Drive it like a rental
 

I feel like this is a mental divide between me and a large segment of society.

"It's a rental, go for it!" The logic being - it's covered, you (or in my case my company) paid for the coverage, no harm done. Everything will be put back right at no cost to you and at expected cost to the rental company.

My gut instinct is to take FEWER risks in a rental. First and foremost, I'm simply not as comfortable in it and not as confident in my ability to handle said risk. But on top of that, even if I have the damage waiver and would suffer no repercussions (assuming the direct result of said risk is relatively harmless), my gut instinct is to feel, "I don't own it, I don't have the right to take that risk. If I take that risk and lose I screw someone else." Expected cost or not, my intentional actions damage someone else's property. I can't shake that feeling.

Not that I'm a big risk take overall anyway. But comparatively I'm more likely to take a risk with something I own vs. something I'm borrowing. I own it, it's my choice to take that risk, the consequences are mine to weigh and bare.

Am I broken?




That said - I found an empty enough parking lot in which to turn off traction control and have some fun.

1) Whee.
2) Traction control is BLACK VOODOO MAGIC!

I'm generally the same way. Though I did drive 125 for a bit on our Germany trip just because I could.

In addition to just not having much interest in doing stupid things in cars is the fact that even if I damaged it and wouldn't pay out of pocket I don't want to deal with the hassle of it all.

Plus, I rarely rent the kind of cars it would be fun to do anything stupid with.

You're a caring, intelligent human being, that's all. :)

Yeah, that enters in to it too. It bugs me when I have to explain why the gas tank isn't full (look at your machine, stupid, the gas option is included), definitely not interested in dealing with whatever damage paperwork they have.

As GD's behavior is perfectly normal, this thread puzzles me. There must be a hidden meaning, like rental is code for hooker, or something.

When I rent a car, I don't get their insurance, and with a $500 deductible on mine I'm responsible for the damage to at least that point. So I'm more carefull when renting.

That said, you made one point when you called it "Borrowing". My feeling is that when I borrow something, I want to return it in the same, or better condition than when I borrowed it. No matter if money changes hands as in a rental.

I'm much more careful with a rental, for all the reasons GD said. Plus, the RStar reasoning that I used my OWN insurance, and would have to pay my own deductible for damage to a car I'm not super familiar driving with.

I'm not paranoidically cautious, but reasonably so. And I certainly don't get the ****-It, It's-Only-a-Rental attitude.

I do know people who are more reckless (or more willing to experiment) in rental cars. Not so much when they know damage will result.

For example, I was was in a care with a friend who wondered how fast he could go in second gear and proceeded to find out.

Yea I don't get it either. I've had friends who have gotten into wrecks in rental cars, both not their faults. It was a massive pain in the ass to get straightened out and they did have the insurance.

And I'm mostly more cautious because as you said, I'm not used to how the car handles, brakes, etc.

I am uber careful in a rental

Drove that speed on the Autobahn for 45 minutes back in the early 90s and it wore me out. It was an awesome thrill, but quite tiring.


________________

Normally, I try to limit my aerial experimentation to just once per rental

I bought a used rental from Hertz long, long ago. It was a Mustang, one year old.

It had 30,000 miles on it and turned out to be the least reliable car I have owned.

My first car was a 1985 Ford LTD purchased used from Hertz. It ran great until 1996 when I decided to see if it could fly. It couldn't.

My first car was a Mercury Comet from Hertz and it ran great until I drove it to death. I think it died with 175,000 miles on it. Last trip on the Grapevine killed it. Loved it, fun car, the Mercury version of a Ford Maverick and it had an 8 track deck and great speakers.

Gary had a hit and run in the bay area with rental mustang. Thankfully work insurance took care of it all but he still had to talk to police because of her driving off.
We tend to drive them more carefully but he rented a 4wd today just to make sure he could make the passes to Seattle and back. He would rather wreck a rental than his own little car.

Still trying to come up with a joke about a hooker for this thread, but so far, nothing.

Missed that - sorry

That needed a period.

Late to the conversation. Nothing to add other than I treat rentals the same way GD does, and I too have never understood it, though I hear it all the time and I get in these cars that seem like they've taken out curbs...