Up until a few days ago, it had never occurred to me to check the condition of a rental car’s interior before leaving the lot; I’m always focused on dents, scratches, windshield cracks etc.
The other day I picked up a Hertz car that had a whitish residue on part of the dash. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but it soon became apparent that the stuff (a) was way more widespread than I originally thought and (b) was
[stop reading here if you’re easily grossed out]
vomit.
Someone had barfed all over the dash, console, and surrounding areas, and only made a half-hearted attempt to clean it up. I used some paper towels and spray cleaner to make the smell semi-tolerable; it would have made the most sense to switch cars, but why would Hertz believe me if I told them a previous renter - and not I - was responsible for parking a custard in there?
I returned the car yesterday and haven’t seen any extra charges yet, so no harm no foul. But from now on I will be closely inspecting rental cars for interior filth as well as exterior damage.