Having never rented a car before, I found myself in Calgary this weekend doing just that.  I had to fly in for a funeral… drive myself to a remote cemetary some 2 hours away, and drive back to catch a flight.  Thus, when the exceptionally kind car rental man told me that it would be infinitely easier for me to buy the gas through him, “because, after all, you don’t really want to be stopping and worrying about purchasing gas on the road, and we sell it for so much cheaper”, I was relieved.  Grateful even….

After the day’s ordeal (which was both sad and lovely - I got to see so much of my family), when I returned to the rental place (being so pleased with myself for having managed all the car rental stuff, navigating of strange highways alone, and for finding my way back), I was looking forward to getting my gas money deposit back so I could justify the creme brule to room service.  T’was not to be.  Of COURSE it t’was not to be!  

“What sort of a person buys the gas from the rental place?!” was heard from several people later on… Because you pay for a full tank of gas up front… and then you don’t get a refund.  Even if you return with more than half a tank.  “But that gas costs more that the CAR RENTAL!”  I told them.  They smiled.  They knew.  What they did NOT anticipate was me walking around the parking lot inquiring if anyone wanted to syphon a half tank of gas…  

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 29th, 2008 at 7:05 pm. You can leave a comment below.