Got given an old Sable this week at SNA, with 34K miles, and found out the hard way that the taillights have some sort of short which caused the lights to come on when nobody was around the car, after properly locking the thing. Watched this happen twice while I was with clients in a restaurant, and went out to re-lock the car.

Next morning, after going thru the same drill before bed, sure as shootin the taillights are on, and it's dead.

Across the street from the hotel, here's a Budget office. Could I get a switchee? No and h*ll no. "It's a franchise", say the helpful staff, so we don't do that. Now, this is in Beverly Hills, not Homer, Alaska. I just need a car to get to two business appointments and back to the airport, about 30 miles away, but I can't risk having the thing be dead.

Not a chance. Can Budget send someone out to switch cars with me? Nope. "We don't do that anymore". Swell. What would they suggest? BRING THE CAR BACK TO ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT TO SWITCH! [This is crazy: I'm an hour away, my first appointment is two miles from here, and I need to be back to that airport in 5 hours.] Any other Budget offices close? No, only LAX. But you'll have to wait for our towtruck to jump you, and we can't say when.

I'm THROUGH with Budget.

{Dumped their crappy car in the hotel lot, told them to tow it in. Got myself back to SNA by begging a lift with someone at my first destination, and canned the second. Awaiting what I'm sure will be a big fight even though they said towing would be at no charge. GOT NOT SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY FROM ANYBODY. Beware.}