This has to be one of the best vehicles I have ever rented. This rental vehicle is a Chevy Cruze LZ with SAT Radio, auto-temperature control, auto-sunroof, auto-locks, auto-start, you name it, and this car has an auto for it. It is a classified ‘compact’ so I have a little problem squeezing in and out of it, but once I get in it has all the bells and whistles to entertain and relax as you cruise down the road.
I've had this car for a week and have developed a little routine as I approach the car. I point the remote at the car and push the button to start the engine as I approach it. Then I put the remote back in my pocket, because it is no longer needed. As I approach and grab the door handle, the proximity monitor unlocks the car, which is aware of the remote in my pocket. I squeeze into the drivers seat adjust the volume on the XM radio and push the button on the dash to open the sunroof.
As I put the car into reverse, a monitor replaces the console radio display revealing a camera mounted at the back of the car, which allows me to see behind me as I back up.
IT IS SO COOL! I LOVE DRIVING THIS CAR.
Today I eagerly repeated the routine as I headed out to lunch. I heard the familiar click of the locks as I grabbed the door handle, opened the door and squeezed into the drivers seat on the rapidly cooling car. And at that point the routine, I had so enjoyed, changed!
The first thing I noticed was the radio settings had changed. A local AM religious radio station yelling at me about the evils of something. I quickly poked the SAT button to return to the steel drums of Margaritaville on XM and listened as the SAT radio played the ‘Preview” channel. Damn the 3-month trial had probably run out. Now I had to find a local radio channel to listen to, so I quickly scrubbed through the channels and found a classic Rock & Roll channel which was playing a great Beatles song “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road’. Awesome! So I pumped up the volume to show my disappointment at losing the XM choices.
But I still had my sunroof! I reached up to press the button to retract the wonderful portal and the button wasn’t there! In fact, the sunroof wasn’t there either. WHAT THE HELL!
About that time a gentlemen cautiously approached the driver’s side shielding an elderly woman clutching a well-worn Bible who was visible upset. I really hadn’t noticed them because my brain and fingers were still trying to find the button and the sunroof.
“Sir, please get out of the lady’s car” the gentleman demanded. I looked at him and must have had a confused look on my face, because his look of determination and fear changed to confusion. Realization then struck me sharply and I knew I was in the wrong car. I apologized several times as I exited the car. Pointing at my rental car I now saw, just 3 spaces away and trying to explain the mistake. The gentleman always kept himself between me and the elderly woman as he was saying that everything was OK. He never took his eyes off me as I jumped into “my” car and quickly repeated that familiar routine.
Now I was in the right car. It had XM. It had a sunroof. I glanced briefly in their direction as I sped out of the parking lot. They were struggling with the radio that was finishing up with Paul McCartney chanting loudly, ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road” as the well-worn Bible bouncing to the beat on the roof of the car where the sunroof should have been.
Damn! Back to the rental car place to change the code on this remote.
No comments:
Post a Comment