Had a new experience this week on a business trip. I was traveling with 1 other guy, he rented the car and I was riding along. The second day of the trip we needed to divide and conquer at two nearby locations. He tossed me the keys as I was likely to be done first. When I finished up I drove over to where he was and waited in the parking lot. Eventually I got bored and started pushing buttons. I somehow completely turned off the infotainment system and couldn't figure out how to turn it back on, so I went looking for the manual. It was thankfully in the glove box under this black plastic case. Hmm...what's in this case? I think I'll have a look. Oh gee, it's a cheap digital scale...might be appropriate for your reloading bench if you're tight on cash. Let me take it out and have a look. Gee...it's kinda...dusty? Hey, what's this in the case under the scale? Some white stuff in a plastic bag...oh shit...

The happy ending is I had no effects from touching the items, the local PD we turned it in to did not question our story, and their K9 has a new sample of "dirty meth" to train with. Hertz is going to comp us the cost of the car. Next time I rent I'll be looking in the glove box, under seats, and wherever else something might have been left behind.

Rental cars out of Colorado often have mj left behind. Best to check carefully since Nebraska often will not be so understanding. At least you got a comp on the car.

I've only rented a car personally once. It was reserved and I sat in it and commented to the rental guy that is smelled like pot. He didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second to suggest I let him see if he could find another vehicle.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Rental cars out of Colorado often have mj left behind. Best to check carefully since Nebraska often will not be so understanding. At least you got a comp on the car.

This happened in Nebraska. We did discuss briefly how to handle the situation and possible outcomes, but going to the police seemed like the only right choice.

Yeah definitely check a rental thoroughly not only for existing damage when you get the rental, but also for something like this. I once found a good sized bag of marijuana in a rental car I got once. Of course if you ever got pulled over and it was found, your story would not be believed, which would be terrible.

I wonder….what happens if you buy a used car with no known background? There could be a trace of almost anything or worse

I had a similar experience about 17 years ago. I had a company car that needed work. The company had a relationship with a dealer that also had an Enterprise car rental shop on the dealers lot. So whenever we took a car in, the dealer would give us a rental car. I took the company car in late in the day and drove home in the rental. I thought the car smelled funny, but could not figure out why. The next day I took the car to work and still could not figure out the smell. Several of us went to lunch that day and took the rental car. One of my co-workers got in the back seat and immediately found an open 1 quart bottle of beer in the pouch on the rear of the front passenger seat. Everybody noticed the smell of stale beer. I do not drink and had no idea what the smell was. There is an open container law in the state. I do not know what would have happened if I got pulled over. I think there was quite a fuss made at the Enterprise car rental place and they offered me a free rental. All of my co-workers thought it was funny for me to be driving around with a car that smelled like stale beer and not to know what the smell was.

Check the trunk for dead hookers…

These days I'm not rooting around looking for stuff in a rental.
I'm not too concerned, in 40 some odd years of driving my car has never been searched by the Police for some reason.

I've had to pull the rear seats up from Greyhound buses before to get to the engine hatch.
After the first one I go in with a shop-vac and long handle needle nose pliers.
Pretty sure if you hit the area with a black light you wouldn't go in without a hazmat suit from the amount of used condoms the nasty bastards leave behind.
I wear one and a respirator because of the insulation around the exhaust that explodes into clouds when you work around it.

I'm getting the feeling that 4 "teens" can pool their money and rent a vehicle for a weekend and who know what will happen inside. Oh, you need to be 21 to get a rental? How about a "straw rental"?

quote:

Originally posted by shikemd:
I was traveling with 1 other guy, he rented the car and I was riding along.

I'm sure he didn't think you'd go snooping through the center console and was sweating when you called the cops. You ruined the man's side hustle!



Nah, seriously, check rental cars for drugs and dead hookers, folks.

When I went to the oil spill in 2010, the rental they gave me had been in a drive y the night before. I was at the light waiting to leave the airport when I saw a bump under the dash cover.

Bullet hit the driver side mirror, entered the cabin and into the dash. I turned right back around when the light turned green and I parked it, opened the glovebox and found blue nitrile gloves and a Polaroid of a black dude(I can only guess it was the target)

I walked inside and asked the guy behind the counter to come outside. Told him not to touch anything, showed him my badge and explained what I thought had happened.

Dude called the locals, and issued me a Dodge Charger at the government rate for a small car and sent me on my way.I was the only one with a real sized car for the time I was there.

Always check your rental well.

WOW - I'm lucky when I find a snow-scraper in my rentals!

Hertz should comp you the cost of THE CAR($$) - not just the rental.
Had that been fentanyl you cold likely be dead now.
Sounds like a fine candidate for a "mental distress" lawsuit much as I hate the frivolous crowd..........................

A few years back, I was sent to a conference in Baltimore, near the Inner Harbor. I took a chance on a major chain hotel about fifty yards away (figured it was only a night, and I only really needed to sleep and shower there.)

Two minutes later, I was downstairs explaining to the General Manager that while I appreciated their efforts to provide for every possible guest need, I preferred to bring my OWN crack pipe and wouldn't be needing the one in the room.

shikemd, your experience is precisely why I always do a thorough search of rental cars before the wheels turn, and why I will never, ever, ever consent to a search of one on the roadside. I have absolutely no idea what some prior idiot might have left in there.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
I wonder….what happens if you buy a used car with no known background? There could be a trace of almost anything or worse

When I was based at NAS West Coast, base security would run a dog through the new-to-you car at your request. In 13 years I used them twice and brought my paperwork showing I had just bought the car in case something was found. Thankfully both cars were clean.

Not sure if the local PD would do this, but you might try calling the admin line to ask.

Likewise, when I bought cars for my kid I'd have one of the interdiction guys run a dog around it and check it out.

A percentage of our unmarked cars were rentals. Do not tell a rental agent that you are using it for an op.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
I wonder….what happens if you buy a used car with no known background? There could be a trace of almost anything or worse

I had a buddy that would buy a car at the Cincinnati Police impound auction for $500 drive it till it died then would just buy another.

You were given a bill of sale and paperwork but no plate.
On one occasion he got pulled over after leaving the auction for no plates and I don’t doubt he was driving in a fashion that drew attention to himself.
Officer asked to search the car and my buddy said sure.

Hot Damn if there was not 15 pounds of marijuana in the trunk. Officer refused to believe it could have been left in there and arrested him.

Guess what you aren’t allowed to do with vehicles you buy at Cincy PD auctions anymore. Drive them off the lot. You have to have them towed.

My dude spent a night in jail, got a bit of cash from the PD (I am pretty sure), and never bought an auction car again.

When I worked as an Enterprise car wrangler, I routinely found a wide range of dope left behind in the cars. Sex toys and used condoms from time to time, too. And, amazingly, lots of renters would call us and want the dope back.
Sure, come right on in!

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
I wonder….what happens if you buy a used car with no known background? There could be a trace of almost anything or worse

Even cash that you actually have can have traces of drugs as just about every bill in circulation. That's how a marine lost his life savings traveling on a highway where they had a drug interdiction program going.

Back in the 80s My LE friends told me that most all $20 and higher had been in contact with cocaine. The dogs would hit on pocket money of everyone whether they were involved with drugs or not.