Car Troubles

The car rental system in Ontario is not fair. I feel discriminated against as a 20-something, who is not yet a 25. Let's look at the facts:

1) At the age of 21, (with a few exceptions) anyone can rent a car from the major companies (Enterprise, Discount, Budget, Hertz) however, if under the age of 25, an additional fee applies. This fee is usually between 20 and 25 dollars per day, a coincidence I find interesting. Combined with the policy of 4-day minimum rental in the summer, that equals a $100 fee right off the bat to pay for my birthday.

2) On the webpage at "Zipcar", the "car rental alternative" (which is looking more and more appealing everyday...) they say research shows, people between the ages of 21 and 25 are no more likely to get into an accident than someone over 25. So what is this fee for?

It seems to me that they are simply cash-grabbing the demographic most likely to need to rent a car! Take me for example. I recently finished school, I have begun my first "real job" and my salary is in theory the lowest it will ever be. Buying a car of my own right now is not in the cards unless I plan to be part of the statistic that shows the average amount of savings for people under 30 is -5%. Which I don't. However, since I am still putting down roots in Toronto, I have occassion to drive to see friends who are putting their roots down somewhere else. I enjoy the odd visit home and work makes the coordinating the bus schedule more stressful than is necessary, and on top of all that, I am a girl on the go: I race a different venu at least once a month.

I am a person who needs a car, but can't afford to buy one. yet. Shouldn't I be the person the rental companies are catering to? But instead, there is this cost prohibitive fee standing between me and a reliable borrowed vehicle.

3) With my job, I am sometimes required to rent a car. But when this happens, gone are the hassles about my age. As soon as I am part of the "corporate plan" all the worry about my age melts away. Why is that??

I understand the other side too of course. There are others in my age bracket who are less than savoury and would likely rent a car to transport drugs or pick up hookers. But honestly, why do I have to pay for them?

In the end, I got a beat up old Impala that looks somewhat like an unmarked cop car. It has cigarette burns on the passenger seat and has that sweet smell of stale tobacco I am so fond of. But it runs (supposedly) and I didn't have to pay extra. Someone out there gets it I suppose.