XPost: alt.home.repair   
   From: NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com   
      
   Most roads in Guatemala that I drive on are pretty nice.  Even in rural   
   areas, they are 2 wide lanes, one each way, often with a  yellow strip   
   in the middle and white edge.   A couple short areas, 2 or 3 miles,   
   probably ones that had accidents, actually had yellow and even maybe   
   white reflectors nailed to the road. A good thing because once I had to   
   do 12 miles at night, on curves, with fog.   
      
   But some are dirt or gravel and my car is very dirty.   
      
   Do I wash the car so they will think I never took it on any gravel roads   
   and I took great care of it, and the dirt will hide any scratches I may   
   have made**.   
      
   OR DO THEY WASH THE CAR AFTER I LEAVE AND LOOK FOR SCRATCHES AND OTHER   
   DAMAGES THEN, WHEN I'M NOT THERE TO REMIND THEM THAT THE DAMAGE IS   
   ALREADY ON THE CAR MAP THEY MADE AND GAVE ME WHEN i RENTED IT. That   
   seems like something they woudl do.   Hertz Guatemala but I'm sure   
   thy're all the same.   
      
   Until yesterday I think there was no damage at all, but turning left in   
   a lane just for that purpose, I heard this terrible noise.   When I   
   could stop, I saw that I had scratched the left rear wheel cover.   A   
   plastic OEM Toyota one.  But plastic.  Are they going to make me buy a   
   whole new one?   they would cost what, $15, if they didn't say Toyota.   
      
   I drove 10 miles on a gravel road today and I'm sure the wheel cover is   
   dusty again.   
      
   What to do?   
      
   **They told me the insurance (twice the price of the rental itself)   
   coves accidents, but I have to pay for scatches myself.  I don't think   
   I've gotten any but there are 3 days left.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)