by Belinda Youlten

Created on: July 17, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The choice was not mine to use Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The earth was melting or so it felt when the air conditioner of my beloved VW Passat stopped working in Florida during the hottest week of summer.

The diagnosis from the dealer service centre was grim. Call at the end of the day, it may need to be in overnight. My jaw dropped to the ground. I had waited 3 days to get this service in a dealership which was miles from my home and now I would be car-less?

But I have children, I heard myself say in a pleading voice. The amiable associate flashed a smile and asked "Do you need a car?"

I wanted to grab him by his corporate blue tie and stick his head outside of the ice-box that was the customer service booth. Was he insane? This is Florida Mars is the only place hotter and the only time people walk here is to get from their air-conditioned car to a thermostatically cooled shopping mall.

He disregarded my maniacal look to tell me that there was an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office across the driveway and all I had to do was take this pink form to them. The dealership would pay if the car was kept overnight. Perfect.

So with pink paper in hand I raced into the Enterprise office where there was a short line of other car-less people awaiting the same outcome. This Enterprise office had a captive audience; everyone was in need of an auto while their own car was being serviced. Luckily, I had no pressing engagements for the next half hour as I watched the two Enterprise staff behind the counter fill out paperwork, tap away on their computer and then take each customer to their awaiting car.

Finally it was my turn. I handed over my now crumpled pink authorization paper. The Enterprise staff member greeted me with a half hearted "Hey!", barely looking up as he tapped away on his computer, had another bite of his breakfast burrito and winced.

I'd hoped his demeanor was not on my account but on the unhealthy choice of his breakfast. "Sorry don't have anything," he said before taking another bite of the burrito. He mumbled something about being really busy and maybe a car will be returned later although he failed to mention the time parameter of "later".

He glanced up to catch my startled reaction. Here it was 8am on a weekday and this car rental company didn't have any cars. I couldn't help but laugh; I'd seen this on an episode of Seinfeld.

Another mouthful of burrito, another wince and more tapping on the computer, "How do you feel about driving a truck?" He asked. "I've got a Chevy

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