Sunday, September 11, 2022

Mary's Move

Back in the good ol' days of yore, obtaining the services of a local U-Haul truck involved a trip to the local U-Haul store, which was a building located on a major street with plenty of parking both for customers and for the vast army of vehicles available for rent.

Times have changed.

Now every Mom & Pop storefront can (apparently) be an FBO (Fixed-Base Operator) for the continental fleet of orange-and-white, so long as they have a parking spot and a key Drop Box hanging from an exterior wall (or a strong metal pole). Leases are arranged via phone apps. Keys can be picked up inside the stores behind the counter. For point-to-point rentals, it isn't even necessary that the final drop-off storefront be open at the time; simply follow the instructions on the phone app, take the appropriate number of pictures to verify mileage and condition, drop the key in the box, and you're golden.

I miss the old days.