Sir, What Country Do You Think This Is?

By Matt Wood in News on Oct 4, 2005 1:14PM

So you're planning to: drive drunk, sell drugs, use a gun, pick up a hooker, drag race, fake a car registration, break curfew, play loud music, dump an old sofa in the alley, and buy fireworks. How does a busybody like you get around to do all these things? Easy, you rent a car.

That's a list of common offenses people commit while driving rental cars. An Enterprise company official told the Sun-Times that their cars are impounded 15 times a month after their customers are caught drinking / smoking / screwing / shooting / racing / partying in their cars. Until now, the car company had to pay the bill at the pound while their customers, well, they went to jail. But no more, if the City Council has their way. They advanced an ordinance yesterday that would hold the offender responsible for any impoundment fees resulting from joyrides in a rental car. Damn, what's next? They're gonna expect you to come back with a full tank of gas?

Chicagoist wonders what the bigger cost for car rental companies is though, impoundment fees, or repairs after people use their cars to see just what happens if you shift into reverse at 50 MPH. We've never driven a rental car that didn't feel like it had already been ramped over its fair share of speed bumps. And while the City Council is at it, can they extend similar insurance against valet parkers?