Unceded Land ~4~

 

Waking after a good night’s sleep, I had a few hours before I needed to leave. I readied slowly, which included taking a shower in the narrowest of shower cubicles on Planet Earth. My elbow pulled the soap/shampoo dispenser off the wall and the glass container shattered on the shower floor. I was able to carefully avoid stepping onto any of it, cleaned it up, and asked at check-out how much I should pay. It was decided that I needn’t pay. That was unexpected and welcome proof that their hospitality is genuine and guest focused.

I got an Uber to Powell BART station and headed to the airport. It seemed to me that few people use BART. Occupancy today was as scattered as it had been when I traveled in the opposite direction three days ago.

My car was booked with Herzt. Two days before Erin arrived, while still at the Mosser Hotel, I got it in my head that I should update my expected pick-up time. Erin would arrive several hours after my car was booked as I’d booked it before she expressed her interest in the road trip. I was concerned they would give my car to the next customer. Then they upped the quote. What had been a quote of $373.69 suddenly turned to $1050. I called the service number on my booking. It was suggested I reschedule to the original time. The quote did not drop. I was livid. Now, on Wednesday, I traveled to the airport well before Erin’s arrival. I wanted to get to Hertz, plead my case. The supervisor explained that Super Bowl LX was taking place and that cars were in high demand. Nevertheless, she got on the phone, but not before she disappeared into offices I could not see. I waited. When she returned, she informed me that she’d been able to secure my original quote. All I had to do was call for her when I returned to pick up the car after I’d picked up Erin. Fortunately, I’d let Erin know about the quote and the neglected driver’s license, and she’d booked an in-case car with Avis. Returning to Hertz, when it came to handing over my license, they would have none of it. This was, thank goodness, before I called for the supervisor who’d worked so hard on my behalf. At Avis, of course, they wouldn’t add me as a driver because I didn’t have my home-country license.

I was truly annoyed at myself for my stupid oversight. It now forced Erin to drive all the way. This must have been so tiring! Still, I didn’t want to be that foreigner who found himself on the wrong side of ICE and the Trump White House. I realize that I’m speaking in superlatives at the moment, but for some people, these are not superlatives. I later checked online what the repercussions might be. It’s a California Vehicle Code 12500(a) misdemeanor, potentially resulting in a vehicle tow, court appearance, six months in jail, and fines up to US$1,000.