Trolling the Rental

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 06/09/2016 at 08:01 • Filed to: None

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Nearly every time I get into a new rental car I find the radio set to something I’d rather not listen to and turned up to an unreasonable level. I know it’s just the prep guys getting their jam on while cleaning cars all day, but it gets annoying. My first task when I get a new rental is to turn the radio down, then find a station I can tolerate. I thought I’d give a little of what I get before I returned the rental yesterday. :)

Slant6 > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2016 at 08:06

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Do you not like NPR?

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2016 at 08:12

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All that carnage within the same minute. You monster

TheRealBicycleBuck > Slant6 06/09/2016 at 08:15

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NPR is fine. I’m assuming that the guy who likes all the bass and questionable lyrics won’t be an NPR fan.

Thomas Donohue > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2016 at 08:16

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I think it’s interesting to hear what different stations are set to in different parts of the country, selected by the previous renter or the prep team. It’s always an adventure to find a station you like during that first 20 min in the car. Depending on the manufacturer, it’s sometimes an adventure finding the power button!

I’m not sure what your limit is in regards to unreasonable volume levels, but I would say something to the rental counter upon return if it was very loud. I can’t recall ever being shocked at the initial volume, but I think that’s something on the checklist for the prep folks.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Thomas Donohue 06/09/2016 at 08:23

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I usually end up with a rental that is widely traveled and the previous drivers haven’t updated all of the presets. One or two may be local, but the rest are from somewhere else.

450X_FTW > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2016 at 08:29

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My first task is always to figure out how to open the gas door, just so I don’t look like an idiot for 5 minutes at the pump trying to find it.

jariten1781 > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2016 at 08:30

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If I've been particularly annoyed by a rental experience I'll switch all the displays to Chinese or whatever, switch numbers to metric, ratchet the seat all the way up, heat on full blast in summer/AC in winter, and set all the radio presets to Bible radio. Take that Avis (sorry next guy if they don't fix it).

TheRealBicycleBuck > 450X_FTW 06/09/2016 at 08:31

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It took me a good fifteen minutes to figure out how to start the first push-button-to-start rental car that I received. The agent delivered to me running and didn’t bother to tell me how to start it before I drove away.

450X_FTW > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2016 at 08:48

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I remember a few years ago, my buddy was working as a valet, and loved hearing guys pulling up in their high end luxury cars and the owner trying to explain to him how the push button works. He’d sometimes inform that even Kia cars have push button to start.....

TheRealBicycleBuck > jariten1781 06/09/2016 at 10:05

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Yeouch. And I thought I was being rebellious!

functionoverfashion > 450X_FTW 06/09/2016 at 10:23

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I always wanted to valet my 3-on-the-tree F100. Just to see what they would do with a column shifter and three pedals. Considering the average age of a valet is probably 19, I suspect it would have been the first time ever seeing such a thing. It’s really quite easy to drive once you know the shift pattern.

450X_FTW > functionoverfashion 06/09/2016 at 10:30

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I’m sure it is once you’ve tried it a few times, but no one wants to hear gears grinding in their car with someone else driving

functionoverfashion > 450X_FTW 06/09/2016 at 10:35

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haha, I would have just like to see the valet get in, see a column shifter, and bump the key only to have the whole truck lurch forward because no clutch-start lockout. So long as there wasn’t an AMG Merc or some such thing 5 feet in front of them, that is.

His Stigness > jariten1781 06/09/2016 at 16:24

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Your forgot fucking with all the mirrors.