Jack Traven (To bus driver)
L.A.P.D.!! There's a BOMB on your BUS!!
Played by Keanu Reeves 
Speed (1994) · 71 quotes
Speed (1994) · 71 quotes
Most-quoted character in Speed (1994): in 35 of its 71 quotes
Most scenes with: Annie Porter (8), Howard Payne (7), Harry Temple (5)
"Mac, we're boned."
More lines from Jack Traven
10 quotes Jack Traven Jack Traven "This bus... Is going way too fast."
Jack Traven "Will the mystery guest please check in."
Jack Traven "He's been playing us, since minute one."
Jack Traven "Yeah, well it mustn't have been too good, because I woke up alone."
Jack Traven "You're right. It's going to turn over."
Jack Traven "Do you have insurance?"
Jack Traven "There's enough C-4... to blow a hole in the world."
Jack Traven Tell me again, Harry. Why did I take this job?
Jack Traven Pop quiz, asshole. You have a hair trigger aimed at your head. What do you do? What do you do? Turn around. TURN AROUND!
Scenes with Jack Traven
24 scenes Jack (disgusted at seeing a cheap gold watch strapped to the bomb on the bus, (or, seeing enough C-4 to, "blow a hole in the world")
: **** ME!!
Tourist (politely)
Oh darn.
Alright, gentlemen. What we have here are 13 passengers in an express elevator, below floor 30. Bomb's already taken out cables. Bomber wants $3 million, or he blows the emergency brakes.
What's our clock?
He gave one hour. [checking his watch] That leaves us 23 minutes exactly.
Briggs
Anything else that'll keep this elevator from falling?
Jack Yeah, the basement.
The city would like to avoid that event, Officer Traven.
We can't just unload the passengers?
This is an express elevator, gentlemen. The only way in or out is through access panels. The bomber's also wired the hatch to trigger the bomb, which seats him in the crazy but not stupid section.
Jack Sir, Harry volunteers to examine the device.
Fine. The two of you check it out.
The nearest access panel's on the 32nd floor in the lobby.
I want reports only. We're in a holding pattern. Worthy and Briggs, I want you to secure the base area. No one in or out. Everyone else, I want you to affirm building evac. MOVE!
Alright, pop quiz. Airport, gunman with a hostage. He's using her for cover. He's almost to a plane. You're one hundred feet away. [Jack doesn't respond] Jack?
Jack Shoot the hostage.
What?
Jack Take her out of the equation. Go for the good wound and he can't get to the plane with her. Clear shot.
You're deeply nuts, you know that? "Shoot the hostage." [chuckles]
Jack Harry, this is wrong. He's gonna blow it anyway.
Why?
Jack I don't know. Gut feeling.
Well, right now Mac outranks your gut, so we sit.
Jack How much do you think that elevator weighs?
Jack, come on.
Jack Maybe we can do something about those hostages.
We're not gonna shoot 'em, right?
Jack [Harry and Jack move to the roof where there is a small service crane]
No, we just take them out of the equation.
Jack Tell me again, Harry. Why did I take this job?
Aw, come on. Thirty more years of this, you get a tiny pension and a cheap gold watch.
Jack Cool.
[Payne is holding Harry hostage in the parking garage at gunpoint with explosives strapped to his chest.]
End of the line. This day has been real disappointing, I don't mind saying.
Jack Why, 'cause you didn't get to kill everyone?
There will come a time, boy, when you'll wish you'd never met me.
Jack Mister, I'm already there.
[on the phone, after blowing up an empty commuter bus, killing the bus driver Bob]
What do you think, Jack? You think you pick up all the bus driver's teeth, they'll give you another medal?
Jack Jesus...
You think I wouldn't have been prepared? Two years I spent setting up that elevator job, two years I invested myself in it. You couldn't understand the kind of commitment that I have. You ruined a man's life's work and you think you can walk away? You got blinders on to the world! But I got your attention now, didn't I, Jack?
Jack Why didn't you just come after me?
No, this is about me! This is about my money. This is about money due me! Which I will collect! $3.7 million! It's my nest egg, Jack. At my age, you have to think ahead.
Jack [angry]
When I find you...
[cuts him off]
Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?
Jack I'd want to know what bus it was.
You think I'm gonna to tell you that?
Jack Yes.
[chuckles]
Aha, very good. There are rules, Jack, and I want you to get this right: No one goes off the bus. You try to take any passengers off the bus, I will detonate it. I want my money by 11AM.
Jack [Jack glances at his watch, which shows 8:05AM]
We can't pull that kind of money in time.
Focus, Jack! Your concern is the bus. And don't try to call. The radio's down. Now, the number of the bus is 2525, it's running downtown from Venice. It's at the corner of Ocean Park & Main.
[Jack takes off for his car as sirens from approaching fire engines can be heard]
Jack Stop! LAPD! Get out of the car!
Tuneman
Man, this is my car, I own this car, it's not stolen!
Jack [draws his gun]
It is now. Move over!
Tuneman
****! Man, you scratch this puppy, and you and me are gonna have words, you understand?
Jack [shouting at Sam from car]
Hey! I'm a cop!
What?
Jack I'm a cop! [waves his badge] LAPD! There's a bomb on your bus!
Tuneman
There's a— What?! ****!
Jack There's a bomb on your bus!
Tuneman
Watch the road!
Jack Miss, can you handle this bus?
Oh, sure. It's just like driving a really big Pinto.
Jack I need to know. Can you handle this bus?
I'm fine, I'm fine. Just tell me what the plan is. Is there a plan?
Jack Just for you to drive. We're okay for now. Just keep us above 50.
Good plan. So, you're a cop, right?
Jack That's right.
Well, I should probably tell you that I'm taking the bus because I had my driver's license revoked.
Jack What for?
Speeding.
Jack [over phone]
Where do we start?
All right, check the speedometer. Has it been **** with, or loosened, or any wires? See any wires, anything?
Jack [to Annie]
Excuse me, ma'am. [looking under the speedometer] No, it's clean.
Huh?
All right, then it's gonna be under the bus. Probably it was rigged to one of the axles.
Jack I can't get under the bus right now, Harry. It's kind of in motion.
Helen
Excuse me? Excuse me!
Jack Hold on.
Jack [opens the floor access panel]
All right, Harry, we're in. Passenger relay. Sir. [hands the phone to Stephens] take this. I want you to tell him what I see. [looking through the hatch at the bomb] Okay, we got a wad! Pretty big!
There's a pretty big wad.
Jack Brass fittings...
Brass fittings.
Jack ...I think I can reach the circuit wire.
He can reach the circuit wire.
No! No, no! Don't! Don't do that! That's a decoy, classic.
That's a classic decoy.
What else?
What else?
Jack Hold on.
Hold on.
Jack [Looking further under the bus, Jack sees that the bomb is rigged to a gold wristwatch]
**** me!
Oh, darn.
Jack [takes the phone back]
Harry, there's enough C-4 on this thing to put a hole in the world.
Okay, all right. Just stay calm. What else?
Jack Three triggers. One on the axle I can't really see, a cellular remote, and a timer running off a wristwatch.
A watch? What kind of watch?
Jack Gold. Gold band, fairly cheesy.
Jack Ma'am, you did very well. Actually, you were incredible. I've never seen driving like that.
Annie.
Jack What?
It's my name. Annie.
Jack Annie.
As opposed to "ma'am". [smiles]
Jack Okay.
So, why is all this happening? I mean, what did we do, bomb the guy's country or something?
Jack No, it's just a guy who wants money.
I don't buy that. It's not a very good way to make money. So, um... what is this guy's deal?
Jack A while back, he held some people for ransom. It went sour, and now he's a little pissed at me.
What does that have to do with us?
Jack Nothing. It's a game. If he gets the money he wins, if the bus blows up he wins.
What if you win?
Jack Then tomorrow we'll play another one.
But I'm not available to drive tomorrow. Busy.
Let's get these passengers off the bus.
Jack We can't do it, sir.
There's no time for stunts, Traven. We gotta get these people out of harm's way.
Jack I got orders! We move these people, he'll see. [points to the news choppers overhead] Remember— crazy, not stupid.
I think we have an understanding. But it looks on TV like you're trying to take those passengers off the bus.
Jack Look, you gotta let me have one.
Now, we went over the rules.
Jack As an act of faith. We have an injured man here. The driver's been shot.
Jack, now tell me you haven't been shooting the passengers. I thought it was customary for a police officer to, you know, shoot the bad guys. Huh?
Jack This man has no time.
No one gets off!
Jack It'll grease the wheels with the money men if you show a little charity. There's still gonna be plenty of us to kill.
Okay, son. You can try any unload the driver. You tell that wildcat behind the wheel not to slow down, though. Or he won't even get a chance to bleed to death. And Jack? Don't slip.
[After Helen's death]
I can't be here. I can't, you know... This is the wrong bus. I mean, for me to... I can't die here.
Ortiz
Hey, shut up, man. I got a wife.
Oh, you do?
Terry
Hey! So if you have a wife, and I don't, does that mean I'm expendable?
Ortiz
Hey, what are you talkin' about, man? The guy's just talking crazy. It gets on my nerves. Gets on everybody's nerves.
Oh, yeah? Well, I think I have the right to be a little bit upset...
Terry
What are you starin' at anyway?!
...after all that we've been through—
Ortiz
Why don't you just let everybody die in peace if that's gonna happen, huh?!
Terry
So you're a tough guy, huh?
I got a right to be upset.
Terry
You're really tough, huh, Gigantor?! Why don't we just step outside?!
Jack [silences them both]
Hey!
Jack How are you doing? You all right?
Jack What can I do?
When that bomb went off...
Jack I know.
...I thought that was it. I thought that was the bomb, and I was dead. And when I saw her body fall under the bus, it was like...
Jack You were glad you were still alive.
Jack Don't be. You should be glad. We all are. It doesn't mean you don't care.
Jack She was scared. She was a nice lady who didn't deserve to get killed. But, Annie, if she'd gotten off, it would've killed us all. He's the asshole, Annie. The guy who put us here. Remember that, okay?
Big asshole.
Very, very exciting, Jack. Some close calls, huh? But you've done all right for yourself.
Jack What do you want?
I want money, Jack. I wish, uh, that I had some loftier purpose but, um, I'm afraid in the end it's just the money, Jack. I would like, uh, large non-sequential bills, in two clear plastic bags, unmarked. Can you remember all that?
Jack What are you telling me for?
Because I want you to help me to get it before it gets too late. I hate negotiators, Jack. They talk to you like they're you're best friend, and they don't even know you. Why are they messing with me, huh? Do they think I'm doing this for fun?
Jack Aren't you?
Oh, that's unfair, Jack. You don't know how I feel about this. You don't even know me.
Jack I know you want a shitload of money you didn't earn.
Oh, I earned it. I spent my life earning it. I got a medal too, Jack. A medal and a pink slip and a "sorry about your hand".
Jack You have to let me off.
Oh, no! That's not good.
Jack You want me to help you? I need to talk to these people face-to-face. They think you're bullshit.
They don't think that.
Jack Look, you want the money, I don't want anyone else to die. Let me get on the ground. Just me. That's not against the rules.
All right, I want you back real fast.
Jack Fine.
Jack, nothing tricky now. You know that I'm on top of you. Do not attempt to grow a brain!
[Jack is under the bus on a tow-sled, trying to diffuse the bomb]
Okay, we're gonna have to try and bypass the remote current with the battery. Can you find the tripwire for the remote?
Jack I don't know, I've got a few choices here.
Black and red?
Jack And green.
Okay. All right. Uh, I'm gonna guess he's not gonna go with standard copper for the remote, that'd be too weak. I'd use a fiber alloy. Jack, I'm gonna need you to look at the wire.
Jack Harry, it's covered.
Yeah, I know. You're gonna have to cut off the sheath. But don't cut the wire.
Jack Right. [the bus jolts as it runs over a piece of rubber tire] **** me! Shit! [Jack carefully cuts the sheath off the green wire] Bullseye!
Great! Okay, I want you to clip on the battery, and then run it to the lead wire.
Jack Copy. [he clips the battery to the exposed wire, and reaches to connect it to the bomb, which beeps] I can't bypass, it'll fire.
Oh, shit! It's a collapsible circuit.
What is that smell?
Jack It's gas.
We're leaking gas?
Jack We are now.
What, you thought you needed another challenge or something?
Jack Harry! Tell me good news, man.
Oh, I'm sorry, Jack. He didn't make it.
Jack You ****!
It was the watch that led him to me, wasn't it? Huh? It seemed a little hammy to me to build a bomb out of my precious retirement gift, but, you know, I figured a sign that said "Howard Payne" would be pushing it.
Jack I'm gonna rip your **** spine out, I swear to God.
You're gonna do exactly as you're told! Jack, we both know he was the brains of your particular operation. You can't beat me, you're gonna pay me every dollar. Otherwise, you, the wildcat, and every innocent person on that bus, are gonna end up just like your friend. You paying attention? Jack, you listening to me? Jack? Jack!
Jack Yeah...
Good. Now you tell them that the drop point is Pershing Square. There's a garbage can on the northeast corner. You drop the bags and leave. I don't show until all your people are gone. It's gettin' on to 11AM, Jack, and I think it's gonna be a very pretty day! [Payne laughs maniacally and hangs up]
Jack [notices Annie's "Arizona Wildcats" sweatshirt]
I'll be damned... You go to the University of Arizona?
Yeah, so?
Jack Good football team.
Yeah, I guess so. I don't really know.
Jack Arizona Wildcats.
Right.
Jack He can see you.
What?
Jack He can see you.
He can see me—?
Jack Just keep looking straight ahead. [Looking around, Jack finally sees a hidden camera over the dashboard overlooking the whole bus] He called you a wildcat before, I didn't even pick up on it. The bastard's got a camera right in your face. He can see the whole bus. He's been playing me from minute one.
Yeah, well, he can see me, but can he hear me?
Jack It doesn't look like it. He's just watching you.
Jack Maybe. I might.
I hope not, 'cause you know, relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last.
Jack Oh yeah?
Yeah, I've done extensive study on this.
[Payne is holding Annie hostage in the subway wearing an explosive vest while he holds a pressure release detonator]
Be prepared! It's the Boy Scout marching song. What are you gonna do, Jack? I don't think you can shoot her.
Jack Let her go.
No, I don't think I'm gonna do that. [to Annie] Fill it. Now. [Annie starts emptying Payne's ransom money into a duffel bag] Well, I think Harry would be very disappointed feeling that we're right back to where we started, huh?
Jack Let her go. You don't need her. You have the money. Take it and walk. Come on. Just take it and walk. You don't need her. [yelling] COME ON, JUST TAKE YOUR GODDAMN MONEY AND WALK!
Stay right there! Stay right there. I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll let go. Oh, yeah. You still don't get it, do you, Jack, huh? The beauty of it. A bomb is made to explode. That's its meaning. Its purpose. Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for who? For what? Do you know what a bomb is, Jack, that doesn't explode? It is a cheap gold watch, buddy.
Jack You're crazy! You're **** crazy!
Oh, no. Poor people are crazy, Jack. I'm eccentric. [to Annie] Get the money. Let's go. Come on! Let's go! Move it! Move it! [to Jack] You stay! Move it! Move it! [shoves Annie towards a service door] In the door! In that door, now! Bye, Jack— Punk! [shuts the door]
[Payne and Jack are fighting on the roof of the subway car, with Payne gaining the upper hand as he pins Jack down on his back]
What do, Jack, huh? What do you do? You're so smart, right, Jack? Piece of shit! I'm the guy with a plan, 'cause I'm smarter than you! I'm smarter than you!
Jack [Jack sees an overhead signal light approaching and forces Payne into its path. Payne looks up and screams before the light decapitates him, and Jack grabs the detonator as his body falls off the train]
Yeah? Well, I'm taller.
You didn't leave me. I can't believe it... you didn't leave me.
Jack Didn't have anywhere to be just then. [they kiss] I have to warn you, I've heard relationships based on intense experiences never work.
OK. We'll have to base it on sex then.
Jack Whatever you say, ma'am.
[they continue kissing, but with more passion as a crowd gathers]
