Pardon us, but there's something about those California tourism advertisements. You know the ones, you've seen them on TV. Over and over again. The Golden State, itself sinking, sank a lot of money into them, spending $12 million last year for ad space on national (mostly cable) television. If you've never seen them, here's one.

As pretty as these very expensive ads are, they end up being kind of annoying. Who can say -- maybe it's the smugness. Look at us. Having fun in sexy places! Aren't you sad you come from somewhere less fun and sexy? Okay, so, fine – destination advertising is a tough job, and it's rare you'll please everyone. But here comes the shocker: Guess who's paying for the ads? Tourists.

So you think you're covered. Damage, theft, personal effects - hey, you've even worked with your insurance agent to make sure you're covered in case of liability. Good for you. And yet, too many people who think they've done the responsible thing end up surprised when, after an accident, their insurance company won't foot the bill for something the rental car companies call "loss-of-use".

Loss-of-use is a fee imposed by the rental car company on the customer to cover its lost income while the vehicle is out of commission from an accident--even when the accident may not have been the customer's fault.

The 1920s were a wild time – jazz music, flappers, art deco and stock market highs. People dreamed big; for every success story, there was the tale of someone who did something incredibly stupid. In the latter category we have the Hertzmobile, a bit of tomfoolery dreamed up by John Hertz, as in Mr. Hertz Corporation. It wasn’t enough to rent cars, he said. Let’s make a car! The best rental car ever.

Anyone who's ever rented a car knows that one thing remains constant, whether you're in Anchorage, or Ankara, Turkey. The quoted price is never the final price. Why? We'll tell you why. Renters are an easy mark for regional governments looking to make a buck, that's why. After all, you're just visiting Minneapolis. You can't stick around and vote, can you? Didn't think so.

This explains why a city like, oh why not, let's keep picking on Minneapolis, feels no shame in slapping about 30 percent (and rising, mind you) in taxes and fees on top of your rental.

High weekly rates got you down? Take a look at this 1950's Hertz advertisement, which offers a week in a swell new Ford Fordomatic, picking up in Mobile, Alabama, for $50.50. Click to read the rest of this post »