Is it Me?

I've been renting cars from Avis forever. I'm a Preferred Member. I have a Corporate account. Granted, I almost always rent a compact or sub-compact. But it's usually just me and my camera driving the freeways and roads of Southern California. I've never had problems with the company until this year. Is it me? Do they know?

Last year I rented at least a dozen times from Avis. Probably 98 percent of those rentals were a car with a sunroof. One time, since they didn't have my Ford Focus, they upgraded me to a convertible mustang! It was heaven! And it's not that I want to drive fast or get from zero to 125 mpg in 2 nanoseconds (even though that's okay too), but if I have a sunroof it's much easier to practice my drive-by shooting skills. The buildings are really, really tall and when I stick my arm out the window of the car and try to get that angle, it's a scary thing!


No, I'm not worried about causing accidents or running into anything. (Actually I am now restricted to only shooting while stopped--mostly). What I'm really concerned about is dropping my camera and running over it.

Last year, rental car after rental car after rental car had sun roofs. It was wonderful! What a treat--even when it was raining. Never a fear of accidentally dropping my camera and crushing the life out of it. Nope. Just the knowledge that if it fell, it would fall inside the car, hopefully not under the gas pedal... (but that's another story).

So what's up this year? Is it me? Did someone rat me out? I fly into Burbank, walk to the Avis Preferred Members building to pick up my keys and I get that look, that knowing smirk. First they offer me some Nissan toy car (no acceleration pick up at all which is bad for merging onto freeways). After I turn that down they offer me a bevy of cars speaking so fast that I have no clue what they're offering.

My only question always is--sunroof? Does it have a sunroof? Then I get that look again. They can't tell from their computers is the car has a sunroof. (They KNEW last year!) Last week I was offered a mustang. Convertible? I asked hopefully. Nope.

So I'm back to sticking my arm out the window getting that angle that Vincent always likes and praying that I don't drop my camera. As I walked to my sunroofless Ford Fiesta last week I walked past three cars with sunroofs. Just parked. One was a Ford Focus. Is it me?

Avis! Are you listening? Are you reading? I would like a car with a sunroof again! I'll be renting in Nashville in May and LA in June, July, August and September. T-top, sunroof, convertible. Come on!