You can't get there from here.

I spent Saturday and most of this morning trying to rent a car. I was "front ended" and my car will be in the shop for two weeks, once I drop it off. I was hoping to do that today. I was also hoping to rent a Prius for the two weeks it will be in the shop. I can't drop the car off to be fixed until I have a rental car. I can't rent a Prius.

Well, you can't rent a Prius in San Diego. No car rental place in the city has them. The closest that does is either Solana Beach or Escondido. Go figure. Online they're called RentaHybrid.net but it's really National Car rental. But even National in San Diego doesn't have them. Different contract or something. Enterprise told me they used to have them but they were all bought back because there's a shortage and they are in demand. Said they couldn't get any from the dealerships. (Won't even go there, we know it's a lie.)

So now I'm trying to figure out how to get to Escondido or Solana Beach to pick up the car.

Well, my sister lives in San Marcos (just north of Escondido) and works in Kearny Mesa (very near the auto shop). She could take me with her after work and drop me off. The Escondido location is a half mile from the freeway, right on her way home from work. Only they close at 4:30 and she doesn't even get off work until 4. And it's at least a 30 min drive or more with rush hour traffic. So no way I can get there before it closes.

The other location is Solana Beach, further west up the 805. They're open until 6 pm. It's slightly closer but way out of my sister's way. And she carpools. So either her passenger has to ride out of her way with us, or if she's driving that day and she has to drive out of her way.

So there is no car in San Diego, the location we can drive to is closed, the location that's open we can't drive to.

How stupid is this?

 

The last time I rented a car (when the clear bra was done) I ended up in some sort of low sports car thing the hurt my back something awful.(They thought they were doing me a favor upgrading me. I think they just didn't have anything else.) I sold my Saturn so I wouldn't have to sit in a low, sports car seat ever again. Unlike others, I think the Prius seat is perfect. I add my lumbar support and I'm fine. No lower back pain.

And I want to drive something I am familiar with. I think the chances of accidents, no matter how careful you are, go up when you're driving a car you're not familiar with.

It shouldn't be this hard to rent a Prius. It's a car.

It's either find a Prius or I'm in my Dad's Ford 150 long bed truck for two weeks. I'd have to parallel park it in front of the garage because it won't fit inside. Too long. Too tall. I hate the truck.

 

Well, picked up the car.

My Mother called and said she wanted to go to La Jolla Village Center to shop for a dog food bin so she said she'd take me to Solana Beach today.

Picked up a Blue package 1 with gray interior. (Coincedentally the car I would have bought in 2005 if it had been available in that color combination.) I don't know if it's a 2006 or 2007. No smart key. No matter. I drive a #1 so I'm fine. It even had the radio set to NPR.

My car is officially in the shop. We'll see if it's fixed in 10 working days.

My sister will be able to do the returns. She teaches cake decorating in Kearny Mesa for two Saturdays so I can return it to the Escondido location and she can swing by and pick me up on her way down to teach class.

I feels so much more comfortable driving a car I am familiar with. From the inside I don't even see the color. Except for the gray interior and no Wheelskins or PriusHoods shade over the display, it could be my car.