Renting cars in strange cities is scary stuff.
I mean, you're in a city you likely don't know well. In a car you don't know at all. Trying to make your meetings, appointments, everything on time. It's nerve racking.
And I realize that everyone is out to make a dollar. Believe me I do.
But the dude at the airport Dollar car rental was hard selling me on insurance so bad I almost up and went to Enterprise! (No, I don't have a thing for Enterprise, really, other than the fact that I've never had a bad experience with them. Well, maybe once. But that was years ago! I've forgiven them. Really.)
So I'm in Houston. A city I hate. Not hate because I live in Dallas hate, although many people make that mistake. I hate that city because, ultimately, I can never just go to Houston and have a good time. Something always, always has to go wrong.
I'm signing all my documents for my rental car, and the scary man behind the counter asks me if I want renter's insurance. Now, I've had an accident in a rental car before. It totally sucked. But that's why I pay an arm and a leg for my own personal insurance each month. And, save for my $500 deductible, I managed to survive the last accident without filing for bankruptcy.
Normally I decline all coverage and take my chances. I've rented something like 120 cars in the past 4 years. I've driven in 20 or so different states. And I've only had one accident. My odds ain't so bad.
But the guy behind the counter starts pushing.
"You should really get insurance. You are staying by the Galleria, you say? That's a busy area. Better get insurance."
Knowing I'm not taking it unless it's less than $20 a day, I inquire how much.
"About $45 a day."
That adds $90 to my bill. $90 that my company will never see again. I'm out.
"No thanks."
"It's really a good idea."
"No, I'm okay. I've got my personal insurance if anything happens."
"You realize without this you are taking full responsibility of this vehicle?"
"Yes, I understand. I don't need it."
"If you drive off the road and kill someone, you are going to have to pay. People go broke all the time because they kill someone while driving and they didn't have sufficient insurance. And you're staying by the Galleria. People are over there all the time. One could jump in the road and you could hit and kill him and you'd be out a lot of money because you didn't take our insurance and our insurance is less than $50 a day and just think, if you kill someone, you won't have to be broke."
Are you joking me?! If I kill someone?! Dude... I'll probably be in jail for vehicular manslaughter if I kill someone... And I won't so much be worried about my insurance as that poor person's family...
But seriously! Who told him to say crap like that?
I understand that these rental car companies make ridiculous money off selling insurance to travelers who pay a premium price and never cash in, so his manager encourages him to upsell as much as possible, but find someone less offensive to say! Really now.
Should've gone to Enterprise!
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