Along the way I talked with a CAT employee on the bus who was very helpful and assured me that I would not have trouble bringing luggage. But when I arrived at Stewart and Seventh I was not sure I wanted to be on that side of El Cortez with luggage. It was a short walk, but still seemed a bit sketchy. So I think if I took the bus from the airport I'd take the 108 and get off right in the populated area of downtown. The time is about the same.
BUS CHATTER
The 45 minute 109 ride from the airport went quickly because I had a fine, long talk with the CAT employee. He was a great promoter of the buses and clearly worked hard to give everyone a pleasant trip. One old gentleman who was trying to make some fancy dinner on the strip was rather stuffy and annoyed and this young CAT fellow treated him fine. So we had a talk on handling passengers.
While I was there, one fellow was put off the bus by the driver for having, and spilling, beer. Another fellow was yelled at by his seat companion for rubbing his legs up against him too many times, with the insinuation that it was a gay act. So there can be tensions on the bus. I enjoyed the good natured remarks of a cute, young black girl who knew the driver rode standing up in the front where I sat.
The day after I used the same pass to do a coupon run, taking the 108 to hard Rock and working my way back (see coupon snippet).
I also took the 105 to the Riviera one day, but I picked a crowded time at rush hour and it was crowded and slow. It is a bit of a walk from the back end of the Riviera but I think at other times it would avoid Deuce traffic.
While I was there, one fellow was put off the bus by the driver for having, and spilling, beer. Another fellow was yelled at by his seat companion for rubbing his legs up against him too many times, with the insinuation that it was a gay act. So there can be tensions on the bus. I enjoyed the good natured remarks of a cute, young black girl who knew the driver rode standing up in the front where I sat.
The day after I used the same pass to do a coupon run, taking the 108 to hard Rock and working my way back (see coupon snippet).
I also took the 105 to the Riviera one day, but I picked a crowded time at rush hour and it was crowded and slow. It is a bit of a walk from the back end of the Riviera but I think at other times it would avoid Deuce traffic.
BUT MAYBE A CAR
In spite of my love for the bus, I liked having a car on Boulder Highway this trip and was thinking that perhaps I should start up that way, then head out to Laughlin for a couple days and so spend the first week of my next trip.
The car price if cheap enough is easily reduced by the easy ride from the airport when I arrive and the reduced August prices of Laughlin hotels.
I just don't know if I like the risk of accident. My reading lately has raised my concern about covering all accident possibilities. Many more writers now recommend paying some sort of CDW because the loss of use and the diminished value amounts could be very expensive.
I did find a travel site that sells a cheaper CDW. Perhaps I'll try that:
http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/rental-car-insurance.shtml
I do know that I won't use my usual charge card as an accident would sure hold that up for a good while.
Here is a summary of rental car issues:
I have been doing some travel research and you may want to take a look at this before you rent a car.
It seems that all I have been told over the years about my own insurance covering car damages or the credit card coverage working is just not the case, and the final cost could be tens of thousands of dollars. Here are some articles I sent to my agent as she studies the issues. She has always recommended not getting any waivers, but now she is hearing from her colleagues to buy the supplemental waivers too and is unsure what to tell people.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8625501?source=rss
This seemed the most comprehensive article. Don't neglect the comment section as that has more information.
http://www.bnm.com/insgas.htm
http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/some-second-thoughts-on-car-rental-insurance.html?id=2544570
this one discusses the AARP cap at $3,000.
Another article showed that Alamo had one waiver deal that only applied to the first $3,000. Perhaps my own insurance would kick in after that.
However, the issue of whether with an old car like the 99 Saturn I am insured for enough to cover a new rental is important to consider too. I might have tens of thousands to make up even after my own insurance kicked in.
Also, it is not clear who covers the difference between the true value of the car and what the car company sells it for if it needs to be scrapped after an accident. They total easily because the car company does not want a car out there with a history of a bad accident for fear that might be another lawsuit. So if the car is worth $20,000 and they sell the remains for $7,000 the credit card insurance will not cover that difference. Whether my own insurance will is a question that my agent is working on too.
The following sites sell waivers cheaper than you can get at the car counters directly:
http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/rental-car-insurance.shtml
However, these are waivers that have been designed by a company that sells travel insurance. My research says the company is reputable, but there again, if I used these products, I would be responsible for the damages at first and have to be reembursed by the insurance company. That being said, the company has an excellent record of paying claims, and has been praised in many places, including Frommer's Guide.
see:
Travel Guard
The waivers at the counter stop the car company itself from going after any money. But they are often as expensive as the car rental.
The credit card coverage for loss of use demands that the car companies send them a log indicating that they had no other cars for rent. The car companies refuse to send any such logs, so the consumer gets caught in the middle when the credit card coverages will not pay. everyone knows this happens, but it is not to anyone's advantage to do anything about it. Some of my reading suggests a Visa card will be a better bet than a Mastercard at covering such loss of use charges.
I will have more information from my State Farm agent before I go in August and I'll share it if you want me to.
If you agent tells you that you are covered, ask for the details in writing. My agent just laughed that State Farm would send me any such writing.
The car price if cheap enough is easily reduced by the easy ride from the airport when I arrive and the reduced August prices of Laughlin hotels.
I just don't know if I like the risk of accident. My reading lately has raised my concern about covering all accident possibilities. Many more writers now recommend paying some sort of CDW because the loss of use and the diminished value amounts could be very expensive.
I did find a travel site that sells a cheaper CDW. Perhaps I'll try that:
http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/rental-car-insurance.shtml
I do know that I won't use my usual charge card as an accident would sure hold that up for a good while.
Here is a summary of rental car issues:
I have been doing some travel research and you may want to take a look at this before you rent a car.
It seems that all I have been told over the years about my own insurance covering car damages or the credit card coverage working is just not the case, and the final cost could be tens of thousands of dollars. Here are some articles I sent to my agent as she studies the issues. She has always recommended not getting any waivers, but now she is hearing from her colleagues to buy the supplemental waivers too and is unsure what to tell people.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8625501?source=rss
This seemed the most comprehensive article. Don't neglect the comment section as that has more information.
http://www.bnm.com/insgas.htm
http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/some-second-thoughts-on-car-rental-insurance.html?id=2544570
this one discusses the AARP cap at $3,000.
Another article showed that Alamo had one waiver deal that only applied to the first $3,000. Perhaps my own insurance would kick in after that.
However, the issue of whether with an old car like the 99 Saturn I am insured for enough to cover a new rental is important to consider too. I might have tens of thousands to make up even after my own insurance kicked in.
Also, it is not clear who covers the difference between the true value of the car and what the car company sells it for if it needs to be scrapped after an accident. They total easily because the car company does not want a car out there with a history of a bad accident for fear that might be another lawsuit. So if the car is worth $20,000 and they sell the remains for $7,000 the credit card insurance will not cover that difference. Whether my own insurance will is a question that my agent is working on too.
The following sites sell waivers cheaper than you can get at the car counters directly:
http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/rental-car-insurance.shtml
However, these are waivers that have been designed by a company that sells travel insurance. My research says the company is reputable, but there again, if I used these products, I would be responsible for the damages at first and have to be reembursed by the insurance company. That being said, the company has an excellent record of paying claims, and has been praised in many places, including Frommer's Guide.
see:
Travel Guard
The waivers at the counter stop the car company itself from going after any money. But they are often as expensive as the car rental.
The credit card coverage for loss of use demands that the car companies send them a log indicating that they had no other cars for rent. The car companies refuse to send any such logs, so the consumer gets caught in the middle when the credit card coverages will not pay. everyone knows this happens, but it is not to anyone's advantage to do anything about it. Some of my reading suggests a Visa card will be a better bet than a Mastercard at covering such loss of use charges.
I will have more information from my State Farm agent before I go in August and I'll share it if you want me to.
If you agent tells you that you are covered, ask for the details in writing. My agent just laughed that State Farm would send me any such writing.
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