Collateral

- You okay? - I'm fine, mate. Don't worry about it.

You all right?

Enjoy L.A.

He did it.

- Everthing's always about you. - It's not.

That gearhead was being sarcastic and you know it.

- I just didn't see it that way. - Bullshit.

What about the dig about the makeover?

What do you want me to do? I work with him, for chrissake.

You're capable of taking care of your own shit.

You know something? Last time I checked, you were sleeping with me.

So unless you want to start fucking him, I suggest...

Hey, pal. Where can I catch a shuttle to the airport around here?

- Right there. - Thanks.

It was him in that gold Lexus with the cell phone.

Are they still asking for a change of venue?

He's enhanceable because of priors in the early '80s.

- Where to? - Downtown. 31 2 North Spring Street.

Downtown.

Look, the transcriptions need to be done by 7 a.m., period, okay?

Hold on. Take Sepulveda to Slauson to La Brea.

Take La Brea north to 6th, into downtown.

So what? You'll be up late.

I'm pulling an all-nighter too, so save the tears.

- I'll take 105 east to the 110. It's faster. - What?

The 105 to the 110 will get you there quicker.

The 110 turns into a parking lot around USC.

But once you get to La Brea north of Santa Monica, it's jammed.

The 110 north of the 10, you get people driving to Pasadena and they drive slow.

Yeah, they do, but what I do is I get off on Grand and then l...

Surface roads is what you want, that's what we'll do.

Are we taking bets?

- Are we? - And what if you're wrong?

I don't think I'll be wrong, but if I am...

...your ride's free.

Okay, you got yourself a deal.

- Go ahead, say it. - Say what?

- Go ahead. - I got lucky with the lights.

You weren't lucky. What you were was right.

I was wrong...

...Max.

You mind turning that up?

You like the classics.

- I do. I used to play in high school. - Let me guess. Woodwinds.

No. Strings. Never had the lungs for wind instruments.

Could've fooled me the way you were unloading on that cell phone.

Different instrument.

If you had just listened to me, we'd be all bogged down in traffic right now,

and you would've made an extra five bucks.

Yeah, well, you keep that 5 bucks. Buy you something special. Go wild.

Really, it's not a big deal. Nothing big here.

How many cabbies do you know get you into an argument to save you money?

There were two of us. I had to kill the other one.

I don't like competition.

Take pride in being good at what you do?

What, this? No, this is part-time.

This is a fill-in job. Pay the bills.

But I will be the best at what I do. But that's something else.

- What else? - Just shaping up some things.

Like...?

Tell me.

Limo company I'm putting together. Island Limos.

It'll be like a island on wheels. A cool groove, like a club experience.

When you get to the airport, you won't want to get out of my limo.

So I do this part-time to get my Benz off leases...

staff up, get the right client list. You know, things like that.

How do you like being a lawyer?

- What are you, psychic? - Little bit.

There's the dark pinstripe suit.

Elegant, not too flashy. That rules out advertising.

Plus a top-drawer briefcase that you live out of.

And the purse. A Bottega.

Anyway, a man gets in my cab with a sword, I figure he's a sushi chef.

- - You?

Clarence Darrow.

Well, no, not quite. He worked defense. I'm a prosecutor.

- Big case? - Yeah.

- Got us here fast. - Of course.

But you didn't answer my question.

You like what you do?

Yeah.

But not today.

No, I do. Like, I can't wait.

I love standing in that courtroom.

At the same time, I get this...

...clenched up thing the night before the first days.

Clenched up? How?

I think I'm going to lose.

I think the case sucks, my exhibits aren't in order,

I'm not prepared enough, people will find out I don't know what I'm doing

and I've been running a charade all these years.

I represent the Department of Justice,

and my opening statement will fall flat at the most important point

and the jury will laugh at me.

And then I cry. I don't throw up.

A lot of people throw up. I have a strong stomach.

And then I pull myself together, I rewrite my opening statement...

work my exhibits and that's what I do for the rest of the night.

That's my routine.

In the morning it starts and I'm fine.

You need a vacation.

I just had a vacation on the Harbor Freeway.

Not in a cab. You need to get your head straight.

Get your unified self up. Get harmonic, you know...

- When did you last take a break? - I go on vacation all the time.

- How often? - A dozen times a day.

My favorite spot:

Maldives lslands.

It's my own private getaway.

Things get heavy for me, I take five minutes out and I just go there.

And I just concentrate on absolutely nothing.

- Here. Take it. - I couldn't do that.

Take it because you need it a lot more than I do.

And it'll help you. I guarantee it.

Thanks, Max.

Go get 'em.

Hey.

I don't know...

In case you ever want to investigate

a Fortune 500 company, or...

...argue cab routes.

- -

Hey.

Come on, man, I'm sorry.

I didn't hear you, man. Come on.

I'll take you.

- Where to? - 1039 South Union Street.

Gotcha.

- How long you think this'll take? - Seven minutes.

Seven. Not eight? Not six?

Two minutes from the 110 to Normandie. Normandie to Venice, three minutes.

Over to Union is one, plus one for "shit happens."

- Okay if I time you? - Knock yourself out.

What do I get if you're wrong? A free ride?

An apology. Already offered my free ride today.

- To who? - Some girl.

Did you get a date with her?

First time in L.A.?

No. Tell you the truth, whenever I'm here I can't wait to leave.

It's too sprawled out, disconnected. You know? That's me.

- You like it? - It's my home.

17 million people.

It's the fifth biggest economy in the world and nobody knows each other.

I read about this guy gets on the MTA here, dies.

Oh.

Six hours he rides the subway before anyone notices his corpse

doing laps around L.A., people on and off sitting next to him.

Nobody notices.

This is the cleanest cab I've ever been in.

Regular ride?

Yeah, I share it with the day shift guy.

You prefer nights?

People are more relaxed. Less stress, less traffic, better tips.

- How are the benefits? - It's not that kind of job.

I'm not in this for the long haul. Just filling in.

Temporary while I get some things shaped up.

This is just temporary.

- How long you been driving? - 12 years.

Really?

What other things you putting together?

Um...

You know, I don't want to talk about it. Just a little business plan.

- No offense. I just... - None taken.

You're one of these guys that do instead of talk.

That's cool.

Seven minutes. Man, you're good.

- I got lucky with the lights. - Yeah, sure.

You probably know the light schedules too.

Listen, I'm in town on a real estate deal, close in one night.

I got five stops to make.

Collect signatures, see some friends, and then I got a 6 a.m. out of LAX.

- Why don't you hang with me? - The car's not for hire. Against regs.

Regulations?

They don't pay you sick leave. How much you pull down a shift?

- How much? - 350, 400.

Well, let me tell you what, I'll make it 600.

Man, I don't know.

An extra 1 00 you get me to LAX and I don't run for the plane.

- I don't know about this. - Yeah, you do.

- I don't know, man. - Yeah, you do.

- 600... - Cool. We got a deal.

Now, here's 300 down. What's your name?

- Max. - Max, I'm Vincent.

All right.

I can't stay double-parked here.

I'll meet you in the alley behind the building.

Definitely not from around here.

There you go.

Oh, no! Shit!

What the hell?!

Damn it!

My man, you all right?

Oh, shit. Fuck.

He fell on the cab.

He fell from up there on the motheefucking cab.

Shit. I think he's dead.

Good guess.

You killed him?

No, I shot him. Bullets and the fall killed him.

Fuck this, man.