When You Care Enough…
I arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ready to pick up my rental car. A conversation takes place.
“Hi.” (I hand the rental agent my paperwork).
“Oooh. WestJet rented you the smallest car in our fleet?”
“That’s okay. It’s only me.”
“Perhaps you’d like to upgrade to a Chevy Impala. It’s only $25 more per day.”
“Um, no thank you. I’m okay with the smaller car.”
I sense a tinge of frustration.
“Well OF COURSE you’ll be taking our full coverage package. That way any damage to the car is covered.”
“No. No, thank you. I’m covered for rental cars on my own insurance.
“But YOUR insurance doesn’t COMPLETELY cover you. You’d have to pay this, that and the other.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just make do with my own insurance.”
(In a tone tinged with both pain and increased frustration, she continues..) “Would you like to take our gas refill package? That way you only pay $2.03 a gallon, and it’s $2.10 outside.”
“No thanks. I’ll make sure to bring it back full.”.
‘But it’s TWO-TEN OUTSIDE”.
“No, really. That’s okay.” (Just PLEASE can I have my car???}
The agent starts the computer printout, scrawls across several paragraphs, makes an “x” here, and an “x” there, and slaps the rental agreement down in front of me.
“You have to SIGN and INITIAL that you’ve WAIVED all the extra coverage, and that you’ll take FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CAR.”
“Okay.”
The paperwork is hastily folded and tucked away, and promptly thrown at me.
“Through the exit. The keys are in it.”
I said “thank you.” I don’t believe she did.
When I found the exit and found the car, it turned out to be a model higher than I expected. I looked left, looked right, checked the space number scrawled across my folder, and hopped in. At the garage exit, we did the final inspection. I noticed a scrape on the back bumper, obviously caused by a previous renter dragging their luggage into the trunk. The inspector said “I’ll make a note of it just to humour you.” I let him humour me. Humour costs nothing. Scratches? Considerably more.
I headed on up the highway, secure in the knowledge that, although it’s been awhile since I visited, America clearly hasn’t lost its charm.
