Hamilton Kupper: Pete's Taxi
Table of Contents
Pete's Taxi
Let’s get to your mom, too. Did she continue working at Pete’s Place after (she married their dad)?
ROBIN: After, she stayed home. I think after she had me, she stayed home.
(All discussed that she worked at Pearl Lounge and Bekins.) I was in grade school, and she worked at night. And so Dad and I would have dinner together in the evenings, and sometimes, Dad would take me down to the lounge to say “hello” to her. And we’d just meet briefly, and then, he would take me home.
In his taxi?
ROBIN: Yeah.
JO ANN: Was he driving taxi then?
ROBIN: Yes.
JO ANN: You were born in ’57.
ROBIN: I believe he was. When I was attending Alvah Scott (Elementary) School, I would tell him, “Dad,” in his taxi, “Don’t drive up to the front of the school, just drop me off, before you get to the front!” Because, I used to be embarrassed that my dad was driving taxi! (All laugh) And so, “Don’t go to the basketball court! Drop me off before!” But he would take me to the court, and drop me off. And then, um, so I remember that. That was in grade school.
I’m going to ask, what his taxi looked like in those days. But just one more thing, with your mother working at Waimalu lounge, this is a question I’m curious about. She never worked down in town, or, a lot of women would work at the pineapple, you know, cannery, because of the seasonal work.
JO ANN: Not her. (Laughs) She was more restaurant, waitress, bartendress, yeah.
Did she drive herself? She would have a car?
JO ANN: She would only drive very short distances. She would not drive into town. She would not venture out of ‘Aiea-Pearl City. She used to come to Pearl City to pick up my daughter because she and my daughter were like, peanut butter and jelly, you know. That was the extent of her driving.
Robin, when your father would drive you to school in the taxi, what was the taxi like?
ROBIN: I remember him having a blue taxi, and I think it was a Plymouth. He would change cars every so many years.
JO ANN: It always was a big sedan, because it was a taxi.
So, the taxi was located right down in this area where we are now (‘Aiea Town Square).
JO ANN: Next to the (‘Aiea) stream there. Because Pete’s Place was right around here.
So it was on the streamside.
JO ANN: Adjacent to the stream, was where the taxi stand was. Right below Moanalua Road.
And did he have it painted, saying there was a taxi?
(All) There was a sign. Pete’s Taxi.
ROBIN: There was a corrugated roof. With the poles. And where two cars could park.
JO ANN: Old beat-up recliner. (All laugh)
SUZANNE: TV.
ROBIN: A TV and a refrigerator.
In an open-air garage?
JO ANN: But they used to lock it up when they left.
SUZANNE: They had a box.
JO ANN: With a locker.
So people could drive by or walk by, and they could see, if the car was there---
(All) Yeah. Right.
Not hidden from view.
SUZANNE: You could come down the hill, and see if the taxi was there.
And was it like the same kind of set-up all those years, until they moved to the Kenji Tokuno side?
JO ANN: No, no, before that, they relocated---you know where Kuroda Service Station was?
Where Wendi’s (Restaurant and Drive-In) is?
ROBIN: Um-hmm.
JO ANN: He was on the side of it. He had a small setup, just him. Initially, on the ‘Ewa side of the stream.
ROBIN: Then, he moved to, across that road, right there. The side road, right here (on Laulima Street).
JO ANN: Right here where Wendi’s is? Kuroda’s was there? He rented part of Kuroda’s property. Then, after Kuroda, um, broke down their service station, then he moved here.
OK. Three, mainly three locations.
(All): Yes.
SUZANNE: Still in ‘Aiea.
So when your dad retired, in 1964, did he already know that’s what he was going to do?
JO ANN: I think he was just originally helping a friend. Butch.
ROBIN: The original Pete’s Taxi wanted another person to help him.
ROBIN: So there was more than one taxi driver?
JO ANN: At that time, there were two.
ROBIN: It was my dad and Mr. Fujisaki. And he really started Pete’s Taxi.
And he had been driving years previously.
JO ANN: And he was a good family friend. We became very close to him.
ROBIN: And he asked Daddy if he would to drive. And Mr. Fujisaki lived near, um, up ‘Aiea Heights in that area, and um, there was a store up there with Omiya (family). And the lady that ran the store, her name was Betty Huddy, and he used to see Betty. They were a couple. And Butch, we would call him “Butch” and he would cook breakfast for her every morning. He had a hotplate at the taxi stand, and he would cook breakfast and take it up to Betty at the store. And so, it was a ritual, my dad said, because, they were both there at the taxi stand.
How early in the morning are we talking about?
ROBIN: He would start work, I believe, like, at 5:00 or 5:30.
JO ANN: In the later years, he would go in real early. When he started working by himself, he even put longer hours, because it was only him (working). And he would just accommodate his customers, like nobody else would.
ROBIN: He would go to the airport, maybe 4:00 in the morning.
JO ANN: When we would have family dinners, he’d say, “Oh, I got go home early. I’ve got to get up to take “so-and-so” to the airport. They’re going to (Las) Vegas or whatever.”
ROBIN: Or sometimes, he wouldn’t even make the event, because he said that he’d have some appointments and he couldn’t make it.
JO ANN: Yeah.
ROBIN: And if someone had to go to the hospital or go to dialysis or something like that, you know, because he had all planned out in his planning book.
ROBIN: Did he carry around a book with him?
JO ANN: He did, he did. He carried an appointment book. People would call and make appointments that they wanted to be picked up, a certain day, a certain time.
ROBIN: Steady customers.
JO ANN: His steady customers. There was this one lady who was, um, she lived down Nanakuli side. I don’t know if it was once a week, or once every two weeks, he would pick her up, drive her all the way to Castle (Medical Center), and then from Castle, he’d take her all the way home.
ROBIN: He’d wait. Yeah. Wait for her and take her home.
JO ANN: And you know, when she passed away, she had my dad named in her will. She left something for my dad.
ROBIN: He was really important to her.
JO ANN: And even his customers that he had, just within the few years, they were unable to walk from the house to the taxi. He would carry them, and when they got to the clinic, he would carry them from the car to the clinic. And when they were done, he’d put them back in the car. He had a customer, I don’t remember what customer it was, that he would walk her up, sign her in, right up, at ‘Aiea Medical (Building), because she had difficulty. He’d do that. He’d just go out of his way. Unbelievable.
ROBIN: And I think what made Dad really special was that, he really had compassion for people. He really, whether he saw them walking home, and he knew they didn’t fare money, he’d stop and ask them, “Hey, do you need a ride?” or even if he was in traffic, you know how the taxi meter would run when you’re in traffic? He would just turn it off ---
JO ANN: And he wouldn’t charge them.
ROBIN: He wouldn’t the customer. He said, “Don’t worry about it.”
JO ANN: And when the traffic would move, he’d turn it back on. (All laugh) He’d evenbring som e customers home to us, to help them out with whatever problems they may have. Bring them home, give them some place to take a shower, and put clean clothes on.
ROBIN: That’s right. And remember, this customer, and he was staying at ‘Aiea Rest Home. He used to come visit at the taxi stand, and Butch and Dad knew him. When Butch passed, well, anyway, he would go, Dad would bring this customer home sometimes, and actually give him a bath. I don’t know if this customer had any relatives that would come and visit, but he brought him home a couple of times and gave him a bath.
His other customer, she had a domestic fight, and she wanted to go to Blaisdell Park and it was night. She was with her little boy, and Dad said, “No, I can’t drop you off there at night.” So, he brought her home and my mom was, like, “OK, who is this?” Through that meeting, Mom would see that lady at the Pearlridge Shopping Center, and Mom became good friends with her. It was a special bond, because we met her through Dad bringing her home. She was so grateful for that.
In their time of need, his customers were really fortunate to have his kindness.
ROBIN: Yeah. He would do their shopping even, for them.
JO ANN: When he had the stand with “Butch”---we called him “Butch”---customers would call and they would say, “Can I have the “Portugee” man?” (All laugh) They wanted him, you know! “Can we have the “Portugee” man?”
ROBIN: What did they call him?
JO ANN: “Ham.” His nickname was “Ham.” But a lot of people called him “Pete” because of “Pete’s Taxi.”
They didn’t know his first name.
ROBIN: So if people ask for “Pete”?
JO ANN: Oh, “(Pete) speaking! “(All laugh)
JO ANN: Even on his cards, you know, his get-well cards, “Dear Pete, blah-blah-blah.” (All laugh)
ROBIN: “Dad, why don’t you say (something?)”
JO ANN: “But it’s not important!” (Laugh) There was this one lady. He would always pick her up from Times Market. She’d have ice cream with her. When he got caught in traffic, he’d call Times Market. You see, Times Market would always call my dad, for customers. Times Super Market? My dad would call Times Super Market, and tell whoever answered the phone, because he knew all the cashiers. “Can you tell Mrs. So-and-so that I’m running late, so please put her ice cream..”
ROBIN, JO ANN: “Back in the freezer! “
JO ANN: Because he knows she’s waiting for him, outside the store.
ROBIN: And it’d be melting! He knew she’d buy ice cream all the time.
JO ANN: Um hmm. When he’d pick up customers with groceries, he wouldn’t just drop off on the street. He’d go in the driveway, open the door, carry the groceries out, and put it down inside the door.
SUZANNE: That’s why they asked for the “Portugee” man.
JO ANN: And he would go out of his way. No one else would.
ROBIN: And there was this one really special customer. I mean they’re all special to Dad but up to the time he died, when her husband passed away, um, Dad took her to the morgue. Dad stayed with her throughout the whole time. He’d ask, “Oh, would you like me to stay with you?” And she’d say, “Yes.” And Dad did. Then, he took her home. Even when he had cancer, the husband was dying, and Dad would pick them both up, and take them to the hospital. He would carry him. So, he really took care of her until, up to the time, she would come to the hospital to come and visit. She had just wonderful things to say about him. He followed through on things. He would buy her apple turnovers and just take it up, because he was in the area. Things like that.
JO ANN: And this special customer. She said, “Jo Ann, there were only three men in my life that I loved. One was my father. One was my husband and your dad.” And she said, “Please don’t get me wrong” when she said, that there were only three men in her life.
Even my dad’s mechanic, George Hokama, he said, “I’ll never meet a nicer man than your dad in this lifetime.”
When we try to do --- I always think about, “Dad would have wanted it this way.” So, he had such an imprint on us! What to do. The right thing. You know, we would think, “This is what Dad would have done.” So we’re in doubt of something, I would, anyway, think back on him. How he would have handled it.
Yeah. When he’d greet them whenever they walked up to the door. Whatever he’d say, “Hello! How are you?” or he was always so cheery and up to the time that he got ill, and passed away, whenever we went up to the house, he’d say, “Hello there! What’s up sweetheart?” Or, what did he tell Baron? Baron and Anson, with the same kind of greeting, you know.
SUZANNE: He’d stand up and always meet them with a hug.
JO ANN: And whenever he’d left the family dinners, whatever, he’d hug all of us. When we’d have telephone conversations, he always ended the conversations with “I love you.” At work, when I’d say “I love you, too,” the secretaries would say, “Who are you saying that to—I love you too”? I’d say, “My dad!” They’d say “Aww, how precious” you know. Always ends the conversation with “I love you.” He was very affectionate. Very affectionate. Very. He’d show affection and gave a lot of affection.
ROBIN: We’d say “Dad! You should quit driving already. We’re worried about you!” “I’m driving slow.” (I’d think) “Yeah, you’re driving slow.” Whipping the corners. (All laugh)
SUZANNE: I used to work at the police department. I used to tell him, “Drive slow now.” (He’d say) “I’m driving slow. I’m driving slow.”
So up to the time, he stopped working, was he always driving the big sedans?
(All) Yes.
And never changed to a van, or you know---
(All) No. No. No.
JO ANN: He stopped working when he was diagnosed with the cancer. That was last year. Then he decided, yeah, he’s going to retire.
So he worked all the way, up to then?
(All) Pretty much. Yes.
ROBIN: He was always worried about his customers.
Was he semi-retired?
ROBIN: No.
JO ANN: He was slowing down.
ROBIN: He took Sundays off. He used to work seven days (End of Tape One, Side One)
ROBIN: (Tape One, Side two starts) Cars. And maybe, all right. And afterwards, it was just (him).
OK. And when did he, like, work solo?
JO ANN: After Fujisaki passed away. Cancer. And then, I think, for a short period of time, there was another driver. But it was only for a short period.
ROBIN: Actually, he had two drivers. One was a Filipino man. A small man. To see if they could work that schedule out. And then, a Korean man. His name was Lee. But really, because of his personality, the way he took such a personal interest in his customers, it flourished because of him. It continued.
ROBIN: And he enjoyed talking to them. So when we’d meet people, they’d say, “You know, I feel like I know all about you” because--- (the customer would say) “What a wonderful family he has.” He had all the grandchildren’s pictures in his taxi.
All: In the front. Pictures in the car. In the taxi. In the dashboard. Great grandchildren.
ROBIN: Or he’d pull out a picture and go, “This is my daughter.”
JO ANN: So people felt like they knew us when we met them for the first time.
(Discussion about the onset of his illness) How did the customers find out?
ROBIN: He called some of his customers.
JO ANN: And you know how word-of-mouth spreads, right, in a small town? So, then people---one lady would call and she’d cry on the phone, (and) say, “I miss you.” You know.
There was a customer who was on dialysis that my dad would take every week. Finally, the customer told my dad, that he’s going to stop taking dialysis. He doesn’t want to continue. So my dad told him, you know, if this happens, within a couple of weeks, you’re going to die. He said, “That’s what I want.” So he stopped and he went into hospice. I didn’t know, but my dad went to visit him everyday, and he would read “The Lord’s Prayer” together. And in fact, when he died, the family asked my dad, if he would come up and say “The Lord’s Prayer.” And my dad did.
Your father’s faith---was it something that was obvious?
ROBIN: Yeah. He was a Christian. I remember him taking me to church in grade school. We always practiced “The Lord’s Prayer”. He always did that so.
JO ANN: In our family, when we grew up, until this very day---to find out the truth, to find out if we were fibbing or lying or anything, the “Code of Honor” in our family (was) you’d ask the person, “Word of Honor?” And you’d have to tell the truth if we asked you that! And to this day, we do that with each other. If we asked a question and I’d say, “Word of Honor?” You’d cannot lie.
ROBIN: But you wouldn’t use it a lot. Yeah, if you needed to, you would ask that question.
(Arlene asked if the taxi schedule was hard on their family, especially their mother.)
JO ANN: And they used to look forward, when my mom was still living, they looked forward, coming to family dinners, get-together. We did that often.
All: We do. Sundays. Every holiday.
ROBIN: So he wouldn’t be driving then.
JO ANN: But some holidays, he did work. I think, a couple of times, Thanksgiving. Of course, we’d pack a plate for him.
Well, you had mentioned about his taxi driving and the family, you know, you never felt like you were stepchildren. You were all one family from the start.
JO ANN: He always gave people the benefit of the doubt. He was never judgmental. Never. You know. All though the years, he never, ever raised his voice at us. He never did.
ROBIN: Not even spanked us.
JO ANN: He always talked to us. He never raised his voice to us. There were only—I think I can count on my two hands, that I heard he and my mom arguing. We never---maybe in the later years, but prior, most of their married years, we never saw them fight or argue. I think later, my mom got a little cantankerous (all laugh) but as growing up, never did see them, argue. And he never, ever did raise his voice to us. Can you imagine?
You said he didn’t like to go to Las Vegas. He felt that ‘Aiea was home---
JO ANN: He’d always say, “Why do you want to leave this most beautiful --- “The air. Look at the clouds! Look at the mountains!” He’d just appreciate. He’d go out in the garage and he’d say, “What a beautiful day!”
ROBIN: Or if there a nice sunset? He would call us on the phone and tell us, “Take a look! Look outside! Look at the sky! It’s gorgeous! Appreciate it!”
So, if your mother wanted to go on a trip, like to Las Vegas or something like that, then she could do her own thing?
SUZANNE: She did. She went with us. He didn’t.
JO ANN: I think the only time he took a trip, was when he went to see his mom in California. He surprised her. That was the only time they took a trip. In the fifty years, I think only once.
But I don’t think that people understand that this (driving a taxi) is very appreciated, you know, kind of profession.
ROBIN: It is. Of course, when you get older, in high school, a lot of my friends knew my dad, right here in ‘Aiea. So, we used to say, “We can’t cut class! We’d see (your) dad on the road” or whatever. And um, you know, in later years, we loved the fact, that . . . you wanted to drive in a taxi. You wanted to go to school that way. To show you could go that way, afford it! Things change.
Did he take you to the prom in a taxi?
JO ANN: No! But it was a different story with my daughter, when she was going to Alvah Scott, grade school. She couldn’t wait for my dad to pick her up, because my dad would pick her up every single day from school and drop her off at my mom’s in Pearlridge.
ROBIN: They would go buy ice cream.
JO ANN: And have a snack first! She’d come in the car. He’d lean over on the side. He’s got a box of chow fun for her. He’d always have some kind of goodie for her!”
And he had a great sense of humor. On April’s Fools Day, he’d always try to fool us. On one April’s Fools Day, I will always remember, we were all sleeping in the morning, all the curtains were closed. He’d stand at the front door, and say “Oh my goodness! It’s snowing!!” We’d all jump up and run to the front door. “Where, Dad? Where, Dad?” And he’d say “April’s Fools!”
ROBIN: And he’d have us all going.
JO ANN: Always, April’s Fools Day, he’d do something like that.
ROBIN: And he’d catch us. He’d work up, couple days before, you know. Once, he said, that---we had a dog, a Pomeranian, and April’s Fools Day, he went out to the patio and said, “Oh, my gosh, Gigi had puppies!!” But prior to that, he was telling us about “Didn’t you notice that Gigi’s stomach is getting a little fat?”
He’d set you up. So the day would come. We’d run to the door and we’d actually believe it! To the point, he’d turn around and go, “April’s Fools!”
JO ANN: The snow was the best! (All laugh) “Where, where, where?!?” “April’s Fools!” That’s the kind of humor he’d have.
SUZANNE: Well, what used to eat us up, was when he used to drop us off at the airport. All Oriental, yeah? “Bye, love you!!” (Kissing sounds) We’re kissing the taxi driver, yeah! “How come they’re kissing the taxi driver?’ (Laughter) I used to look around and see what people’s reaction was. (Laughter) (End of interview. Tape turned off)
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