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Background Info: A taxi driver named Tony goes to his bank to deposit his check and interrupts a robbery. There is one robber in a mask waving a .357 Magnum at two clerks and the bank manager as the clerks stuff bags with money. Tony immediately goes into crisis intervention mode, and almost gets killed in the process. Tony is talking to the robber. May be played in any dialect, but I was thinking New York, New York. Allow time for emotional shifts.

Monologue: Calm down, calm down now -- blast it, just calm down, now, will you? Killing people is not the answer, pal. Just put the gun down, okay?

No, no, no! Up is good! Up is great! Okay, up is fine. See, my arms are up, I'm doing what you . . . please mister, go easy on that trigger . . .

No! No, don't be stupid, man, get your finger off --

No, no of course not, I wouldn't dream of telling you what to do, but . . . tell you what -- you need a hostage to get out of here alive. I volunteer.

What do you mean, why? Because I want to get out of here alive too, that's why!

I don't care. Do what you want. Pull the blasted trigger. Go ahead, pull it! Come on, shoot me, what are you waiting for?

Look, pal, I don't have all day, either shoot me or leave, but make up your mind.

That certainly is a big gun.