We had arranged for our SuperShuttle to pick us up at the Holiday Inn Friday morning and take us back to SFO where we had reserved a car to drive for the rest of our trip. At the desk the agent convinced Don he would like to drive a hybrid-engined vehicle, specifically a Nissan Altima Hybrid. This was subsidized by Uncle Sam and so was only a little more expensive than the car originally reserved. Don figured the difference would be more than made up by the better mileage of the hybrid. In the garage we carefully inspected the car for damage and blemishes that might be charged to us on the return, then loaded and started up - but with a little difficulty that would come back to haunt us later in the day.
In our planning we didn't know whether we would want another day in SF or not, so we arranged for a room in Cupertino (in the heart of Silicon Valley) which would have been close enough to drive back if we wanted. It turned out we didn't, but instead drove down Monterey Bay toward Carmel. On the way we made a pit stop. This was the first time we had turned off the car. It had been running since we drove it away from the rental garage. When we got back into the car to continue on our way it wouldn't start. The car has controls virtually identical to our Infiniti, i.e. a keyless, push button start, which demands a certain situation (brake on, Park selected) to operate. At the garage it seemed to require that the driver have his seat belt fastened, so of course we fiddled with seat belts, brake pedal, gear selector, etc, but to no avail. Finally, Don called the "help" number provided on the rental agreement, fully expecting the end result to be having to wait around for a tow truck. (Some of you may already be laughing here.) Anyhow, the kind gentleman on the line prompted Don go through the start procedure, then put the selector in gear and drive away, notwithstanding the lack of engine-running sound. Of course, it worked since hybrid vehicles start the gasoline engine whenever they damn well feel like it and the driver/operator has no control over it. They usually start out in electric-only mode. This came to engineer-Don in a flash when the help-guy said "put it in gear" etc, but not with out a generous helping of embarassment. To this day, after driving that car for 2335 miles, he still cannot reconstruct the initial start up at the rental garage. The gasoline engine started then as a neophyte would expect. Oh well.
The rest of the day was uplifted by our lunch at a fantastic place a little south of Carmel with a gorgeous ocean view. We were in no hurry to finish. After that we strolled around Carmel a little (mostly art/craft shops and cafes) and then drove back to Cupertino to spend the night. Map.
