Quotes

Travis Bickle: Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man.

Travis Bickle: I realize now how much she's just like the others, cold and distant, and many people are like that, women for sure, they're like a union.

Travis Bickle: I first saw her at Palantine Campaign headquarters at 63rd and Broadway. She was wearing a white dress. She appeared like an angel. Out of this filthy mess, she is alone. They... cannot... touch... her.

Travis Bickle: June twenty-ninth. I gotta get in shape. Too much sitting has ruined my body. Too much abuse has gone on for too long. From now on there will be 50 pushups each morning, 50 pullups. There will be no more pills, no more bad food, no more destroyers of my body. From now on will be total organization. Every muscle must be tight.

Travis Bickle: I'll tell you why. I think you're a lonely person. I drive by this place a lot and I see you here. I see a lot of people around you. And I see all these phones and all this stuff on your desk. It means nothing. Then when I came inside and I met you, I saw in your eyes and I saw the way you carried yourself that you're not a happy person. And I think you need something. And if you want to call it a friend, you can call it a friend.

Betsy: Are you gonna be my friend?

Travis Bickle: Yeah.

Travis Bickle: Thank God for the rain to wash the trash off the sidewalk.

Travis Bickle: Each night when I return the cab to the garage, I have to clean the cum off the back seat. Some nights, I clean off the blood.

Betsy: You know what you remind me of?

Travis Bickle: What?

Betsy: That song by Kris Kristofferson.

Travis Bickle: Who's that?

Betsy: A songwriter. 'He's a prophet... he's a prophet and a pusher, partly truth, partly fiction. A walking contradiction.'

Travis Bickle: [uneasily] You sayin' that about me?

Betsy: Who else would I be talkin' about?

Travis Bickle: I'm no pusher. I never have pushed.

Betsy: No, no. Just the part about the contradictions. You are that.

Travis Bickle: Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man... June 8th. My life has taken another turn again. The days can go on with regularity over and over, one day indistinguishable from the next. A long continuous chain. Then suddenly, there is a change.

Travis Bickle: I think someone should just take this city and just... just flush it down the fuckin' toilet.

Travis Bickle: I would say he has quite a few problems. His energy seems to go in the wrong places. When I walked in and I saw you two sitting there, I could just tell by the way you were both relating that there was no connection whatsoever. And I felt when I walked in that there was something between us. There was an impulse that we were both following. So that gave me the right to come in and talk to you. Otherwise I never would have felt that I had the right to talk to you or say anything to you. I never would have had the courage to talk to you. And with him I felt there was nothing and I could sense it. When I walked in, I knew I was right. Did you feel that way?

Betsy: I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Wizard: Look at it this way. A man takes a job, you know? And that job - I mean, like that - That becomes what he is. You know, like - You do a thing and that's what you are. Like I've been a cabbie for thirteen years. Ten years at night. I still don't own my own cab. You know why? Because I don't want to. That must be what I want. To be on the night shift drivin' somebody else's cab. You understand? I mean, you become - You get a job, you become the job. One guy lives in Brooklyn. One guy lives in Sutton Place. You got a lawyer. Another guy's a doctor. Another guy dies. Another guy gets well. People are born, y'know? I envy you, your youth. Go on, get laid, get drunk. Do anything. You got no choice, anyway. I mean, we're all fucked. More or less, ya know.

Travis Bickle: I don't know. That's about the dumbest thing I ever heard.

Wizard: It's not Bertrand Russell. But what do you want? I'm a cabbie. What do I know? I don't even know what the fuck you're talking about.

Travis Bickle: Maybe I don't know either.

Betsy: Taking me to a place like this is about as exciting as saying to me "Let's fuck."

Travis Bickle: [walks up to Sport] Hey Sport. How ya doin'?

Sport: Okay, okay my man, how... Where do I know you from, man?

Travis Bickle: I don't know. How's everything in the pimp business, huh?

Sport: Do I know you?

Travis Bickle: No. Do I know you?

Sport: Get outta here. Come on, get lost, huh.

Travis Bickle: Do I know you? How's Iris? You know Iris.

Sport: No, I don't know nobody name Iris. Iris? Come on, get outta here, man.

Travis Bickle: You don't know anybody by the name of Iris?

Sport: I don't know nobody name Iris!

Travis Bickle: No?

Sport: Hey, go back to your fuckin' tribe before you get hurt, huh man. Do me a favor, I don't want no trouble, huh. Okay?

Travis Bickle: You got a gun?

Sport: Get the fuck outta here, man.

[flicks his cigarette at him]

Sport: Get outta here.

[kicks him]

Travis Bickle: Suck on this.

[Travis shoots him with a revolver in the stomach and walks away]

Travis Bickle: Shit... I'm waiting for the sun to shine.

Travis Bickle: Twelve hours of work and I still can't sleep. Damn. Days go on and on. They don't end.

Travis Bickle: May 10th. Thank God for the rain which has helped wash away the garbage and trash off the sidewalks. I'm workin' long hours now, six in the afternoon to six in the morning. Sometimes even eight in the morning, six days a week. Sometimes seven days a week. It's a long hustle but it keeps me real busy. I can take in three, three fifty a week. Sometimes even more when I do it off the meter. All the animals come out at night - whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. I go all over. I take people to the Bronx, Brooklyn, I take 'em to Harlem. I don't care. Don't make no difference to me. It does to some. Some won't even take spooks. Don't make no difference to me.

Sport: I once had a horse, on Coney Island. She got hit by a car.

Iris: I don't like what I'm doing, Sport.

Sport: Ah, baby, I don't want you to like what you're doing. If you like what you're doing, then you won't be my woman.

Travis Bickle: Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man.

Senator Charles Palantine: We meet at a crossroads in history. No longer will the wrong roads be taken.

Street drummer: Now back to Gene Krupa's syncopated style

Travis Bickle: Twelve hours of work and I still can't sleep. Damn. Days go on and on. They don't end.

Wizard: Hey Travis, this here's Doughboy. We call him that 'cause he'll do anything for a buck.

Doughboy: Hi Travis. Got change of a nickel?

Travis Bickle: I first saw her at Palantine Campaign headquarters at 63rd and Broadway. She was wearing a white dress. She appeared like an angel. Out of this filthy mess, she is alone. They... cannot... touch... her.

Travis Bickle: Dear Father and Mother: July is the month I remember which brings not only your wedding anniversary but also Father's Day and Mother's birthday. I'm sorry I can't remember the exact dates, but I hope this card will take care of them all. I'm sorry again I cannot send you my address like I promised to last year. But the sensitive nature of my work for the government demands utmost secrecy. I know you will understand. I am healthy and well and making lots of money. I have been going with a girl for several months and I know you would be proud if you could see her. Her name is Betsy but I can tell you no more than that... I hope this card finds you all well as it does me. I hope no one has died. Don't worry about me. One day, they'll be a knock on the door and it'll be me. Love Travis.

Doughboy: Sometimes, I like to hold a midget.

Travis Bickle: All my life needed was a sense of someplace to go. I don't believe that one should devote his life to morbid self-attention. I believe that someone should become a person like other people.

Concession Girl: Can I help you?

Travis Bickle: Hi, what's your name. My name's Travis.

Concession Girl: That's nice. What can I do for you?

Travis Bickle: Well, I'd like to know your name.

Concession Girl: [sighs] Give me a break.

Travis Bickle: Each night when I return the cab to the garage, I have to clean the cum off the back seat. Some nights, I clean off the blood.

Travis Bickle: I realize now how much she's just like the others - cold and distant, and many people are like that. Women for sure. They're like a union.

Travis Bickle: The idea had been growing in my brain for some time. True force. All the king's men cannot put it back together again.

Senator Charles Palantine: When we came up with our slogan, 'We are the People,' when I said let the people rule, I felt that I was being somewhat overly optimistic. I must tell you that I am more optimistic now than ever before. The people are rising to the demands that I have made on them. The people are beginning to rule. I feel it is a groundswell. I know it will continue through the primary. I know it will continue in Miami. And I know it will rise to an unprecedented swell in November.

Iris: I don't like what I'm doing, Sport.

Sport: Baby, I never wanted you to like what you're doing. If you ever liked what you were doing, you wouldn't be my woman.

Iris: You never spend any time with me anymore.

Sport: I've got to attend to business, baby. You miss your man, don't you? I don't like to be away from you, either. You know how I feel about you. I depend on you. I'd be lost without you. Don't you ever forget that. How much I need you. Come to me, baby. Let me hold you. When you're close to me like this, I feel so good. I only wish every man could know what it's like to be loved by you. That every woman everywhere... had a man that loves her like I love you. God, it's good so close. You know, at times like this... I know I'm a lucky man. Touching a woman who wants me and needs me. Yeah, it's only you that keeps me together.

Charlie T: My man is loaded.

Travis Bickle: Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man. June 8th. My life has taken another turn again. The days can go on with regularity over and over, one day indistinguishable from the next. A long continuous chain. Then suddenly, there is a change.

Wizard: Then I pick up these two fags. They're going downtown. They're wearing rhinestone T-shirts. They start arguing, yelling. The other says, "You bitch!" Starts beating him on the head. I say, "l don't care what you do in the privacy of your own home. This is an American free country. We've got a pursuit of happiness thing. You're consenting. You're adult. But in my fucking cab, don't go busting heads. You know? God loves you. Do what you want." Tell them to go to California. In California, when two fags split up, one's gotta pay the other alimony. Not bad. They're way ahead out there. You know what I mean? California. I tell them to get out of the fucking cab.

Iris: Listen, mister, it's your time. Fifteen minutes ain't long. When that cigarette burns out, your time is up.