Inner West Uber Pool

A script by Will Winter

EXT. Wynyard. Nighttime.

DRIVER is parked in the CBD, waiting for their next ride.

INT. ask dad about car models for ubers

DRIVER gets a notification. They click through: their next passenger. DRIVER checks to make sure they’ve put fresh bottles of water in the backseat doors, then looks at the passenger profile and puts on a playlist called ‘indie-looking young person’. They drive a few minutes and park next to a fancy restaurant whose staff are packing up for the night. ILHAM (she/they) makes eye contact with DRIVER and gets in the back.

DRIVER

Ilham?

ILHAM

Yep.

DRIVER

I’ve got two more people to pick up as well.

ILHAM

Awesome. 

Silence for a moment. ILHAM debates whether they do the thing where they put headphones on and politely tell DRIVER to play their own music, or chat. She doesn’t get long to decide.

DRIVER

Big night?

ILHAM

Oh sorta, caught up with some high school friends, it was nice. We lost track of time, ended up staying until the restaurant staff had to kick us out. 

DRIVER

Sounds fun.

ILHAM

Yeah, I don’t see them enough honestly.

Beat.

ILHAM (Cont.)

Doesn’t seem like I get to see anyone enough these days.

DRIVER

You too busy?

ILHAM

Yeah. I mean, I’ve been slammed with work lately, and I’m living alone for the first time right now which is hitting me harder than I expected. I just… I knew I wanted independence, and something stable for a job, but I don’t know how people do that and have time to still be a person.

ILHAM looks out the window and thinks about how she hasn’t said any of this out loud before, not even at dinner. She told her friends she loved her new solo life, mid-twenties and finally in control, and she does. But that doesn’t mean she likes it.

ILHAM (Cont.)

Sorry, that’s so much to say.

DRIVER

Don’t apologise. I’m the best ear, I just drive all of your secrets into the night.

DRIVER waits for a moment before responding.

DRIVER (Cont.)

I hated my old job. I was holed up in an office, and all of the people I worked with only talked about work. Work work work. I hated it. I like people. I always have, I like being around people, talking to them, helping them. I worked in security before that, but when I had kids it petrified my wife, coming home so late, sometimes bruised and sometimes bleeding. So I stopped. An office job, though… I thought that was what would kill me.

ILHAM

How did you end up here?

DRIVER

I wanted some extra money and to kill some time on weekends, so I started driving. Food at first, cause it was easier, but then I realised I preferred driving people around. Hearing their stories. 

ILHAM

That’s so lovely.

DRIVER

I enjoy it, and it’s still a job. It changes a lot, but I can provide for my family. All I can hope is that my kids never have to struggle. I want them to fight and earn whatever it is they want in life. I won’t raise spoiled kids. But I never want them to go without either. Me? I like these moments. If I can’t see my friends, I can at least see people. It’s important to see people. It’s important to see your friends too.

ILHAM

It’s true. I need to do it more. I don’t wanna get old and realise I have no one around me because I didn’t make time for them when I should have. God, I don’t know how this conversation got so heavy so quickly. I only had like two drinks.

DRIVER

There’s just something about a car at night that cracks people open.

ILHAM

Yeah, I can tell. 

ILHAM laughs quietly to herself. DRIVER’s phone dings as they approach the next passenger in the outskirts of the city. SPLEEN (she/her) is on the phone and waves down DRIVER. DRIVER points to the right side of the car, SPLEEN overly gestures to the right side with a quizzical face, leans over to see ILHAM on the left side, then does a big dramatic ‘ah!’ face and gets in on the other side. She’s carrying a bag and jacket in one hand, and holding her phone in front of her face as if talking into a speaker with the other.

SPLEEN

(On the phone)

Honestly she was such a cunt to me tonight, anyway gotta go I’m in the Uber, it’s a pool so it might take a bit, tell me when you’re home safe! 

SPLEEN hangs up the phone.

SPLEEN

Hi, sorry about that.

DRIVER

Spleen?

SPLEEN

Yeah.

ILHAM

Don’t apologise, sounds like you had a big night.

SPLEEN

I just… I had to accept tonight that someone I care about is no longer the person I thought she was.

ILHAM

That’s heavy.

SPLEEN

I’m sad, but she’s just toxic, and I can’t keep letting toxic people into my life. It’s not good for me. When did everyone stop being kind? I feel like no one is kind anymore. It’s all about getting where we need to go and saying whatever we want and leaving our friends behind and boy I can really feel the wine creeping up on me.

ILHAM

Was it good wine?

SPLEEN

It was. Some fancy sparkling red.

DRIVER parks next to a vibrant gay club, exotic dancers can be seen through the window and strobe lights poking out into the street. IMPY (he/him), early twenties, eyes half-closed, jumps to alert himself, then sees the car. DRIVER points to the passenger seat, and IMPY clambers in. He smells of tequila shots and kissing boys.

DRIVER

You okay?

IMPY nods.

IMPY

Can I… can I open the window?

DRIVER

Yes.

IMPY sticks his head out the window like a dog. He’s intensely focused on not throwing up.

DRIVER (Cont.)

Do you need water? There’s a bottle in the…

IMPY

(Quick)

No. Thanks.

SPLEEN

I remember those days.

DRIVER

Me too.

ILHAM

I still have them sometimes.

SPLEEN

Not enough though, right?

ILHAM

Right. There’s never enough time.

SPLEEN

I don’t know when everyone my age started believing we didn’t have enough time. We have all the time in the world.

The conversation dies down after this, everyone taking in the night or checking their phones. SPLEEN is dropped off next at her home in the Inner West. She hops out of the car.

SPLEEN

Thank you! Have a good night.

Right after dropping SPLEEN off, DRIVER sees another rider pop up and accepts it.

DRIVER

We’re picking up one more person, it’s only a two minute ride.

ILHAM

Cool.

DRIVER pulls in front of a luxurious looking townhouse, the kind which is clearly historic but tastefully renovated. Out front is a grandiose woman in her 60s, JAG, full of chunky jewellery and life. Her friend, similarly luxurious, gives her a big hug, then kisses her hand goodbye like a princess and says something which makes JAG laugh.

It’s not typical, but something about her commands the sort of respect which makes DRIVER get out of the car and open the door for JAG. JAG is surprised by this.

DRIVER

Jag?

JAG

Yes. This is not the typical Uber service.

DRIVER

Maybe I’m not the typical Uber driver.

JAG

You’re sweet.

DRIVER closes the door and gets back in the DRIVER’s seat.

DRIVER

It’s a short ride for you tonight.

JAG

I live around the corner; I just didn’t want to walk home in these heels.

ILHAM

They are gorgeous heels. This whole outfit, if I can just say, is ethereal. I’m living.

JAG

Oh honey, thank you. I’ve had this dress for years. Bought it in France in the 90s. Wish I remember where…

IMPY

(Slurred)

You’re an icon

JAG

Oh, thank you.

IMPY

(Hoarse)

Need water.

DRIVER

In the door!

IMPY grabs the bottle, takes a few little sips, then sticks their head out the window again.

JAG

Is he okay?

DRIVER

He had a fun night.

ILHAM

Those were the days.

JAG turns to ILHAM in the backseat.

JAG

You’re too young to be saying that. Wait until you’re my age. You’ll think it’s all over, and you’ll sit in your living room every night and count your coins, thinking about when you used to be in bed after 10pm.

ILHAM

You’re out late tonight though.

JAG

I’m not finished. Then one day you wake up, you look in the mirror, and you see her again. The girl who didn’t believe she’d ever be too old for anything. And you’ll find all the clothes you used to wear when you were young and fun and out every night, drinking and flirting, and realise you never had to stop. So you start again.

ILHAM

I hope I never stop.

JAG

You shouldn’t. Nothing is worth putting yourself on hold. 

She looks at ILHAM again, more intently this time.

JAG

You’re so beautiful. Don’t let it go to waste.

DRIVER stops the car. JAG steps out and walks away, politely nodding at the car.

IMPY

I love her.

DRIVER

Alright kiddo, you’re next.

They drive off into the night, ILHAM sitting with what just happened. DRIVER, after half an hour, gets to IMPY’s house and drops him off. He’s stumbling much less than he did before. ILHAM sits in the silence.

ILHAM

Just me now.

DRIVER

Lucky last.

Beat.

ILHAM

You must have a lot of stories.

DRIVER

Stories?

ILHAM

Like of all the people you drive around. 

DRIVER

Oh yeah. There’s some characters.

ILHAM

Are they all as chatty as we were?

DRIVER

Not really. Makes it nicer when I have rides like this.

ILHAM

How much longer will you work tonight?

DRIVER

Probably till around 4. Then I’ll head home and kiss the kids goodnight.

ILHAM

That’s nice.

DRIVER

Soon enough it’ll be my daughter in that backseat.

ILHAM

If she’s as kind as you seem, she’ll be fine.

DRIVER

I hope so.

Beat.

ILHAM

Just stop next to this traffic island.

DRIVER

Here?

ILHAM

Perfect. Thank you so much.

DRIVER

Happy to help.

ILHAM

Goodnight!

DRIVER

Goodnight.

ILHAM gets out of the car. DRIVER watches as she pulls out her keys and opens the front door. She turns back before walking in, sees him looking, and waves goodbye. They won’t see each other again. This is by design. 

ILHAM will probably ponder the ride over the next few days, think about the girl who made her laugh, the boy who was so full of life, and the eccentric woman beside her who wished for her love. 

And the DRIVER. 

For now, though, she takes off her dress, brushes her teeth, checks that the back door is still locked, and puts herself to bed, happily exhausted.

DRIVER drives away. They get a notification. They click through: their next passenger. DRIVER checks to make sure they’ve put fresh bottles of water in the doors, then looks at the passenger profile and puts on a playlist called ‘2000s club classics’. They drive a few minutes into the next suburb and wait outside someone’s house. Destination: the city. MAHLI (they/she) walks out and gets in the car.

DRIVER

Mahli?

MAHLI

Yep.

DRIVER

I’ve got two more people to pick up.

MAHLI

Awesome.

They drive off.