Adventures in car repair

[fbhjr]

Red in the morning, who takes warning?


I called my insurance company about the car accident. Despite my not liking the company due to bad experiences with them in the 90’s, they were very nice over the phone.
They set up a car repair place close to where I live, arranged a rental car, and didn’t require anything from me except my policy number.

So, this afternoon I drove over to the repair place.


I left my damaged little car there at the shop.


It seemed fitting that fire, police and ambulances all went speeding by as I dropped it off.


The rental car people came and picked me up.


Sadly, it turned out that monster was my rental vehicle. It gets all of 18 miles per gallon. My car averages 49.

“Do you have anything smaller?” I asked.
“Not unless I rent you my car. Then how would I get home?”

When I talked with my insurance company they said:
“Don’t take the extra insurance the car rental company offers, you are covered by us and it isn’t needed.”
When I talked with the repair shop they said:
“Don’t take the extra insurance on the rental car. You don’t need it and it is expensive.”

So, I turned it down.

“Why would you turn down this great deal!” the management trainee renting my car practically shouted at me.
“I’ve had one car accident in the last 19 years. I think the odds are against my having another in the next two weeks.”
“Things come together in groups! You could have to pay huge fines! It will be awful!”
“I hope that doesn’t happen,” I said. “But, I’m going to risk it.”
Hope it works out.

Of course at just 18 miles per gallon, I’m going to be paying either way.

Comments

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

18 mpg? My Dad's old lincoln got 19 mpg and you could fit 6 men inside and 6 sets of golf clubs in the trunk(or 6 bodies if you were mob)

[manintheboat.livejournal.com]

My credit card has rental car insurance as a "perk." As long as you turn down the rental car companies insurance.

Rental car people have generally been very good to me. Lots of upgrades, mellow people, etc.

When I drove a PT Cruiser as a company car it got ~20mpg. Worst car ever.

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Blech. Hope the repairs won't take long.

18 mpg. Wow. Awesome.

I had wondered what happened to all the gas-guzzlers that didn't sell after the gas hike of '06 (I think it was), and then the crash of '08 and into now.
Guess we know now.

Although, think of the money you've saved by not taking the extra unneeded insurance...Certainly whatever you might have saves easily
got devoured by that fantastic mileage.

Maybe you can get reimbursed?

[endlessblush.livejournal.com]

Is it bad I have no idea how many km to the litre I get?

Oh wow

[idic-writer.livejournal.com]

Hang in there--hope no one was hurt...

[peterb.livejournal.com]

What is the rental car? Does it have an enormous engine or something? I'd hate to think how much that would cost to run :/

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

It's got a V8 in it. I can watch the milage go down 1 mpg per minute at a stop.
I have no idea why anyone would ever want to buy a monster like this unless you were using it to tow something heavy.
But, it was the only car the rental people had at 5PM Monday.

[64tbird.livejournal.com]

When I had to rent a car due to the shop not ordering the right parts, I looked at the guy and said, "My car gets 30pmg...you're renting me a Suburban. I won't have money for gas!" They worked with me... I didn't have to refill it all the way back up. But damn... who the hell rents a Toyota owner a SUBURBAN?