Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 48 Taxi Driver

  The flight landed at JFK JFK and Ronald was a little lost. It's the first time in my life to fly, and now I don't know how to get home from the airport, and I can't find the Airport Express to Manhattan anywhere.

  Inquired at the airport information desk. If you want to go to Manhattan, there are only two options: taxi and rental car. The people of New York have been appealing for the airport express line like Los Angeles for a long time, because the city government is financially tight, and it has not yet started construction.

   In fact, most of the passengers are picked up by someone.

   After taking the first plane in my life, it seems that I have to take the first taxi in my life. Switch to Manhattan and take the ferry home.

   found a coin-operated phone, called Aunt Karen, and informed him that he was coming back by plane. Surprised, my aunt smiled and said to cook something delicious for him at night.

   There is no one to maintain order at the taxi stop at the airport exit. As soon as there is an empty car, all the people waiting for the car will swarm up. Others waved 10-yuan notes in their hands.

   Ronald saw this situation for the first time and didn't know how to grab a taxi from someone. He swept left and right and found a taxi parked in front of him undisturbed.

   hurried forward: "Are you going to Manhattan Island, sir?"

  The driver is a middle-aged man with a forehead and neatly combed back hair. He was reading the newspaper, a daily variety show rarely seen in New York.

   Maybe it was because his thoughts on the gossip were interrupted, and he pointed upward impatiently.

   Ronald followed his gesture. On the yellow taxi, there were two words "OFF" and "DUTY" on both sides of the top lights.

  OffDuty, is it out of service? Ronald was a little embarrassed and didn't know what to say. No wonder this taxi stopped here and no one bothered.

   "Sorry, sir."

  The brain gate driver put down the daily variety show and glanced at Ronald: he is actually a young guy, and he seems to be the age of graduating from high school.

   "Where are your parents? Why didn't they come to the airport to pick you up?"

   "Sir, are you talking to me? My parents...they couldn't come to pick me up, they sadly passed away a few years ago," Ronald replied.

   "Oh, poor child." The brain gate driver was a little sympathetic. "If it was normal, I would take you back, child, but not today. Today I'm here to pick up my daughter, she just came back from London."

   "It's nothing, thank you for your kindness." Ronald said, "I just took a taxi for the first time. I don't know how to get a taxi. Should I call the taxi company to make an appointment?"

"Actually, it doesn't need to be. It's just three flights, and now there are more people asking for a car. If you don't hurry, wait for 10 minutes, and there will be an empty car. Otherwise, you can show the driver to increase the price by taking out 10 dollars. They'll stop next to you too."

   "Then I'll wait." Although he wanted to go home early, but $10 was $10 after all, Ronald shook his head.

   "Son, what are you doing in New York?" The braingate driver read the newspaper over and over several times, but couldn't find any updated news, so he spoke to Ronald and tried to chat.

   "Simply put, I got into NYU and came to school."

   "There are still several months before the fall semester? Why are you here so early?"

   "Actually, my aunt's house is in Staten Island. I went to Los Angeles to earn tuition. I'll come back when I earn enough."

  The brain gate driver became interested and continued to ask:

   "Los Angeles earns tuition? Where do you work? Can you earn a year's tuition at a private college in a few months?"

   "I'm a portrait photographer working on a small production crew in Hollywood and doing auditions for new actors."

   "Wow, such a young photographer is rare. Which crew did you work for?"

   "It's a small production, Roger Coleman's 'High School of Rock'"

   "Aha, I know, I know. Roger Coleman, he made 'Invaders' more than 10 years ago, but it was very good, and we all like that movie in the New York film community." The brain gate driver said.

   "So he's a veteran movie fan? You should know if you watch the daily variety show if he doesn't read the New York Star." Ronald thought to himself.

   "Hey, don't think I drive a taxi, I'm also an insider." Seeing that Ronald was a little unconvinced, the driver simply turned around and took out a bag with his business card in it, and took some pictures with him.

   "I'm actually an acting coach. Back then, I held an actor training class with John Cassavetes, specializing in methodical acting."

   "This is a group photo of me and the students in the training class. Look at how many you know. They are all famous actors later."

   "Uh, I really don't know..." Ronald was a little embarrassed.

  Fortunately, the brain gate driver didn't bother with this. "If you want to become famous in this industry, you must study acting skills. If you want to study acting skills, you must watch more classic movies. Have you watched any movies recently?"

   "I watched 'Love Sunset Bridge' yesterday".

   "Oh, so what did you see? How is the heroine's acting?" Brain Gate put on a posture that I want to test you.

   "Very good, and Sir Lawrence Oliver also praised her as the new Grace Kelly."

   Brain Gate smiled happily, "No, I'm asking you what you think, of course I know Lawrence's evaluation."

   "I think she acts very naturally. A girl in her teens should look like that." Ronald thought of his cousin Donna. The heroine in the movie played the character of her cousin.

   "Forget it, I don't think you have any talent for acting either." Brain Gate saw that Ronald couldn't analyze his acting skills, which was a bit disappointing, and stopped communicating with him about film art.

  Ronald thanked the brain gate, then carried his bag and walked to the taxi stand. The flow of people has gradually decreased, and a taxi can be called.

   "If you can take audition photos, you can try the casting studio on East 31st Street. They have a lot of actor files, which need to be updated every year. Maybe they can give you a business opportunity."

   The brain gate driver shouted to him from behind.

   "East 31st Street, casting studio." Ronald turned his head and took out his notebook to write down, "What's the name of this casting studio?"

   "Are there any other casting studios in New York that I should recommend?" Brain Gate waved his hand, a little despising Ronald's little knowledge of the industry, not as good as himself.

"thank you, sir."

   Ronald thanked him anyway, then waved for a yellow cab.

   Maybe you should try this casting studio. If you can have a long-term partner, you will have regular income.

   "To the Whitehall Ferry Terminal at the southern end of Manhattan," Ronald told the driver.

   Press the meter and the yellow taxi will drive forward.

   When he passed the brain gate, he saw a girl with long hair, shouting "Dad, Daddy..." and jumped into his arms.

   Ronald smiled, and soon he was going home to see his family.

  At Whitehall Pier, the southernmost point of Manhattan Island, Ronald dropped a quarter in the ticket box and boarded the big yellow ferry.

  There are many female secretaries working on Wall Street on board, most of them are old smokers, and they vomit on board. They couldn't afford to rent a house in Manhattan, so they settled on Staten Island and commuted by ferry every day.

   Arrived at Staten Island, changed to the railway at St. George's Wharf, and sat at the southernmost terminus, Totterville. It was already dark.

   Ronald carried his luggage and walked back to the community where his home was located. In the distance, he saw only a dim light on, which was the entrance hall of his home.

   Ronald stood up the steps and smelled the familiar wood railings and acrylic floor mats again. He raised his hand and knocked on the door three times.

  The door opened immediately, and a 13-year-old girl laughed and rushed towards him, hooking his neck: "Ronnie, Ronnie, you're back! I knew it was you when I heard the knock on the door."

   is cousin Donna. Ronald happily hugged Donna and turned around twice, put her down and looked at the woman behind, wearing a hand-knitted sweater, jeans, short hair, and smiling happily, it was Aunt Karen.

   "Come here, child, give your aunt a hug." Aunt Karen hugged him warmly, and she hasn't seen him for more than half a year. Aunt Karen looks tired again, but she is in good spirits.

   Aunt Karen prepared black pepper macaroni, pork chops, and scrambled eggs. After Ronald feasted, his aunt asked Donna to bring black tea, and talked with Ronald about the experience of the past six months.

  Reunited after a long absence and talked about their experiences in Los Angeles. Aunt Karen and Donna were amazed. When I heard that Ronald had joined the film crew, Donna even said that she would go to the movies he made.

   An hour later, Donna went to sleep in the back bedroom, and Ronald continued to chat with his aunt in the front living room.

   "This is what I earned from auditioning in Los Angeles." Ronald took out a promissory note of $2,000 and handed it to Aunt Karen. "The interest rates on loans are high right now, just in time for more mortgage repayments."

   Aunt Karen stared at $2,000 for a while, looking at Ronald in disbelief.

"Together with what I sent last time, I only gave you one-fifth, because I need to rent an apartment to go to school, and I have some expenses. I plan to continue the portrait photography business in New York. If the business is good, I can pay off the house in about two years. Mortgage Loans."

  This house was bought by Aunt Karen with a pension from her uncle Steve. The Veterans Department has a package of programs to help veterans' widows buy their own homes and pay for their children's education.

   But since 1971, when the former president abandoned the dollar peg to gold, inflation has begun to erode the assets of America's middle and poor. The previously lenient payment plan has become increasingly tight, and the increase in tips received by my aunt at the restaurant has always lagged behind inflation.

   Coupled with Ronald's arrival, Aunt Karen's financial situation was immediately put in strain. Have applied for two mortgage loan deferrals.

   The $2,000 that Ronald took out could very well ease the difficulties.

   Aunt Karen gave Ronald another hug and let out a sigh of relief. Then he asked about the sudden change of plans and the flight home. Aunt Karen listened for a while, then rushed Ronald to take a shower and sleep.

   This house is an old building called a shotgun house, named because the whole house is a long strip, like a shotgun.

  The front door opens to the living room and bathroom. The living room is connected to two bedrooms, one small and one large, and the kitchen is at the end. To enter the next room, you must pass the previous one.

   Ronald occupied the first, slightly smaller bedroom, and the larger bedroom at the back belonged to Aunt Karen and Donna.

  It is also said that the reason why it is called the shotgun room is that if you fire a shot at the gate, the bullet can go all the way through all the doors and come out of the kitchen door. Ronald thinks this statement is more interesting and more true.

   After taking a shower and changing his clothes, he entered the small bedroom. Ronald saw the large bedroom at the back, and there was still light under the door.

   is Aunt Karen, patching the hole in the duffel bag.

   (end of this chapter)