Taxi Driver Page #2

Travis's yellow taxi pulls in foreground. On left rear door

are lettered the words "Dependable Taxi Service".

We are somewhere on the upper fifties on Fifth Ave. The rain

has not let up.

An ELDERLY WOMAN climbs in the right rear door, crushing her

umbrella. Travis waits a moment, then pulls away from the

curb with a start.

Later, we see Travis' taxi speeding down the rain-slicked

avenue. The action is periodically accompanied by Travis'

narration. He is reading from a haphazard personal diary.

TRAVIS (V.O.)

(monotone)

April 10, 1972. Thank God for the

rain which has helped wash the

garbage and trash off the sidewalks.

6.

TRAVIS' POV of sleazy midtown side street: Bums, hookers,

junkies.

TRAVIS (V.O.)

I'm working a single now, which

means stretch-shifts, six to six,

sometimes six to eight in the a.m.,

six days a week.

A MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT hails Travis to the curb.

TRAVIS (V.O.)

It's a hustle, but it keeps me busy.

I can take in three to three-fifty

a week, more with skims.

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT, now seated in back seat, speaks up:

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT

(urgent)

Is Kennedy operating, cabbie? Is it

grounded?

On seat next to TRAVIS is half-eaten cheeseburger and order

of French fries. He puts his cigarette down and gulps as he

answers:

TRAVIS:

Why should it be grounded?

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT

Listen - I mean I just saw the

needle of the Empire State Building.

You can't see it for the fog!

TRAVIS:

Then it's a good guess it's grounded.

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT

The Empire State in fog means

something, don't it? Do you know,

or don't you? What is your number,

cabbie?

TRAVIS:

Have you tried the telephone?

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT

(hostile, impatient)

There isn't time for that. In other

words, you don't know.

TRAVIS:

No.

7.

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT

Well, you should know, damn it, or

who else would know? Pull over

right here.

(points out window)

Why don't you stick your goddamn

head out of the goddamn window once

in a while and find out about the

goddamn fog!

TRAVIS pulls to the curb. The BUSINESS MAN stuffs a dollar

bill into the pay drawer and jumps out of the cab. He turns

to hail another taxi.

MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT

Taxi! Taxi!

Travis writes up his trip card and drives away.

It is LATER THAT NIGHT. The rain has turned to drizzle.

Travis drives trough another section of Manhattan.

TRAVIS (V.O.)

I work the whole city, up, down,

don't make no difference to me -

does to some.

STREETSIDE:
TRAVIS' P.O.V. Black PROSTITUTE wearing white

vinyl boots, leopard-skin mini-skirt and blond wig hails

taxi. On her arm hangs half-drunk seedy EXECUTIVE TYPE.

TRAVIS pulls over.

PROSTITUTE and JOHN climb into back seat. TRAVIS checks out

the action in rear view mirror.

TRAVIS (V.O.)(CONTD)

Some won't take spooks - Hell,

don't make no difference tom me.

TRAVIS' taxi drives through Central Park.

Rate this script:4.1 / 16 votes