Okay. This is going to be a quickie. I was at the grocery store today and I ran across a career that might suck. So, I’m standing on the sidewalk when a 1987 (1990 tops) gold Honda Accord with wind-up windows and manual door locks (it was going very slow) passes by. On its side was a bright golden-yellow sign that read: “Universal Rent-A-Car DMW Drivers Test Rental”. There was a local phone number too.
I can’t be certain that the proprietor of this operation isn’t a trillionaire who simply left his Bentley at home, but based on the condition of the car, the quality of the sign and the socio-demographics of the clients to whom he’d need to cater, I think I can safely assume this car wasn’t one of a fleet, that his number of clients is limited to a small group of local folks who happen to see the sign at the same time that they are preparing to take a driving test.
As I shopped around the store, I pondered what a day in the life of Universal Rent-A-Car might be like. I thought, “okay, best case scenario…I have four drivers lined up–1 per week for the next 4 weeks. I’m going to pick them up or have them meet me somewhere to get the car. I’m going to charge them, say $200 per driver (I know this is steep, but it should be right? I’m renting my car to a person who doesn’t have a license and may not get one). So, that’s $800 for the month max.
But, money isn’t everything. So what’s my quality of life at Universal Rent-A-Car. I’d imagine it’d be not so rewarding given that people flake a lot on regular, brand-name rental car companies but volume makes up for it. Universal is undoubtedly low-volume, so a single cancellation means…get a second job.
Then there’s the “uh-ohs!” You know, the situation that occurs when the uninsured and unlicensed driver wrecks your car and puts it out of commission for a week or two. And the folks whose checks bounce. And the folks who think they are entitled to a discount because they didn’t pass the first time. And, of course, the inevitable break-downs that 20 year-old cars experience.
Okay. I think that’s enough pondering. I think we can all agree that running Universal Rent-A-Car is a career that might suck. But, I’ll give the proprietor and “A” for originality (What else can you do with a 20 year-old car and a homemade sign?).
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