back from spain last week, hired a car, and for the first time ever, committed rental car crime. i drove off without properly checking all the panels for dents, scratches and the like. ok, it was still wet, and the car park was dark, but no excuses really, especially considering the fact that i hadnt taken out any excess waiver cover.

sure enough, get out of the car 50 miles later and there are two huge scratches down both nearside doors. not mine i should add. everyone knows how shit rental car operators are, so i spend the next 2 days worrying about how much of my 400 quid excess this will cost me, then El goes and clips the wing mirror in a panicked tunnel vision moment in the rain in bilbao. resign myself to my credit card getting majorly fucked over and get on with having a laugh on holiday.

The invoice turned up yesterday, fully paid, no additional charge, not even for the extra driver that we added. Well done Europcar (sleasyjet partners) for being nice, or really slack on your admin, eitherway giving car hire operators a good name. gonna use them again. i wonder if there is a tv counter for watchdog to sing the praises of all the descent companies out there?

the car in question was one of those new 207's, not bad, really cool trip computer (real time fuel economy read-outs), radio picked up nothing but lairy spanish hip hop and punk stations, nippy little rev happy petrol engine and solid handling. only downside was not knowing where the bonnet ended and the now customary and slightly annoying peugeot understeer when driving like a chav, couldnt even get any lift off oversteer on a greasy roundabout. if anyone from top gear is reading, shall i send in a cv? hear there's a vacancy...