Originally Posted by
c502cid
I always do a walk around a car, always. However sometimes you get the car in a dark parking garage, or it is wet, or a combination of these and you don't notice something until daylight, especially a windshield star. I'm always careful to document, but sometimes you just miss it.
Probably 70% of the time I am picking up a car in the evening or nighttime, often when it is dark and cold. I have executive status with my rental company which means I don't engage any employees until I reach the exit. If it's too dark or cold that night to accurately document the vehicle condition I make sure to check it first thing the next morning. If I see something untoward, which did happen to me once, I drive it back to the airport at my first opportunity and explain. That worked in that specific situation.