A colleague and I rented from TPA about 6 years ago, arriving quite late at night. Early the next morning we set off for an important meeting...my whole US visit from the UK was based around this one meeting.
My US colleague, who was the only named driver, accidentally ran a red light somewhere in Tampa - right in front of a traffic cop who promptly pursued us and pulled our car over. My US colleague panicked and in the space of about 20 seconds told me he had skipped a court appearance about 4 years ago when he lived in MA for some driving offence and if this showed up when the traffic cop checked him out, he may be arrested and carted off to the police station
Sure enough, his unresolved violation showed up and he was arrested by the cop and taken away, leaving me with the rental car and unable to drive. Unknown to me at the time, we we in a bad, bad part of TPA - and in a shiny new car. It was however around 06:30 in the morning so not too many folks (good or bad ones) about.
So I phoned Avis and explained the situation. All was calm - until I stated my location, then the agent said "we'll be right over to get you sir, just stay in the vehicle and lock the doors". Sure enough, 20 minutes later two Avis folks turned up and one drove me back to the airport where they completed the formalities of adding me to the insurance.
I attended the meeting by myself, my US colleague was released later the same day, financially considerably worse off
