By Jan Stadtherr
Ah yes, what a beautiful view! As I write this column, the sun is shining, the palm trees sway gently in the breeze and the temperature has hovered around 80 degrees since we arrived in Florida a week ago. (Back home, the windchill is 34 below.)
We are in the midst of our annual trip to Tampa where we visit with the three granddaughters and their parents and to help the twins celebrate their eighth birthdays.
But to fly or not to fly, that is the question. It’s the toughest decision we have to make every year. I prefer driving in order to see the beautiful scenery in the various states we travel through and stopping to see historic spots or have lunch in a small-town diner.
If we fly, we have to rent a car as I don’t want to borrow the family’s vehicle to go any place and I would sure hate to be involved in an accident, especially in the crazy traffic in the Sunshine State. Since we are getting older, I agreed (for a few days) that we would fly. Thinking it over again and again, I told my husband we were driving. I usually win.
Renting a car can be a hassle, especially for those of us who prefer the comfort and familiarity of our own vehicles. As a senior citizen with years of driving experience, I’ve found that rentals just don’t measure up to the convenience and reliability of my own car. For the amount of money spent on a rental, I expect a certain level of service, yet more often than not, the experience leaves much to be desired. Yes, during a road trip, there is gas, hotel and eating expense but rental rates have increased immensely along with the air fare! And our car averages over 50 miles per gallon!
One of the most frustrating things about renting a car is the lack of a proper manual in the vehicle. Cars today are filled with all sorts of technology such as touchscreens, safety features, different gear shifts, and without a manual in the glove compartment, figuring things out can be a challenge. I don’t want to spend my time searching on my phone for online PDFs or guessing how to adjust the seat or turn off some unexpected flashing warning light. Since I worked in newspaper for many years, I prefer a hard copy of a simple printed manual that would make rental cars more user-friendly.
Then there’s the issue of picking up the rental itself. Many rental companies seem to assume that customers automatically know the system. Rental staff often just hand over the keys and vaguely gesture toward the parking lot, expecting you to find your car in an unfamiliar place. For what we pay for a rental, it would be much more helpful if they personally accompanied us to the vehicle, ensured you understood its basic functions, and answered any questions before sending you on your way. Instead, we wander around large rental lots or ramp, struggling to locate a car that looks like every other one in a row of identical models that are usually white or silver.
Simply, there is no replacing the comfort of driving my own car. I know how it handles, I trust its reliability, and I have everything set up just the way I like it, from the seat position to the radio presets, the heat, AC, lights, windshield wipers, and the button to press to open the gas tank cover. The last thing I want is the added stress of adjusting to an unfamiliar car. There’s a feeling of freedom that comes with driving my own car. There are no return deadlines, no extra fees, and no worries about minor scratches or dings that rental companies charge an arm and a leg for.
Road trips are about the journey as much as the destination. The car is my home on the road!
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