Heads up: Lots of 'local' rent-a-car locations closing!

catmandu

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Catmandu
I went to pick up an airplane today, utilizing a one-way Enterprise rental. Both 'local' offices on either end of the trip were closing UFN at the end of the business day. And apparently the National corporate office is selling off a lot of the vehicles, the first car I was promised was sold ten minutes after I called the originating location for a pickup, so they had to give me a full-sized van instead.

So if you are flying somewhere anytime soon and think the Airnav info on rental cars at your destination is good info, you might be in for a shock.
 
Use Uber.

...which is also probably why they are selling off a lot of cars.
 
Exactly, be careful. If Uber makes sense, go for it. But today, it would have been $162 one-way for Uber, versus $35 plus $17 gas with Enterprise.

And earlier this week, I was ding-dang lucky to get an Uber at a suburban Atlanta general aviation airport, having had no luck with Lyft for 20 minutes. The Uber driver told me: "I meant to turn off the app, but when your request popped up, I said 'what the heck' and accepted it." I had a backup plan, but it would have cost me six additional travel hours for the day.
 
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Thanks, Catmandu.

The local Enterprise storefront near my house has an unusually full parking lot, with no obvious activity. I’m guessing that after customers returned their cars in the last week, there was nobody interested in renting them, so the lot is full.

Almost nobody is traveling. And at the local stores, nobody needs to get to work while their car is getting fixed, because they’ve got no work to go to.

It reminds me of the situation after 9/11. We were a nation in fear. Travel stopped. Airlines got all the attention, and they got bailouts (sound familiar?), but car rentals just went bankrupt quickly and without anybody noticing.
 
Can confirm. Family member works at the Enterprise-National Tulsa HQ office. Hundreds of locations with just about zero activity. Hard to cash flow when the assets are sitting unused. Easier for them to liquidate some of the higher mileage cars for cash and buy replacements when needed.
 
Use Uber.

...which is also probably why they are selling off a lot of cars.

Doubtful. Unless there's a new virus named Uber...;)
 
Carry a folding bicycle with you.
Brompton
If a couple of Bromptons fell into my lap, I'd love to have them. But--aside from the rare events that cause all taxi-type service to disappear from the face of the planet--one can rent a LOT of cars or take a LOT of taxi rides for the price of two Bromptons.
 
If a couple of Bromptons fell into my lap, I'd love to have them. But--aside from the rare events that cause all taxi-type service to disappear from the face of the planet--one can rent a LOT of cars or take a LOT of taxi rides for the price of two Bromptons.

While nowhere near the quality of a Brompton, I've had really good luck so far with this little bugger, made by Dahon, and is probably mid-range in their line. I got mine at at good price four years ago, sub-$300. Good plane bike, or just to stuff into the trunk of the car to have for errands while on vacation, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Mustang-Taur...d=1585140747&sprefix=ford+fold,aps,147&sr=8-1
 
No, the new virus called Hantavirus

Hantavirus is not new. While not common, it does happen and is a constant danger here in the high desert.

With lots of abandoned buildings left to decay, the mice take over and fill it up with their little droppings.
 
If a couple of Bromptons fell into my lap, I'd love to have them. But--aside from the rare events that cause all taxi-type service to disappear from the face of the planet--one can rent a LOT of cars or take a LOT of taxi rides for the price of two Bromptons.
Agreed; they're not cheap. In my case, they're the only folder I've found that will fit in my LSA baggage area. I've used mine at small airports for getting into town when taxicabs, Uber, and rental cars just aren't available.
While nowhere near the quality of a Brompton, I've had really good luck so far with this little bugger, made by Dahon, and is probably mid-range in their line. I got mine at good price four years ago, sub-$300. Good plane bike, or just to stuff into the trunk of the car to have for errands while on vacation, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Mustang-Taurus-7-Speed-Folding-Bicycle/dp/B00Y4TY5LI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q849T2WFC354&dchild=1&keywords=ford+folding+bicycle&qid=1585140747&sprefix=ford+fold,aps,147&sr=8-1
Dahons are great values.
 
Agreed; they're not cheap. In my case, they're the only folder I've found that will fit in my LSA baggage area. I've used mine at small airports for getting into town when taxicabs, Uber, and rental cars just aren't available.

Dahons are great values.
I have a Dahon folding bike with full-size wheels that I was able to fit in a couple of different LSAs by taking the wheels off.
 
It isn't an outbreak, it's one case. Of course that is how outbreaks start. But it's a single case.
 
I have a Dahon folding bike with full-size wheels that I was able to fit in a couple of different LSAs by taking the wheels off.
Yeah, Richard, a lot of LSAs have bigger baggage space than my Zodiac. My baggage shelf is trapezoid shaped (45" just behind the seats, but only 28-3/4" at the rear). The fore-and-aft dimension is generous at 42-3/4". The fuselage curves inward on the sides of the baggage area, so with a width of 10" (10" high lying on its side) I don't have the full 28-3/4" width at the top of the Brompton.

The Brommie's folded dimensions are 22-1/4" x 21-1/2" x 10", and I can still put a good size duffel on top of it on the baggage shelf.
CIMG4189sm.jpg
 
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Hantavirus is not new. While not common, it does happen and is a constant danger here in the high desert.

With lots of abandoned buildings left to decay, the mice take over and fill it up with their little droppings.

I didn’t know that. But I was not happy learning about another outbreak


Thank you
Mohamed

Hanta isn’t much to worry about. Don’t play with mouse poop and wash up. @Zeldman is right, very prevalent in the US Southwest.

We see mouse droppings at mountaintop radio facilities as possibly infectious and wear gloves and wash up. Also do whatever needed to get them out of the building or kill them at that point.
 
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