If Florida pastor and Quran burner Terry Jones didn't already know about the hazards of going off half-cocked, he found out Thursday night when his pistol discharged in his rental car during his visit to protest Islam in Dearborn.
The vehicle suffered a gunshot wound to the floorboard, said police, who didn't give the car's make or model to protect its anonymity. Authorities said the auto was treated and released at a local garage and was resting comfortably on a nearby side street.
Reached for comment, the car said, "It just really Hertz."
Jones' visit presents all kinds of teachable moments, but for now I'll stick with the basics of rental car insurance.
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In this case, police say the shooting was an accident, which would be a highly questionable assertion with cars I've rented, including a filthy Hyundai in Boston that clearly was asking for it. Any jury of my licensed driving peers would have acquitted me in a second, ruling that the shooting was a mercy killing.
Nonetheless, police say that charges won't be filed. Well, maybe not by them, but I bet the firm that rented the car to Jones wants to charge him plenty to patch that bullet hole.
To check your own coverage, first ask your auto insurer how your policy deals with rentals, although it may not specify bustin' a cap on your vehicle.
Make sure your policy applies to the type of vehicle you're renting (vans or exotic cars may not be covered), where you're driving (you may not be covered overseas) and the amount of time you're renting (some may not cover extended rentals). Also remember that, if something happens to a rental, you're still on the hook for the amount of your deductible.
Credit cards also offer some protection, but that is usually secondary to your own auto coverage. And in cases where you have skimpy coverage or wouldn't want to pay the deductible, you can consider the insurance offered by the rental company. Again, read the fine print and know what you're getting.
As for Jones, he'd best make sure he pays the rental company's damage charges in a timely manner, lest they turn him over to a collection agency that would charge additional penalties — including interest.
Then he might start wishing he lived under sharia law — the Islamic faith bans interest.
