Ever notice how the waiting areas at car rental offices almost never have seats? See, they'd prefer you fall asleep on your feet so you'll be more apt to sign your life away in case someone accidentally breathes on your car in the parking lot. Well, fear us, rental-car agencies of the world!
Or rather, fear scientists at MIT who have been working on a car you can check out as easily as an airport luggage cart.
The electric City Car, a two-seater just slightly smaller than a Smart Car, folds in half for parking and is easily rechargable. The team's even contemplating installing a joystick that would allow users to steer the car. A joystick! All that and it "promotes a socially responsible and more effective means of urban mobility."
After the successful introduction of the nearly free bike rental program called Velib in Paris last year, the city's mayor has just announced they're going to follow it up with a similar scheme using small cars.
The Voiturelib program will involve a fleet of small blue cars at stations around the city. Tourists and residents will both be able to pick up a car without booking ahead, use it for a small charge, then leave it at another station anywhere in Paris. (God knows the one thing Paris needs is more clueless drivers.)
They're going to start the system up with 2,000 cars and see how it works out. We can just imagine the day when tourists hop in all the cars at once and get stuck at the impossible traffic roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe.
This road trip contest we've been hyping has us fantasizing about the open road. Even though we still have to tap a vein to afford to fill the tank, sometimes there's no better way to travel than driving.
And when you do eventually have to park that ride and fly, there's a lot happening out there. From cell phone lots cropping up at airports to parking services that are worth a ride, taking the car will keep you smiling--even if your flight doesn't.
We all know the drill. We find a clown car-sized vehicle online that can get us from Point A to Point B for $34.99. When we get up to the counter, taxes, gas, insurance and (for some of us) the under-25 fee pushes the cost well above the $150 mark. Suddenly an afternoon on the open road costs more than a round-trip flight on a budget carrier. What went wrong?
For starters, many of us insure something that's already insured. Rental insurance is a waste for car owners because most auto policies extend to rentals. Just make sure the rental car is worth about the same as the one you own. A policy on a $500 '89 Oldsmobile will only cover up to $500 in damages to that $60,000 Lincoln Navigator you rented to drive up and down the Jersey Shore. Next time, you won't let those girls in bikinis sit on the hood.
However, car-less renters need to suck it up and pay the extra $40 for basic collision and liability coverage. In the worst-case scenario, an uncovered driver could be accountable for the total cost of the rental vehicle and any other cars involved in an accident. Now that'll ruin a trip.
What's up with factories being totally geographically divorced from their high tech visitor centers? Don't get us wrong, we're not saying that the brand new Mercedes-Benz Museum is an insufficient tribute to the cars: With eight great levels of automotive fun all wrapped up in a gleaming metal shell that evokes an engine block, what's not to like? But for those who need a firsthand look at how a Benz comes together, a haul out to the Stuttgart suburb of Sindelfingen is in order.
Time to get ready for the Le Mans 24 Hour Car Race where drivers drive round and round and round the track near Le Mans for, obviously enough, 24 hours. It's on from June 16 to 17 and if you're keen to sniff some gasoline fumes, check our guide for the Le Mans craziness:
Where to Stay
The Mercure Le Mans Batignolles (17 Rue De La Pointe) brags that it's strategically located near the Le Mans race track, rather than right in the town center: this should give you the jump on other race-goers. During June the restaurant's closed on weekends, but that just gives you the incentive to check out some local eateries (or stay forever at the track).
Where to Eat
Splash out on some hearty French cuisine at Le Flambadou (14bis, Rue Saint Flaceau). In the winding alleys of the Old Town, the cassoulet landaise always gets a big write-up--you'll find ingredients like beans, sausages and preserved duck or goose on your plate.
Where to Get Drunk
We'd like to find a totally automobile-freak bar in Le Mans, but we can't. So go quirky and hit the Paris Texas Cafe (21 rue du Dr. Leroy) for a crazy cross between France and the Wild West. Or for a full-on French discotheque night to get in training for the 24 hour car race, try the Le Select (44 pl.de la Republique) with plenty of noise and lights.
Looking for a holiday job in Australia? A car wash in Queensland capital Brisbane is advertising some vacant positions at the moment. They're looking for backpackers and travelers who want to earn some quick big bucks at this "small and exclusive car wash".
So what's the catch? Well, this is the Bubbles'n'Babes car wash and you've gotta be topless or nude to work there. It's a response to a drought-induced water shortage that's made it illegal for Brisbanites to wash their cars at home. Topless car washes start at $50, and full nudity (and a clean car) are $100.
A few locals have been complaining about the new business, but police and the local council say nothing illegal is going on: even the job ads makes it clear there's "no hustling and no touching".
The cops did ask for a screen on the street side of the car wash though:
We don't want any traffic accidents caused by people looking at the girls instead of looking at the road.
Safe driving then, and check it out if you want to make Aussie dollars fast.
Little country towns will do anything to attract attention. Corrigin in Western Australia has already put itself on the map with its dog cemetery, but apparently that's not enough. That's why for the last decade, Corrigin has been the proud host to several Dog in a Ute world record attempts.
To clarify that a bit, a "ute" in Australia is what others would call a pickup truck, and the Dog in a Ute record refers to how many vehicles with a dog on the back can form a queue in a field. Of course. But Dog in a Ute is a serious business and the rules are very strict, too:
Every ute entered must have a live real dog in or on the ute in the queue to be counted. No stuffed dogs or fake ones permitted. This is absolutely unchangeable. If you come without a dog we will endeavour to provide a pooch for you if we can but no promises are made. There are no size restrictions on a dog large or small.
While the world record stands at 1527 (set in Corrigin back in 2002), the last attempt to break the record in 2005 turned up only 1325 dogs on the backs of pickups. Definitely room for improvement so get your truck and pooch ready for next time.
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by egw
