Safe journey

"Have a safe journey!" This is how our waitress wished us on our way , after a short stop in the"Little Chef" en route for Woodhall Spa for Christmas.
" Well she would wish us that wouldn't she? "remarked darling daughter Kathrin and continued "especially as you told her you don't know how to turn the lights off on the car! She really does hope we make it home safe and sound."
Just after our arrival at the restaurant our waitress had come over to our table hurriedly to tell us we had left the lights of the car on, to which we had replied "Thank you" and done nothing about it , as we didn't want to waste time looking for the manual in the dark. Of course this is just one of the drawbacks of hiring a car at night. In a hurry to set off you may not really check out how everything works , concentrating much more on adapting to driving on the other side of the road. You also in your hurry never check for those little dents and scratches which the car company will claim you have made on your return and then insist on charging you for..
Well on this occasion I had reserved a fairly small car as the last time in England I was upgraded to a "Chelsea tractor " which although spacious was a nightmare to park. On considering the amount of luggage for 4 persons ; two travelling in from Rotterdam to LCY with extra equipment for the onward stay in the Engadin as well as two normal adults with cases full of presents I was gently urged to order a bigger car.
"Oh no need " I replied airily"Carrie says it's always best to order a small car which the car company will no longer have available , when you arrive, especially late in the afternoon.Then they have to offer you a bigger car at no extra cost " This is my younger sister's recipe for success and thriftiness and nobody ever messes with Carrie.
As we have , on principle blacklisted so many car companies we were now new customers with Hertz, and so as we started our car rental transaction I casually asked for a bigger car.
" Yes, certainly, Madam, we can offer you a ( big big car)£35 extra per day. Is that what you had in mind ?" enquired our rather stiff rental agent.
"Well, have you anything a little smaller ?" I asked and so it went on.
It was dark by now , Mum's welcome dinner was surely long waiting at home and so off we drove , never stopping to figure out the lights. We always end up with a bigger car which we don't really need and just this once, couldn't Carrie's ploy have worked ? Of course not , next time I'll have to travel with Carrie and see exactly how it works .I can't imagine anyone sniggering at her and calling out "have a safe journey!"
xxx