"holding" a car while checking the rest of the inventory
 

This morning at DTW airport, a guy got to an Infiniti M45 (or M56) a mere seconds before me, but he looked uncertain. I kindly asked if he was going to take the car, he said yes.
Now im walking around the lot looking for something fun to drive.....I see he opened the trunk of the infiniti, but walked away (with his luggage i think).
I was considering just jumping in and taking it, but then i thought, maybe he was having trouble with the car or something, was looking for a lot attendant.
I jump in a car and head towards the exit, I still see him walking around, far from the PC area. I roll down my window and asked him again if he was still taking the Infiniti......his response was yes, but he was just looking around, he's a frequent traveler.

At that point I should have just went back and taken the car. What do you guys think of the situation? i think its totally unfair.

There's a good chance he had the keys to the car in his pocket. People do that all the time. If he didn't, the car was fair game. You're under no obligation to check with someone who was browsing a vehicle earlier if they're not near it any longer.

that is a good point, i didnt think of him holding the keys.

If you're going to take the keys to a car while you look around, you should put your luggage in and remote start it so people know it's taken. Even then I wouldn't do it often, seems unfair and a good way to get in trouble with the employees.

Definitely lock the car, so somebody doesn't waste time hunting for the keys, particularly in cars with just a fob.

Yes if I find a car I like, I do take the keys and lock it, then see what else is there in the PC and FS lots. If I find a better one, I take the key, lock it and then go back to the other car to unlock it and put the keys back in.

Sometimes you can have the same cars with slightly different trims and toys so I rather see if I can get the most decent car.

I sometimes try to get in a car and drive around to 5 star and gold and see if I like anything better.

A new low in customer behaviour?
 

There may be fifty people in this and the National forum (Emerald Aisle/Exec Selection) who have used that trick.

Yeah. I can see staking claim to a vehicle but I'd leave an occupant while I looked around. I don't think I'd take the keys and lock it unless I had loaded my bags and had to go to the desk or something.

At LAX, since there are so many vehicles in the PC area, I often spot a vehicle right off that I like, take the keys and look around at all the offerings to see if I want to switch. But even after deciding on a vehicle, there have been a couple of times I will go into the main office and use the restroom. I see no problem with someone picking a vehicle and leaving it as long as they take the keys and lock it.

I don't see that taking the keys and locking it makes it acceptable. In fact, it makes it worse, as then the car isn't available to others and the lot won't be restocked - yet everyone else will go up to the car to try to get in. IMHO, "reserving" one or more cars when not present at them puts people's own wishes ahead of the convenience of others (to put it politely).