri ntion. college town continuously since -time 1937. Gray - haired and slightly d, "It paunchy, ("you wouldn't be- o try lieve it, but I used to weigh there 140"), Voice shows hardly a nt it. sign of slowing down. curity "You learn to expect any- thing in this business," he says with a chuckle. "A couple of years ago, some goof asked me to drive him to Green Bay at 2 a. m. in the morning. In myI Another observer suggested someone akin to an arsonist - a person who likes to make trouble - may just want to watch everyone try to prevent the havoc. Everyone admits it could be anyone who administered theI pavulon: medical personnel, a medical student, a patient, an orderly, an outsider. The drug was not difficult to obtain be-! fore the new security precau- tions were instituted, and it can be used effectively with a minimum of medical knowl- edge. But hospital employees generally refuse tosuspect fel- low full-time staffers. As Burns noted, the work they do de- mands team effort and they could not accomplish it without' faith in one another. "I don't feel it was someone I worked with . . . I can't be- lieve it. I've worked her for over two years and I feel I know them very well," he as- serted. "I can't evensthink it would be one of us," said one admin- istrator's secretary. BUT THE WORKERS are not as concerned with the vil- Don't Let the University Screw You Again YOU TOO CAN LET IT FLY ON THE FOLLOWING COMMITTEES: " Student Organization Board Acts as Liason for Students and U. Administration ® Research Policies " U. Relations * Academic Affairs B udget Priorities " Permanent Interviewing Board * Women's Inter-Collegiate Athletic Advisory Committee INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD MONDAY & TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 & 23 Drop by SGC Offices on the Third Floor-Michigan Union to sigjn up for an interview and pick up appli- cation forms. { I Michigan North Territorial i 7 e dexte r UAN-2 NO I-194. RBUR COVER JACKSON I CHARGE MIXED LEAGUE BOWLING SIGN UP NOW Michigan Union Lanes Open 11 a.m. Mon.-Sat. 1 p.m. Sunday CHARING CROSS BOOKSHOP Used. Fine and Scholarly Books 316 S. STATE-994-4041 Ooen Mon.-Fri. 10-8, Sati. 10-6 McGREGOR RD. at PORTAGE LAKE 426-3923 I V s Transcendental Meditation (TM Program as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi free Introductory Lectures on the TM program Tuesday, Steptember 23 2:00 P.M. AND 7:30 P.M.. KUENZEL ROOM, MICHIGAN UNION SIMS-761-8255 The University of Michigan School of Music FACULTY CHAMBER CONCERTS FIRST PROGRAM MICHELE DERR (guest), soprano LESLIE GUINN, baritone GUSTAVE ROSSEELS, violin LAWRENCE HURST, double bass ARNO MARIOTTI, oboe DONALD SINTA, saxophone CHARLES FISHER, piano ELLEN WECKLER, piano MARILYN MASON, harpsichord ASSOCIATES: DENNIS HORTON, trumpet; JAMES WILHELMSEN, piano SUNDAY, SEPT. 28, at 4:00 P.M. RACKHAM AUDITORIUM Quantz, Derr, J. Haydn, Kent Kennan Admission Complimentary Announcing, by Popular Demand the RE-OPENING of the %I ,etad ti/nion, Ann Arbor's first and only natural foods cafeteria SERVING: lunch only- t -- - ----= casseroles brown rice vegetables salads homemade yogurt baked goods ice cream fresh fruit salads I WANT TO FIND OUT HOW THE BUREAUCRACY MAKES DECISIONS? I imaaoammas ossa-- -- au --- mwm - Mm - - on-am a M I I I 1 VALUABLE COUPON--Good for: One FREE Bowl of Soup 1 1 WITH ANY PURCHASE S,, colTlonT v \ I