Rental Car Checklist

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

26 Apr 2006 03:56 PM

My husband and I were attending a wedding in Lake Tahoe, California. We flew into Reno, Nevada, rented a car and headed to Tahoe. It was early spring and the rental company gave us a bright yellow convertible (much to my husband's delight). Of course, he immediately put the top down and we were lucky to have crystal clear skies and warm sunshine accompany us the entire drive. Well, almost the entire drive. About 20 minutes from our hotel the clouds rolled in, the temperature plummeted and drops of rain began to fall. Time for the top to go back up, right? Well, that was the plan, only we didn't know how to get the top back up and the windshield wipers weren't working either. Chock it up to rental car driver error.

We had become yet another statistic. Like thousands of travelers, we got behind the wheel of our rental car and headed out into the streets without completing a complete car examination. What does it require? Read on.

· Before you even start the car, check for scratches, and dings. If you notice any damage report it to the rental agent immediately.

· Next, start the car. It gives you the chance to make sure the car is running fairly well, with no strange noises.

· Find and turn on heat/AC. This will allow the interior heat up or cool down depending on the season.

· Consult your map. Formulate your intended route out of the car rental lot and to your destination.

· Fix your mirrors. (And not just a quick adjustment to the rear view mirror.) You need to address the side mirrors. This will save you from some tense moments (in my case a fellow driver waving to me with one finger).

· Directionals. This one is usually pretty straightforward... and hopefully you will be able to figure it out with little explanation.

· Windshield wipers. Ah... the windshield wipers. Trust me, you'll want to figure out the windshield wipers before taking to the highway. (See aforementioned anecdote.) If it suddenly begins to rain, you'll be opening and closing windows, turning lights on and off, hitting the blinkers, opening the fuel latch, etc.

· Lights. First find the on-off switch. Sounds easy enough, but when you are flying down the highway alongside vehicles whose drivers know where they are going, then "easy" becomes a relative term. Once you find the on-off switch; figure out the high beams.

· Fuel latch. Save yourself embarrassment at your first fill up by figuring out where the fuel cover latch is before you leave the rental car lot.

Good Luck and Happy Driving!

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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