Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secure by Anthony Cawood

A man discovers his fears could be a blessing when a night cab ride goes horribly wrong.

For many metropolitan workers, their daily commute is damned from the moment they walk out the door.

Overcrowded buses and delayed subway trains are daily demons one can’t escape. Mundane monsters which delight in tormenting travelers – making their day Hell from the start.

But getting a comfortable taxi ride isn’t all that bad – right?

Not if you’re Gareth, the protagonist in Anthony Cawood’s “Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured.” Upper-middle class and entitled, Gareth’s arrogant – in some ways. But it just takes a small red light to extinguish all that confidence in a puff of smoke.

You see, Gareth suffers from Cleithrophobia – the fear of being locked in. And when his cab starts rolling, the doors lock. A red light indicates the doors are secured, and Gareth’s phobia kicks in – fast.

Cruising along dark streets, Gareth’s cab starts and stops at every traffic light, lengthening the trip and causing yet more concern. And Gareth’s anxieties certainly aren’t helped by unexpected hazards – like idiots who try to reach into the moving car. Or stand clueless in the road.

There’s something not quite right about these “idiots”. Maybe they’re all drunk and celebrating. Or perhaps it’s something more. A danger that’ll make Gareth feel relieved that he’s locked in.

Unless things get even worse…

Budget: Moderate. Just rent a cab for the day. And a few extras as well….!

About the writer: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning and produced screenwriter. He has sold/optioned four feature screenplays, and sold/optioned over forty short scripts, many of which have been filmed. Outside of his extensive screenwriting career, Anthony is also a published short story writer, interviewer and movie reviewer. Links to his films and details of his scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

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This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp (a) gmail. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.