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American Morning

Interview With David Groh, Richard Conlin

Aired December 09, 2003 - 09:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Question for the moment, what has them all shook up in Seattle? The city council approving a new dress code for taxi drivers. That is certainly music to the ears of David Groh, better known as "Cab Elvis" in Seattle. The local has been a rebel in rhinestones, and David Groh is with us now in Seattle in full costume, burns and all. Along with city council member Richard Conlin who voted for the new ordinance and helped -- well I guess he helped Elvis stay in his costume.
Good morning, gentlemen. How are you today?

DAVID GROH, CAB ELVIS: Morning, Bill. Real good.

RICHARD CONLIN, SEATTLE CITY COUNCILMAN: Good morning. Feeling well.

HEMMER: Listen, so the council passes the ordinance. David, you can continue to dress like Elvis. How do you feel?

I don't know. I'm excited, I'm elated, I'm overjoyed. I just want to say thank you. Thank you very much to this guy right here for writing that proposal.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: What happened, Council Member Conlin? Why did you get on board?

CONLIN: Well I heard the story and it just seemed like the right thing to do. I mean this seemed like the government run wild. And I thought we have to do something that made this fun thing a better thing in Seattle.

HEMMER: Why were people opposed to it in the first place?

CONLIN: Well the city has a dress code for cab drivers. There's a lot of controversy about that. The whole code needs to be relooked at.

But this was a -- a ticket was given by the inspector, who was acting according to the code. I just felt the code needed to be changed.

HEMMER: I tell you, David, there's a great picture of you on the screen right now driving down the streets of Seattle. It looks really fun. You took up this idea shortly after 9/11. Why did do you it then? GROH: That's when I started going full-time with the Elvis just for something to lighten up people's day. You know, even the people just driving by me in traffic going the other way would get a smile and say, Look, there went Elvis.

And it was just light-hearted attempt to bring a little bit of happiness to people inside and outside the cab. I dressed up like this before on Halloween and so I knew the power of Elvis to brighten people's day.

HEMMER: Well as a fan of the King, I got to tell you, you look great.

GROH: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: Thank you very much. Why do you think people were opposed to this in the first place? What were they afraid of?

GROH: The opposition was mostly just the bureaucratic level where I was doing something in violation of Seattle municipal code. And after a couple of exposures in the media, print media and then a TV feature on me in the local "Evening Magazine," I think the city felt I was perhaps thumbing my nose at their regulations and they were like, OK, you've had your fun. Time to put a costume away.

HEMMER: I know what you're all about. To the council member there, there are some who suggest this opens the door for just about anything to be riding in a cab these days. Have you heard those complaints?

CONLIN: That's not right. That's not true. Go ahead. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

GROH: The thing is the cab drivers are out there fundamentally. They're making money, they're people who are working for a living. They're not going to do something that doesn't makes sense for that.

This is something that is fun, that makes the cab experience better. If somebody wants to figure out another kind of creative way to do that, they'll do it. But there's not going to be anything negative I think that results from this.

HEMMER: David, you filed a suit against the city. You going to drop that now?

GROH: That has been dropped, yes.

HEMMER: OK, so you're all buckled up and ready to go, a hunk-a hunk-a riding love in Seattle, Washington.

GROH: That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: Listen, thanks for sharing your story, man. And best of luck to both of you. That's David Groh, the Cab Elvis, and Richard Conlin, council member in Seattle. Good luck, guys. Thanks again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 9, 2003 - 09:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Question for the moment, what has them all shook up in Seattle? The city council approving a new dress code for taxi drivers. That is certainly music to the ears of David Groh, better known as "Cab Elvis" in Seattle. The local has been a rebel in rhinestones, and David Groh is with us now in Seattle in full costume, burns and all. Along with city council member Richard Conlin who voted for the new ordinance and helped -- well I guess he helped Elvis stay in his costume.
Good morning, gentlemen. How are you today?

DAVID GROH, CAB ELVIS: Morning, Bill. Real good.

RICHARD CONLIN, SEATTLE CITY COUNCILMAN: Good morning. Feeling well.

HEMMER: Listen, so the council passes the ordinance. David, you can continue to dress like Elvis. How do you feel?

I don't know. I'm excited, I'm elated, I'm overjoyed. I just want to say thank you. Thank you very much to this guy right here for writing that proposal.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: What happened, Council Member Conlin? Why did you get on board?

CONLIN: Well I heard the story and it just seemed like the right thing to do. I mean this seemed like the government run wild. And I thought we have to do something that made this fun thing a better thing in Seattle.

HEMMER: Why were people opposed to it in the first place?

CONLIN: Well the city has a dress code for cab drivers. There's a lot of controversy about that. The whole code needs to be relooked at.

But this was a -- a ticket was given by the inspector, who was acting according to the code. I just felt the code needed to be changed.

HEMMER: I tell you, David, there's a great picture of you on the screen right now driving down the streets of Seattle. It looks really fun. You took up this idea shortly after 9/11. Why did do you it then? GROH: That's when I started going full-time with the Elvis just for something to lighten up people's day. You know, even the people just driving by me in traffic going the other way would get a smile and say, Look, there went Elvis.

And it was just light-hearted attempt to bring a little bit of happiness to people inside and outside the cab. I dressed up like this before on Halloween and so I knew the power of Elvis to brighten people's day.

HEMMER: Well as a fan of the King, I got to tell you, you look great.

GROH: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: Thank you very much. Why do you think people were opposed to this in the first place? What were they afraid of?

GROH: The opposition was mostly just the bureaucratic level where I was doing something in violation of Seattle municipal code. And after a couple of exposures in the media, print media and then a TV feature on me in the local "Evening Magazine," I think the city felt I was perhaps thumbing my nose at their regulations and they were like, OK, you've had your fun. Time to put a costume away.

HEMMER: I know what you're all about. To the council member there, there are some who suggest this opens the door for just about anything to be riding in a cab these days. Have you heard those complaints?

CONLIN: That's not right. That's not true. Go ahead. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

GROH: The thing is the cab drivers are out there fundamentally. They're making money, they're people who are working for a living. They're not going to do something that doesn't makes sense for that.

This is something that is fun, that makes the cab experience better. If somebody wants to figure out another kind of creative way to do that, they'll do it. But there's not going to be anything negative I think that results from this.

HEMMER: David, you filed a suit against the city. You going to drop that now?

GROH: That has been dropped, yes.

HEMMER: OK, so you're all buckled up and ready to go, a hunk-a hunk-a riding love in Seattle, Washington.

GROH: That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: Listen, thanks for sharing your story, man. And best of luck to both of you. That's David Groh, the Cab Elvis, and Richard Conlin, council member in Seattle. Good luck, guys. Thanks again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com