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OT: Official 2024 Eclipse Stories and TRAVEL WARNINGS
CaptHenway
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ATTENTION PEOPLE GOING TO TEXAS FOR THE ECLIPSE: HERTZ reportedly overbooked their Texas rentals, and maybe their rentals everywhere in the eclipse path. Possibly big time. Somebody who called yesterday to confirm that they had a car got to San Antonio today and there were no cars on the lot. Don't know what you should do, but please be warned you may have a problem.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
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EXCELLENT PSA!!!!!
Overbooking is common. The twist here is that they probably had no idea about the eclipse at the time they took the bookings. And, unlike airlines, there are no federal rules regarding compensation, alternate arrangements, etc. Literally thousands of people are likely to just find themselves SOL, with absolutely no recourse, unless the reservation was prepaid in full months ago.
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In 2017 there was a total eclipse that covered part of Oregon. One enterprising individual booked several hotel rooms very early at normal prices. The hotel owner tried to back out the reservations because the price has gone up fourfold because of the eclipse. The owner was unsuccessful in doing so and certainly made a bad name for himself after the publicity hit the newspapers. Saw a piece on CNN yesterday indicating hotels/motels in the path of totality had increased their prices fivefold or more. supply and demand.
edited to add: 2017 the total eclipse right over my house. Didn't have to go anywhere, rent a car, sat in the front yard and watched it. For those of you who have not seen one, it is quite an experience and one worth seeing. put it on your bucket list.
As of Thursday evening, Alamo still seems to have a lot of cars in Dallas. (though the weather is looking a bit subpar is most of Texas for Monday?)
The person I saw griping on Facebook did make and pay for the reservation months ago.
Allegedly their system just kept booking reservations after it should not have, and enough people have already shown up and taken the cars that were there. That's the way Hertz works now even in Hertz Gold: First come, first served. No more care unless somebody turns one in.
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I live in San Antonio and was fortunate to catch last October's annular eclipse in fantastic weather. It is looking a bit iffy cloudwise here, but hoping for the best. Here's a shot from the annular eclipse:
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I'm lucky with it in my back-yard and good weather prediction. Should be fun, taking a "sick day" from work.
Jim
Okay. But, unlike a non-binding "reservation" that is not paid for in advance, and for which there are no penalties for no-shows, the person would absolutely be entitled to compensation, up to and including whatever a last minute replacement might cost, if a fully paid non-refundable advance booking is not honored.
That should incentivize Hertz to find a way to honor those reservations, or else cost them far more than they planned for not doing so. Unfortunately, most people do not know their rights, or the law, and just accept whatever they are told. Non-refundable advance reservations are not, "unless we don't have cars." With such reservations, I lose my money if my plans change, and you get me a car come hell or high water, or pay the price for not doing so.
All the rental companies might work that way now, but a non-refundable payment in advance creates a contract, and breaking a contract has financial consequences that any small claims in the country would be happy to adjudicate.
Especially in favor of an individual consumer at the expense of a large, private equity owned car rental agency squeezing every last dollar out of the business by overbooking with abandon, keeping non-refundable money without delivering a service, and then shrugging their shoulders and saying sorry when there is a problem, rather than moving heaven and earth to fix it.
I'm sure any court hearing a case like this would make Hertz pay for its carelessness. Especially if enough people are impacted to get a class action lawyer interested.
I posted this pic in the Friday “free for all” thread. The pic below was the best of 7 different shots I took during the 8/21/17 total solar eclipse (also happened to be my bday). I had been In Atlanta for a family wedding the prior weekend. Columbia SC was in the 100% totality path & about a 2-21/2 hour drive away. The state museum sponsored a “watch” event, so my Dad & I took the trip. It has to be just about the most spectacular sight I’ve ever seen! Totality was 2 mins 20 secs in our location. The pic below was at about the one minute mark.
Along with the pic, I would like to emphasize to those viewing Monday’s event in the 100% totality area the importance of solar certified viewing glasses. However, during actual totality, it’s a must to remove them so you can actually see it! I noticed a number of people at our event that didn’t know or forgot to remove their glasses. Consequently, they saw little or nothing. When the period of totality is winding down, it’s then the glasses should be put back on. I noticed news stories usually don’t mention this. One other phenomenon: it was a very hot day then; during totality, the temperature dropped noticeably. I can’t say how many degrees, but 20 or more was likely. Our event was the first in 99 years that a total solar eclipse band passed over the entire continental US. Point being: to those in the 100% totality area, enjoy this event as it’s unlikely there will be another chance to see this spectacle again!
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We had one about 45 years ago. Did not seem to be the big deal they are now.
2017 the total eclipse right over my house. Didn't have to go anywhere, rent a car, sat in the front yard and watched it. For those of you who have not seen one, it is quite an experience and one worth seeing. put it on your bucket list.
Same here in South Carolina - it was amazing to see several stars become visible at 2:00 in the afternoon.
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I witnessed the solar eclipse in Hawaii in July 1991 that lasted more than seven minutes in totality. I will pass on this one. Enjoy it if you are there, there is nothing like totality. Back in 1991 the newscasts went silent and they played classical masterpieces, very fitting.
If your going to view it, go to totality area. Nothing like it, last time I was in the 95-96% percent area, becuase I didnt want to drive a hundred miles, Big mistake, not even close to being the same effect.
If you stand in one place on Earth and never move from that spot, the average time you have to wait between solar eclipses is about 400 years. But this is an average. Some places might have to wait a thousand years or more; others, much less. There's a small rectangle of land in southern Illinois, just southeast of St Louis, which was in the 2017 total eclipse path of totality and which will also see the 2024 eclipse. That's just seven years between total eclipses. The good people of Carbondale, IL are probably thinking "Huh, solar eclipses? Big deal, see 'em all the time around here". They've already claimed the moniker of "Eclipse Crossroads of America".
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I'm in the path of totality (Buffalo). Supposed to be cloudy today with some breaks just around the time of totality. With up to half a million of visitors to the region, I'm viewing from the house.
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Don
I'm staying put, It's gonna be 98% where I live (Chicagoland).
Pete
A fellow who runs a shop in CT went out to see the last US total eclipse and was going to Burlington today to see this one. I told him that he should go up the night before due to traffic issues. Another friend called from Johnson VT today and was excited about it.
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