Zippidy Doo-Da

So far, I've really been impressed with my Zipcar. (That's the car sharing program I belong to). There have always been lots of zip cars available, they all seem to be brand new, and there haven't been any glitches. I've even been using the same car every time (a Toyota Matrix) so I already feel like it's "mine."

I've been a very happy "Zipster."

Until last night.

I wanted to go to Target for one big item and would need a car to haul it back with. Zipcar was perfect for the job. I reserved it for one hour which would be more than enough time to get the job done. From 8:00 to 9:00 pm.

When I got to Target, I noticed that the car was completely out of gas. Grrrrr!

One of the rules is that you're supposed to ensure that it always has at least a quarter of a tank before returning it. The person before me left it with just a few gas fumes in it.

They should be punished. Extensively.

Now, the neat thing about Zipcar is that there's a gasoline credit card above the visor for us "Zipsters" to use; we don't have to pay for the gas. You just swipe the card, enter in the Zipcar number (it's printed on the credit card) and enter in the odometer reading (for security purposes).

Well, apparently, 8:30 pm is when EVERY cab driver in the city of Chicago fills up their tanks. There was a long line and I wasn't about to hunt for another gas station. They're few and far between in downtown Chicago, believe me.

So, seeing as I wasn't going to make it back by 9 pm, I had to call Zipcar and extend my reservation another hour. There's a $50.00 penalty for bringing your car back late, even by one minute -- it's all tracked by GPS and wireless technology which is, actually, pretty cool.

So, here I was, being a very conscientious Zipster by extending MY rental time another hour to make up for someone else's inconsideration.

That really bugged me. Banging on my high chair would ensue shortly.

My little Zipcar thirstily gulped down ten gallons of gas. I had barely made it.

Well, I'll have you know, I made it back by 9:00 pm, my original time slot and wouldn't have needed to extend it anyway. However, I was going to be charged for it since I had it reserved for that length of time anyway.

Well, I'll have you know, I was on the phone with my friendly Zipcar representative in a flash. (Well, after I noticed that I hadn't closed the gas tank when I filled up the car). At first, she wasn't going to give me a break because I am indeed responsible for making sure the car has gas in it regardless of what the other person did.

I was very, very nice and sweet on the phone. But persistent. I explained that I had to go wayyyy out of my way to fill up the car, that it was practically out of gas, and I got it back by 9:00 pm anyway. I told her I felt like I was being penalized for the other person's inconsideration and that really didn't seem fair.

She put me on 'hold' twice, but ended up giving me what I asked for; not to be charged for the extra hour. I was very sweet the whole time, almost overly sweet, but I wouldn't give up and it worked.

By the way, the person ahead of me who didn't fill up the car? They'll be charged $25.00 for that. It's one of the rules. They haven't got a leg to stand on either -- the records will show that I drove the car just a few blocks but had to put ten gallons of gas in it.

They're toast. I'm happy.

I'm a "Zipster"

My new job is working out really well. Everyone I work with is really nice and I’ve yet to identify any jerks or anyone who may be a problem down the road. My boss seems to like me. My checking account is also very happy, now that direct-deposit is once again supplying a teat onto which it can suckle.

I’ll be managing a state-wide program of facilities that assist people with disabilities find employment. That means I’ll have to travel about the state of Illinois at least once a quarter. That’ll be fun and interesting because, as a Chicagoan living in downtown Chicago, I’m not really aware that anything in Illinois actually exists outside of Chicago. Apparently, there are lots of soybeans and corn, so it’ll be fun to see.
I hear that Peoria will just eat you up and spit you out, baby.

At first, I thought I’d have to buy a car which I was pretty bummed out about. Having grown up in Texas where everything is a grillion miles from everything else, I grew tired of owning a car. For the past ten years I’ve lived near subways and, except for the occasional encounter with chicken bones or a dead bat, I really like using them.

Also, owning a car in downtown Chicago is horribly expensive. Insurance is sky-high, you have to buy a special city permit each year, and parking costs $200 a month where I live.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed these new “Zip Cars” that are parked in the plaza of my apartment building so I looked in to it. It turns out that it’s a system of car sharing. You sign up and get an electronic card. When you want a car, you just reserve one online. Then, through the miracle of wireless technology, only your “zip card” will unlock the car you've selected during the time you've selected it. You just drive off and go! It costs $9.00 an hour or $66.00 for a 24-hour period. And that includes insurance AND gas! (There’s a credit card above the visor to use).

It's like the Tivo of car rentals.

There are about 40 zip cars available within a one-mile radius of where I live. Better yet, there are four of them right in the plaza of my apartment building. Best of all, one of them is a Mini Cooper which are off-the-charts on the adorability factor.

I did the math and crunched the numbers. My employer reimburses us at 48.5 cents per mile. A round trip to my farthest destination is 680 miles. I’ll be coming out ahead by using my adorable Zipcar. And I won’t have to buy a car.

So, I joined up. As a Zipcar member, I am now a “Zipster.” (That’s cute too). I tried it out last week and it worked just fine. The Mini Coopers are just a blast to drive. Those puppies can just scoot! Did I mention they’re adorable?

I also like the idea of car sharing. I really have very strong anti-consumerist, anti-capitalist, pro-environment leanings, so knowing that I’m cheating the auto industry out of making me own a car makes me awfully happy.

But now, here’s the best part of all. You see, in the plaza of my apartment building, there are several spots reserved for tenants if you need to park there for less than 15 minutes. But, I’ve noticed this one car that’s often taking up one of those spaces all the time. Twice, when using a friend’s car, I’ve needed to drop things off and none of those spots were available. Grrrr!

I’ve complained to the parking attendants and they told me that the fellow that owns that car runs errands the elderly folks in the building. Yeah, right. (Then, the building management should give him a regular parking spot, - - not let him take up a space for which it’s not intended!) I complained to the management office and they said there was nothing they could do if the parking attendants let him do it. Grrrr!

So, for the past few months, I’ve really been grrrr-ing every time I see that guy’s car taking up a space that I have needed on occasion.

But now, my Zipcars take up four of those spots! And if anyone parks in a Zipcar spot, I can call Zipcar and have it towed away now that I’m a Zipster.

I take great pleasure in hoping that the owner of that car really, really resents that MY Zipcars are encroaching on his ability to illegally park there!

What I really hope for is that, one day, I’ll see that jerk’s car in a Zipcar spot. I’ll be on the phone soooo fast to have it towed. Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I really hope that clown parks there someday just so I can do it. I'll just be singing "Zippidy-doo-dah" as that tow truck yanks his nasty car away from MY parking spot.

God! This feels good!