Diary of a Rental Car

Rental cars are exposed to so many things in the short lifespan before being retired and sold. Often overlooked and easily forgotten, what if rental cars had a voice? What if they could tell their story of what they see over the two-year average in that role? What were the most memorable experiences it had seen? What stood out the most? What stories would be told about the places, experiences, people, and adventures it would have, good and bad? Maybe this is the story that would be told...

We often use rental cars as a tool. Transportation on a vacation, a short-term vehicle while getting your car repaired, or saving wear and tear on a personal vehicle. Most are dismissed and never remembered as soon as they are dropped off. No second thoughts given about them. Rental cars are exposed to so many things in the short lifespan before being retired and sold. Often overlooked and easily forgotten, what if rental cars had a voice? What if they could tell their story of what they see over the two-year average in that role? What were the most memorable experiences it had seen? What stood out the most? What stories would be told about the places, experiences, people, and adventures it would have, good and bad? The love and the abuse. What if a rental car kept a diary of this experience to tell to the world? What if it developed a personality of its own through the transportation it provided, and wrote down what it had been through? Maybe this is the story that would be told...

Jim McAllister is an American writer from Phoenix, AZ. His first piece of work was published in "The Mail" section of The New Yorker Magazine in 2019 when he had one beer too many, and disagreed with an article they published, then sought out attention on his disagreement. They published it. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and also holds a certificate in Financial Planning. "Diary of a Rental Car" is his first published book that explores an often-overlooked piece of travel, the rental car. In this freshman proclamation, he chose to give a voice to the life of a rental car and the stories, adventures, abuse, and positive life-changing moments that a rental car would see in this role. This book takes the perspective if a rental car had a personality of its own and kept a diary of the people that had rented it, these would be the experiences it would talk about. In his spare time, Jim continues to brave the heat of Phoenix, AZ in the summer, and spends his time fishing, traveling as much as the United States as possible, planning his next trip, playing with his dog, and taking long naps on his couch.