609th Post - Up In The Air

Well, it is now official: My car will be ready for pick up on December 31st, 2008, at or around 4pm local time.

Think about that.

It is the very end of the year. I have to get to my car, which is about a 75 minute drive from here. I was going to drive the rental down there with no problem. Then, about 4:40 this afternoon, I learned that I would have to pay a $125 "drop off fee" to do this. That because the rental car would be at a foreign rental outlet, this fee must be paid to make up for their inconvenience of picking up the car again.

I told them that this was taken care of by my insurance company, but the rental place people were adamant. If I drive the car down to the part of the province close to where my car is, the fee must be paid. I hung up on them.

Fuming, I tried to reach my insurance company for confirmation. I had left a message earlier today to let them know that my car would be ready on the 31st; I'm sure that the autobody place also told them this. I went to voice mail Hell and finally left a message for them to call me, again.

And, when I got home this evening, there was a message on my answering machine from the rental place. The last day my insurance company will pay for the rental is December 31st!! I either have to return the car tomorrow, or assume payments for it. Yeah, right.

I am not typically an angry man. I try not to let things get to me. But when I can't reach the insurance people who are trying to provide me assistance through this difficult time, it is very frustrating. When the car rental people spring fees on me that I knew nothing about, it is very frustrating. When it looks now as if I will have to return the rental, take a bus to that part of the province, have my father take me to the place where my Grand Prix is, all in an effort to get my own car back, and try to return to the city before a major snow storm hits on New Year's Eve, then that is very frustrating as well.

Is there someone I can throw my shoes at?

Bevboy