Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Night riders

October 6, 2011

We all know East Lansing doesn’t go to bed at sun down and neither do the city’s taxi cab and delivery drivers. Dealing with the drunk students, busy streets and late hours, though, is worth it to Shaggin’ Wagon Taxi driver Damon Voeller and Menna’s Joint delivery driver Kenneth Pollok.

Voeller has been driving a cab in the city for six years and said he loves being able to be around young people on a regular basis.

“It’s fun. I mean, (the students) are crazy,” Voeller said. “But they’re young, they’re in college, a lot of them are away from home for the first time … so they just got to blow off their steam every now and then … I understand that, and I have fun with it.”

Philosophy and anthropology senior Kenneth Pollok works nights as a delivery driver and said he’s dealt with his fair share of intoxicated people.

“Driving around and dealing with drunk people, the job itself would get old if it wasn’t for the circumstances in which I’m doing the job,” Pollok said.

Pollok said his biggest gripe about the job is working all night on Saturday’s while most of his friends are out partying and at the bar.

“My weekends are not as open as I’d like it to be,” he said. “But the 150 dollars a week is worth it.”

Photo by Josh Sidorowicz | The State News

We all know East Lansing doesn’t go to bed at sun down and neither do the city’s taxi cab and delivery drivers. Dealing with drunk students, busy streets and late hours, though, is worth it to Shaggin‘ Wagon Taxi driver Damon Voeller and Menna’s Joint delivery driver Kenneth Pollok.

Voeller has been driving a cab in the city for six years and said he loves being able to be around young people on a regular basis.

“It’s fun. I mean, (the students) are crazy,” Voeller said. “But they’re young. They’re in college. A lot of them are away from home for the first time … so they just got to blow off their steam every now and then … I understand that, and I have fun with it.”

Philosophy and anthropology senior Kenneth Pollok works nights as a delivery driver and said he’s dealt with his fair share of intoxicated people.

“Driving around and dealing with drunk people, the job itself would get old if it wasn’t for the circumstances in which I’m doing the job,” Pollok said.

Pollok said his biggest gripe about the job is working all night on Saturday’s while most of his friends are out partying and at the bar.

“My weekends are not as open as I’d like it to be,” he said. “But the $150 dollars a week is worth it.”

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