Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-02
HIRING AN AUTO IN FRANCE.
Traps American Tourists Should Look
Out For.
HOW THE FRENCHMEN WORK 1T
Extra Expenses and Mlshaps of a
Party Who Contracted ON
Side for an Automobile
Trip to Paris.

NEW YORK, Jan. L-"Automobiling In
Franc is all right for anybody that owns
an utomobile and can afford to spend
money" said a young New York lawyer
who has tried It. but for PERSONS who
have not the coin 1t may prove an unwise
luxury. Especially is this the case II you
hire a car from this, side without abso-
lutely knowing What you are up against.
you can talk about ironclad contracts
and all that. When you get to France
h does such a contract amount to? II
you seek legal redress you are up against
all sorts of delays and expenses, and the
Simplest way Is to pay up what they de-
mand. II you don't It will cost you more.
Having been deluged with pamphlets
and circulars setting forth the advantages
to prospective American tourists of hiring
a motor car for a European trip before
starting from this side ] conferred with
three more or less hard working friends,
and we decided hat the thing to do for a
holiday was to make a dash into France
by auto. Then we hunted up the company
that was doing the advertising.
1T was found to be occupying a desk In
ar uptown garage, and when 1t offered to
let us rave the use of an entire auto
mobile for a whole week on the roads of
France, together with a chauffeur who
could speak English, for $3.50, we closed,
signed and had delivered a formal con-
tract. This provided, among other things,
that the car should be at Frascat's hotel,
Havre. on a certain morning In July at 9
o'clock, prepared and equipped for a tour.
The rental price included the chauffeur,
his board and lodging, the gasoline, oil,
tire repairs, IL necessary, garage. etc. We
were to pay $50 down, and Of the balance
one-half on delivery Of the car and one
half four lays thereafter.
when we had paid the $56 and received
the signed contract. we noticed that there
had been added a stipulation that there
should be a small additional charge for
sending the car from Havre to Paris. An
interview with the company elected the
information that this would be a negligible
sum, probably $40 or $12. Under no cir
cumstances would there be any expenses
except the $40 a day.
w did not go to France direct but
landed in London. and there the first
jolt came. 1t was in the form of a teIe-
gram telling me to call on the automobile
company's agent in London. / did so,
n he showed ne a telegram from the
owners Of the car in Paris stating that
the car could not be sent from Paris to
Havre until the London agent had col
lected $50 from us.
This was against the contract and II
caused an argument, but the London agent
said No money, no car so we decided to
fork over. They had us where they wanted
us.
"Of course We thought this sum would
be credited upon the agreed price for the
hire Of the car and that as we had now
paid sos this left a balance OF STA due
l therefore prepared to pay the chauffeur
at Havre one-half of that sum. or So.
I'VE had Intended to join the automobile
at Havre on Monday morning. but found
that the boat from Southampton to HavrC
never runs on Sundays. We then asked
for first class cabins for Monday night
but were Informed they were all taken FOL
weeks ahead. 'Gentlemen's second claws
special reserved berths are very good. sir,
we were Informed, 80 after various tele-
grams had been exchanged four OF thes'
we're reserved.
I'VE found the 'Gentlemen's second
claws specials They consisted Of a small
cockpit about ten feet long and six wide
with a narrow table running down the
center, and along the sides OF the com
partment wooden tToughs six feet Ions