I'm a bad blogger. Had a very busy trip to LA and San Diego. I gave a talk to the SMMA (Small Motor Manufacturers Association) on Thursday that went very well.
There is some bizarre way that Hertz decides what car I'm going to get. At least half the time I get something different than what I order (which is pretty basic and small). I've had weird SUV's sports cars, big sedans. This time we went in the other direction. I was given a Chevrolet Aveo. This is about as minimal as a car can get. No automatic locks so you had to lock each door individually including the trunk. Tiny - like a frame with aluminum foil around it. And to top it off it was Banana Yellow. No problem finding this baby. You can bet how proud I felt when I turned this over to the valet parking at the posh restaurant the investment banker had me at for lunch on Wednesday. I was just thankful that I got there before him and my car was delivered after he left.
To be fair, I had worse one once because it wasn't that uncomfortable (I've had bigger cars that are) and it had as much power as any of these rentals have. (I think they all have motors powered by a team of gerbils inside).
And I survived in it.
I was driving on the 405 from Santa Moncia toward San Diego when this lady comes over three lanes of traffic and cuts me off. We're not talking feet here, we're talking collision and at 75 miles per hour in a box of tin foil. To be honest I have no idea how I avoided this because it was all reaction and no time to think. I swerved slightly to the left (thank God no one was in the lane), braked briefly (thinking "stupid you're going to lose control"), and swerved back into my lane to some how avoid the accident.
So Banana Chevy Aveo - you may not look like much but I respect you.
4 comments:
Wow! A harrowing tale! The entire car rental business is messed up in my mind. You rarely get what you ask for and THEY seem upset when you aren't excited just to get a car. Good Lord.
And why even make a car like the Aveo with no power locks or anything? Doesn't really save that much money?
wow, dad, that is so scary!!! I am glad you got away with a good story and that's it.
And that's unfair to characterize all motors as being powered by gerbils. Probably the SUVs get guinea pigs or small rabbits.
I don't know Alexis, rabbits are pretty mighty in the land of rodents (accept for that big one in the Amazon). I have this Mazda 6 here in SC that I think gerbil powered might be generous. Sounds more like a bunch of crazed crickets when I accelerate. It's going to be fun driving this to Atlanta this afternoon
Yeesh. What a scary story. Maybe it was the bright yellow that saved you!
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