European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine hailing a cab during the upcoming conventions in Atlanta and new Orleans May require patience balance la the cab the customer should encounter polite and courteous Drivers thanks ton special course tar cabbies. Miami Nice Charm school for cabbies by Jane Button United press International Axi Drivers in Atlanta and new Orleans Ara brushing up on their etiquette Lor the democratic and Republican conventions under the Tutelage of the same travelling Courtesy corps that helped Calgary cabbies polish Irie manners Lor the Witter olympics the service ins Liiste at is. Thomas University in Miami f la., has taken us successful Miami Nice cabby training program on the Toad turning Oul legions of Well mannered Drivers in eight image conscious cities Competition for tourist dollars is Lough these Days and the political conventions provide a prime Opportunity to make a Good impression said Jesse Bridges who worked with the Miami team to get the cabbie Chaim school started in new or leans. We re doing All Iho right things we can to make sure he republicans Ted Welcome and to make sure they Don t have a bad cab ride said Bridges the Courtesy corps grew Oul of a is Thomaa tourism symposium where corporate chiefs complained that service employees in Ito hospitality Industry Weie frequently inhospitable. The school responded Wilhm Ami Nico 0 three hour coi use for cab driven Wilh Uig Truchon in a cum. Safely and local geography. The Institute s executive director. Tom Murphy is Quick to paint out that taxi Drivers Woie singled out because they arc the first person a visitor is Likely to Meel not because Lay were particularly ill. Mannered it was t a Case of Thorn being thai bad the image of a Driver As tude and Boorish is vol Plain wrong said Murphy. Our cab Industry has gotten a bad rap agreed Joe Hall director o Atlanta s to i Hureau the courses Combine grooming and Public relations advice with navigation safety tips and a rundown no local Laws. Miami taxi Drivers for example tace $25 lines if they swear on inc Job or ail Louse their air conditioners when the temperature tops 79 degrees cabbies Are advised to smile and make Eye Contact As they Greet entering passengers. Not Only is in Friendly but a potential robber May think twice about holding up a Driver who got a Good look at his face notes instructor Denny Davis a Deputy Shell and Lormer robbery investigator. There is lots of ego buttering and plenty of Catchy slogans and colourful bumper stickers. The persuasive theme is professionalism equals  instructors cite a san Francisco Experiment in which 12 yellow cab co. Drivers wore suits and lies Whito 12 tuesday. May 31, 1988 others driving i Hor min routes Ware slovenly re re b Over two weeks the in comr average of the  dressed Devors fas s1.3w while the slabs Rul raged it ,080, a  of 12ho once Thoy Seo in in Shoyo terms. The is Are Polty High t hey re enormously  Arian they come in whren Hoy go nut Thuy Raj converted " Murphy said Miami s carte county Lian Spartalian supervisors undo the course mandatory Tor cabbies Rirl Lime Emo in Corr to King Iii or i or renewals and mar.1 Lhart 5.000 Miami in Nevis have graduated since inc program began in is85 in that time complaints about Miami Titi tons have dropped 80 percent tin inc Rickeis issued to them have dropped by 50 Poicon. And Devors report thu in Dps arc up by 12 Pel cent to 15 porch no when news spread of Hal Success inquiries began pouring in and the University Lor mud the service inst urto last year to expand the program to other Olios and industries. Murplay and his three instructors work with a local sponsor Iho City cab Bureau in Aila la the University if now Orleans in that City helping them set up the program own leaving it in local hands. Usually a private Industry sponsor pays the $100.000 Slait up Cost and the ongoing Cost is picked up by Ioctl governments through Airport seaport and tourism taxes. Murphy gets about a Tozon inquiries a week about Tho course including a recent one irom a coir us Twer Koi who thought his staff could use a Lithe social refinement the government of Antigua recruited the 51 Thomas team to train ils 200 Lull Lime cab Drivers in october Alberta s largest Iran spoliation company. Yellow cab ltd., imported Tho inst Lulo teachers to Canada to Irani 2,500 Drivers in Calgary and Edmonton Junt heroic Ihu Winter olympics. In new Orleans whore in id known 35 Tho Jazzy cabby program Mare than 3,000 Drivers Are exp clod to graduate a Colic the Republican conc Nikon in August formerly see Lical cabbies Are recommending Tho course to Drivers in Neathy Cilious. And  Are pouring in irom recent Mardi gras visitors. To hav Gollena lol of toilers irom pimple talking about the excellent cab div cars in new Orleans to got a lot of Negal Lve publicity before now it s  said Bridges director of inc University of new Orleans to up Italy division and a pc torn c in in Vejr we nc-0 iks and less people being ripped Oil by taxi cab Grivois. They re mom tap to can Scioti Thoro a Lasi prof or a in it in g bin raid Tor Ilif. City in s then Good Tor hot  in Avion i it s i a cd 111"  airih.tt.v1ci   "if-Rnnvlou-,1 Loi us  c a1-. I i to l. V Arr and i n  Orrl in j ily ? Odri err Ity 0 Mccu a to rj.,  i o by Uio in Imu  a Jar to Lun in raid Jill nil1 Al Tho Pio Yram  in the Wark Overl fou Ali  was chosen to Host Tho convention  Ito  boosting by items arc  to Latil Tori alter the partisan hordes leave Hom said. It makes the Lolka involved a the inc Tusly Lee Holt or about themselves nol Only the Drivers hut in lots Irio Public is a whale now Hal these looks Are generally 11 Good group of  to said in fort Lauderdale. Where it 13 called port  Airport workers Lake lie Chi isl volunteers no a terminal Mlo Malion Boot i give Valois a warm Smilo and directions to the Beach Murphy Hopes to take inc Pio Giam to 30 civics during inc next three years he sees a Ful Urc Rife with Opportunity Lor raising Courtesy consciousness the Institute is already doing a preliminary study Loi possible by ablation of the program for an airline and a nationwide car rental company two government agencies the Florida  of health and  services and the us immigration and naturalization service Halo Oriade inquiries although neither has signed up yet. This is Tisl the tip of inc iceberg it could apply to Banks hospitals government anybody who has Public Contact Murphy said. So Many billions of dollars have been Pul Inlo Brick and mortar. But no Money has gone into leaching people How to Ercale a Good impression the stars and stripes page.13