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poll: should under 21's be allowed to rent cars?

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I think you should be able to rent a car as long as you have your licence and you can prove you already own a car. Let's say for me, I'm 17, and I own a '00 Civic. I can't exactly go on vacation in LA and rent a car for the week, I'd be stuck taking taxi's everywhere. I think that's stupid. But, on the other hand, there are a lot of irresponsible people.
 
ive heard u can get u-haul trucks under 25 like 21 or something ....so ive heard of some college students just renting a u-haul since they coudln't get a rental car
 
I think they should...for gods sakes they let you drive at 16...go to war at 18...then drink at 21...

probably the least dangerous thing is renting a car...but yet..you have to be the oldest out of the 3 age ranges to do it..

weird.
 
you can actually rent a U-haul as long as you have a license... i've done that before "one of 'em college kids!!"
its not too cheap though, you're paying for mileage... and they've hiked up prices recently probably because they realized their service was being abused!
 
I think New York is the only state that makes it illegal for rental companies to deny drivers under 21. What they can do though, is charge your extra, which can be as high as 2 times more. Any other state, you gotta be 25, which is total BS, because if my car breaks down for some reason I'm gonna be f*cked up the ass!!! I live in CT, btw.
 
I drove a rental when I was 17 after my car got totaled by some guy who made a left turn and accelerated through me. (he didn't see me at 2PM on a clear day). I had to pay $9/day that his insurance company wouldn't pay (20th Century) and they only paid for 10 days of the 3-4 months between totalling my car and actually getting a check for $900 (quite a bit less than what we paid to have tires put on, the carb rebuilt, and new half shafts installed in the 4 mos prior)
 
Rental places are allowed to discrimate based on age... don't ask me why, I do not think you can find a satisfactory answer. If you are old enuf to die in war in service of your country, you should be old enuf to do anything else the "older" crowd is allowed, be it drinking, smoking, or renting a car.

Imagine a couple getting married, going on their honeymoon, and NOT being able to rent a car. 22 year olds can't rent a car (I got married when I was 22). It is stupid.
 
well, suppose you are in a wreck thats not your fault at 19. You still have to go to work. Your car is totalled. So your insurance company rents you a car. But wait, you've already settled and you have a dollar amount. You go to rent the car and they tell you about the huge surcharge you have to pay since you aren't 21. Insurance will not cover it. I think 18 should be the age. You are legally responsible at that age, even if you aren't 'emotionally responsible' yet.
 


<< 25 for Americans, 21 for Europeans (who know how to drive!)

lol! i like that!
i totally agree... though i'd replace &quot;europeans&quot; with &quot;not americans.&quot;
 


<< Imagine a couple getting married, going on their honeymoon, and NOT being able to rent a car. 22 year olds can't rent a car (I got married when I was 22). It is stupid. >>



now THAT must have sucked!! but many places allow you when you're 21, sometimes they charge you extra, other times not... unless the rules have changed more recently.
 


<< well, suppose you are in a wreck thats not your fault at 19. You still have to go to work. Your car is totalled. So your insurance company rents you a car. But wait, you've already settled and you have a dollar amount. You go to rent the car and they tell you about the huge surcharge you have to pay since you aren't 21. Insurance will not cover it. I think 18 should be the age. You are legally responsible at that age, even if you aren't 'emotionally responsible' yet. >>



personal experience i take it?
 
nate, you personally rented cars at 19 or you rented them thru work? You can rent cars younger than 25 if it's thru some company and it's basically their butt if you screw it up.

As for the question, the rental car companies can do whatever they want. This is America, right? We are a capitalist society right? If companies want to rent only to those 25 and older, that's their right. If the majority doesn't like it, then free enterprize will prevail and a company will open up that does rent to younger people and make ton's of money...
 
there was actually some company i remember in miami that allowed you to rent if you were 18... but they went out of business... maybe the capitalist idea didn't work for them?
 
Most places have a minimum of 25 for the person that rents the car, but other people can be listed to drive it. I tried several of the major rental places last year when I was going to PA, the lowest I found was 21 &amp; that was only one company.

Think about that, Anand himself wouldn't be able to rent a vehicle.

:Q

Viper GTS
 


<< As for the question, the rental car companies can do whatever they want. This is America, right? We are a capitalist society right? If companies want to rent only to those 25 and older, that's their right. >>



Perhaps.
But I can't choose who to rent or sell my house to.
 
I think it should be 18 as well, I had a roomate (age 18) from hawaii, (here in CA) and wanted to rent a car during spring break, and he couldn't so he was stuck, without a car and couldn't go anywhere during the two weeks we had off. It was a huge bummer for him.
 
Insurance companies cut your rates in half at 25, the same age that you can start renting cars. Coincidence? I think not.

The business they loose must be small enough that it's not worth paying for the additional coverage.

I had rental and loaner cars at the age of 20, but it was only because I full coverage on my vehicle and my insurance assumed full responsibility.
 
i think we got an answer as to why this 25 year old thing is there...
BUT...

what is more profitable:
a) allow rentals to under 25's as well, pay the extra insurance but get much more customers (younger people)
b) stick with what they have, cheaper insurance but fewer prospective customers.


 
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