Hooked Up

I don't view myself as a soccer mom. Despite the fact that I'm a married, white, middle-class mom living in the suburbs. The thing is, I don't drive a minivan. Not that there's anything wrong with it. I mean, I have owned minivans in the past. When my kids were babies/toddlers/preschoolers, I couldn't imagine any vehicle better suited for transporting three little ones and all their gear.

But as soon as they were old enough to buckle themselves in their seats, I switched to driving SUVs. My current one is my favorite -- midsize; hybrid; drives like a car, not a truck. It just feels more like "me."

But here's the thing... No one likes taking it on long drives. It's comfortable, but it just doesn't have the configuration desired for settling in over the long haul, along with coolers, luggage, stuff to keep the kids busy, and the dog.

So, for a couple of upcoming trips, we've decided unanimously that we want to rent the Chrysler Town and Country minivan -- the one with the swivel seats and the fold-up table. In the commercials, it looks like a family room on wheels: everyone is smiling, facing each other, playing cards, having a great time. We want that!

So I spent an hour on the Internet and phone this morning, checking with all the local rental car agencies, as well as with our local Chrysler dealer, to try to rent a Chrysler T&C. To no avail! No one has them available for rent, and the dealer didn't really know how to help me, either. Who knew that a rental minivan would be such a hard-to-find commodity?

After all this research, one would likely reach the conclusion that this particular vehicle is simply not available for rent in our city. Except ... wait ... my neighbor rented one last year. Hmmm.

So I called the neighbor to ask what's up. Evidently, getting the T&C is a matter of pulling strings, knowing the right person, working the connections. My friend said he'd be happy to hook me up. I feel I've just made some grand coup!

Kind of sounds like we're involved in some illicit transaction. But no, it's all on the up-and-up. Nothing illegal or improper. Just playing the connections game. All over a minivan!

Getting connected with the right rental agent completely made my day. I'll definitely win points with the fam!

But I will be shaking my head in disbelief all day: a minivan as a rare commodity? I just don't get it.