NEVER HAVE I EVER - A RENTAL CAR FIASCO!

Okay, as promised here’s our crazy rental car story. I have had the good fortune to travel the world visiting 66 countries and all 50 states. Never have I ever experienced a fiasco like the one we encountered at Atlanta-Hartsfield airport’s Dollar Rental Car. Yes, we’ve had some problems in the past but this one was new to both of us. I had found a decent deal, far from cheap, but do-able with Dollar and booked it many weeks ago for our 8 day trip to Georgia and Alabama. Photos and trip report are on Travels Near & Far.

We arrived into Atlanta on time and took two trams/trains to get our luggage and find the Rental Car Center. It was 7:30 PM and the plan was to pick up the car, eat dinner on the way to the hotel then be well rested for the next day. We entered the line of about 6-8 people waiting for Dollar. A minute later, an agent yells out, “Just so you know, we have no cars available and the wait could be up to 6 hours.” WTF????  It didn’t matter that all these people (and many already waiting nearby) had reservations just like us. If you know me, you know that my French was spewing fluently from my mouth.

My son had shared some great advice from one of his teachers 25+ years ago. Spend 20% of your time on the problem (and bitching about it) and 80% of your time on the solution. We went into solution mode. They were still processing reservations in the hopes that cars would come filtering in. Lou waited in line to do that with the assurance that we could get a refund at any time if we were able to find an alternative. I walked around to all 10-12 car rental counters and politely asked if they had any cars available without a reservation. Not one of them did – except Avis. And they had about 20 people in line.

Lou went to wait in that line while I waited at Dollar. They had announced to the 30+ people waiting, not necessarily patiently, but waiting, that if you weren’t there when your name was called, your car would be given to the next customer. Lou returned about half an hour later saying that when he was 4-5 people from the counter they announced there were no more cars. Shit.

Back to waiting as the time clicked away. It was probably 9 PM by then. I called the hotel to explain the situation and tell them we would be late. We checked Uber prices and then Ubering back in the morning in the hopes of getting a car. That would have added well over $150 and wasted a lot of time. I talked with the Dollar agent (really nicely in hopes of getting a special “deal”, no luck) but I did learn that whether you make a reservation with the rental company, a third party or anywhere, on the phone or online, that does not guarantee a car. If there are no cars, there are no cars. According to the agent, this happens more often than he would like to say.

Just for something to do Lou went off to ask at the other rental car counters again. I struck up a conversation with a man next to me who had been waiting since 2 PM for a van for six people that he reserved months ago. He, his wife, kids and a couple friends had flown in from Italy! He was frustrated and I felt so bad for him. I empathized and told him I wanted to apologize for our country. We are usually more welcoming and don’t put tourists through all of this. In the middle of our conversation, they called his name! He jumped up and yelled! I clapped and cheered wishing him luck.

When Lou returned, I told him the story of the Italian visitors. We decided to wait until 11 PM and then re-evaluate the situation. It was beginning to look like sleeping on the floor of the Rental Car Center (for which I am way too old) might be our only option. This was probably around 10 PM by now. The people kept thinning out as they called a few names and others might have found a place to stay or friends came or something. We hadn’t eaten anything since lunch and neither of us were really hungry.

Low and behold, at 10:30 PM, the woman yelled out, “Padgug”! We grabbed the paperwork and headed out to the car – about 3 hours later than it should have been. Our little Kia Rio (we didn’t care what they gave us at this point, it was a car) had only half a tank of gas and still had soap suds on it from the semi-wash they gave it. We arrived at out hotel about 11:15 PM. Lou didn’t want anything but I had wine and half a bag of chips for dinner in our room. We always say, "It's all part of the adventure."

CONCERTS THEN AND NOW

Last week we went to the California State Fair in Sacramento. When we attend, we try to choose a night with a performer we both want to see – often old rockers. This time it was George Thorogood and the Destroyers. He did not disappoint. We had both seen him before at least 25-30 years ago.

George Thorogood is about a month older than me. He never complained about his age or made concessions for his 73 years like many of the old rockers do. It seemed to me that he still saw himself as a 40 year old sexy, bad boy. Actually, he was quite full of himself but it came off as kinda cute, not obnoxious. We both had a great time and he played all of his old songs – “I Drink Alone”, “Bad to the Bone”, “Who Do You Love” and “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer”.

It got me thinking about my first concert and how different rock and roll performers were way back then. The very first group I saw live on stage was “Paul Revere and the Raiders”. Yep, I was madly in love with lead singer, Mark Lindsay. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had all four of my walls covered with photos of him from the teen magazines of that era. I was working on the ceiling when I finally got over that obsession.

Anyway, I was probably 15 (back in 1965) because I didn’t drive yet. A few of us got tickets for the show. We had a friend who was 17 who thought she was hot stuff because she drove us to the Oakland Auditorium (long gone now but near the site of the current Oakland Museum). I didn’t care how I got there but I was thrilled to see Paul Revere and the Raiders” or more specifically, Mark Lindsay. He had long, thick dark hair in a pony tail, long, lanky legs and was sexy as hell.

Back in the day, bands never started on time. They were a minimum half an hour late or longer taking the stage. There were no metal detectors or bag checks to enter. We had floor seats and everyone was allowed to walk up to the stage to take photos. Remember this was long before cell phones were even conceived so you had your little Brownie camera with the flash cube on top.

Once the concert started the entire audience stood up. Being 5’4” tall, I couldn’t see over anyone. I stood on my chair but soon everyone stood on their chairs. Same problem, couldn’t see anything. There was a cute guy in the row in front of me. Being emboldened to get glimpses of Mark Lindsay in person, I asked if I could stand on top of the back of his chair and hold onto him. He agreed. I was much more agile back then and watched most of the performance standing on the back of a chair holding onto a cute stranger.

All of these memories had me comparing the differences of concerts then and now. George Thorogood started right on time, not a minute late. People would stand up and dance at times but usually sat back down soon. Remember the average age of an old rocker concert is probably above 60 but occasionally you see younger people which warms my heart. Their parents raised them right.

There was one man in the audience who must have thought he was special or invisible because he stood up most of the show. The only person to be constantly standing and, of course, he blocked my view of the stage. Halfway through, I had to really bite my tongue to keep from yelling, “Sit the fuck down!”

They did an encore but the band members came back on the stage less than a minute later. In the old days, it would take forever of screaming, yelling and clapping for the band to grace you with their presence once again.

With all of my teenage years being in the 1960s, I have been and always will be rock and roll when it comes to music. I was 14 when the Beatles arrived in the U.S. Any girl of my era had a favorite Beatle, mine was Paul. I did go through what I refer to as “my country phase” in the early 70s for a few years but then all the 80s rock and roll grabbed me again. Thanks to my granddaughter and late night TV, I do know some current music. Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga are great and I do enjoy some Post Malone (Sunflower) and Imagine Dragons (Believer).

Maybe it is because I’m getting old – but much of today’s music all sounds the same. I just don’t believe that today’s kids will be getting out of their seats at the fair in 50 years and rockin’ out to “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo.

I totally agree with Bob Seger.

“Call me a relic, call me what you will.
Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill.
Today's music ain't got the same soul.
I like that old time rock and roll.”