I love ALAMO car rental

this is a shameless plug for alamo car rental, and while i am at it let me also give a big shout out to national car rental, the partner to alamo and really the big cheese when it gets right down to it.

i do not have a car. have never owned one in all my 12 years of driving eligibility. but i have rented before, quite a few times and never before have i experienced such ease and control, trust and freedom. maybe it's because i haven't driven a car in two years but the sheer joy i felt sitting behind that beautiful steering wheel and driving off the lot in less than 5 minutes after my arrival was incomparable. maybe it's because the day before i had been turned down by another car rental company for a reason that was purely my fault-but i live in a world where if you have the money and are polite you should be able to get what you want in customer service. and i had the money and i was polite and i did not get what i wanted.

i took care of business and the next day-one day too late to really execute my fabulous weekend plans, i decided to go ahead and salvage what was left of my time and make something magical happen. so i (trustingly) attempted to reserve a car at the same company that only moments before denied me. but they were all out of cars. not put off at all and actually a little curious with myself for wanting to even go back there (well, i am a creature of habit) i picked the alamo because they were the first on my list of car rental companies to go with.

within minutes online my reservation was secure. the next morning i awoke early and made my way to the rental location-when i arrived, half an hour early and eager, i saw they had tons of cars to choose from. at least 50. which was awesome. there was no wait and the lady behind the counter had that casual, 'hi, how are ya, honey?' kind of feel to her, she took my card and my DL, swiped with speed and folded with accuracy, handing me my documents to inital and sign and the charges and turned me around toward the back door. "just head toward the back fence, honey, and pick out your car!"

what!? no one will escort me? i can PICK a car-out of how many? i turned to her in askance and she swept me on my way, assuring me the keys were in the ignition and i could just pick and go. i wandered back to fence and wandered up and down the row of cars like a kid in a candy store. finally one of the alamo guys rolled by in a rental return and asked if i needed help. i repeated to him what i said earlier, "i can just pick whatever?" "yeah," he said. "how 'bout that one over there?"

i looked and it shined at me like the sun rising over the horizon. or wait, that was the sun coming up over the horizon and glancing off the chrome exterior...it was a 2008 chevy malibu with XM radio, cd player and a hook up for the iPod. what? i looked back at the man and he just smiled and drove off. i saw the key in the ignition, and i got in....and drove off. it was sooooo easy.

and so i enjoyed a weekend of driving around. did not get to go camping, but i did go to a waterpark. i did go to a different state and swim in water that was cool and refreshing. i did eat lots of junk food and i did drive drive drive.

(i also saw a dead rat, cat and dog in the road, the first was fine, the other two horrifying, especially the big ole beautiful doggy)

this morning i sadly returned the vehicle, again with the greatest of ease. i had reserved it for 3 days but turned it in a day early and i drove in the lot and a gentleman with a handheld device credited my account accordingly, in less than a minute, and then the shuttle bus took me back to the train station and all was wonderful, fine, and great.

i love alamo car rental.

ok i am done.