The "Traveler Troubleshooter" at the Philadelphia Inquirer recently took on the issue of the added fee charged by the Enterprise rental car company for an additional driver who is not a spouse. The reader's letter begins with this:
Question: "A couple of weeks ago, my family and I took a trip to Hilton Head Island. We booked a rental car with Enterprise, and the fine print in the contract said there would be an additional charge of $5 a day for 'each additional authorized driver other than a spouse or domestic partner.'
"I checked this language specifically because my partner and I are partners, not spouses. We live in Canada (though we're U.S. citizens) and are "common-law spouses" (a domestic-partnership category) under Canadian law.
"When we arrived to pick up the car at the Savannah, Ga., airport, we were told we had to pay the extra fee because we were not married." [Note: You can read the entire letter here.]
I am happy to report that Mr. Troubleshooter (Christopher Elliott, ombudsman for the National Geographic Traveler magazine) calls this what it is: discrimination. Below are some excerpts from his answer. [You can read his full answer here.]
"By Enterprise's logic, a married couple or a same-sex couple is less of a risk to a rental car than an opposite-sex couple, or just two friends. I haven't seen any evidence that married couples are any less likely to total a car than unmarried couples.
"Enterprise is hardly the only car-rental company to charge extra-driver fees. But what makes its charges so troubling is the discriminatory nature of the fees...If Enterprise wants to charge an extra $5 per driver, it should do it for everyone."
How's this for a happy ending? Again, from the Troubleshooter:
"I contacted Enterprise on your behalf, and it refunded the extra-driver fee."
[Thanks to Carol Kahn, almost-PhD, for the heads-up about this story. I've never met Carol, but I am in touch with her because she is writing a wonderful dissertation on singles and attachment at Drexel University, and I am a long-distance member of her dissertation committee.]
And now, a separate -and very significant - topic...
Who Will Be the Next Executive Director of the 'Alternatives to Marriage Project'? We who believe so deeply in fairness for single people (including unmarried couples) have had wonderful leadership in the past from single-minded change agents Thomas F. Coleman, Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller, and most recently, Nicky Grist. The Alternatives to Marriage Project is now looking for its next Executive Director. This is such an important position. Take a look at the position announcement below (and click on the link to the full description). If you think you have the goods - or if you know someone who does - let the search committee know!
I will be right there to help the new director in just about any way. I say "just about" because I have a big deficiency - I'm terrible at fundraising. I just hate asking people for money, even for a great cause (and this is, to my heart, a great cause). That means I won't throw my name in the hat for the director position; fundraising is a big part of that position. But I hope you are someone (or you know someone) who does not share my deficiency. I know that many of the people who read this blog are passionate about singles issues. So let's get the word out! And thank you, many times over, to our previous leaders.
Position Announcement:
Executive Director, Alternatives to Marriage Project. Lead transition from a small, member-funded organization to a grant funded, policy-oriented organization. Manage all fundraising including cultivating and communicating with major donors, researching grants and writing proposals, securing small gifts from members and guiding Board fundraising efforts. Research marital status discrimination in law and business practice, analyze impacts, propose and advocate solutions. Articulate a vision for how the organization can best achieve its mission, recognizing that the Board of Directors has final say over strategy and policy; guide and motivate staff and volunteers to achieve the vision. Ensure solid legal and financial footing. Implement web-based technology and social media. Conduct media interviews and outreach. Starting salary approximately $30,000/year with growth potential. To apply, email resume and cover letter to mailto:jobs@unmarried.org by May 30th, 2011. See full position description here.
