Our race has evolved at lightening speed in the global context of time, but not so much Car Rental Companies. It appears that time has stood still and worse, gone unnoticed, in the paper laden, sign and initial here world of Hertz, Avis and Budget.

Yes I might be being unfair to call out 3 of the cohorts of this axis of evil, their sister entities have as much to explain.

So why, in an age when we put men on the moon, have we been unable to find a six sigma way to process a rental in under 20 minutes. The process seems designed for those who love to say “the computer says no !” and the fixation with the walk talky when you know for a fact they took your reservation 6 weeks ago but failed to reserve the desired vehicle would drive anyone to distraction.

I found myself recently with a good hour of personal development time on my hands courtesy of one of those Dickensian companies. My husband and I contemplated a simpler world where drivers licence numbers were already on file, where with a scan of your credit card the car door opened and your contact was signed on an electronic dash in the vehicle. We are, we declare, no Einsteins. So why have brains bigger than planets not been able to solve this first world problem ?

Perhaps its a test ? Perhaps its the only way that the manufacturers of dot matrix printers stay in business. Perhaps, aye and here’s the rub, its the only way they add at least 150% to the quoted rental cost.

Whatever, its uncivilised and its time we found the Steve Jobs of Car Rental and then made him President.

(Allison travelled courtesy of her own funds which is just as well as they wouldn’t have been happy with her review)