posted on December 24, 2015
Giving dad the drive of his life
I work on the Turo Customer Support team, and it always brightens our day when members share great experiences with us! Earlier this month, I received a support ticket that really caught my attention, so I shared it with marketing and our CEO, because it was such a heartwarming experience between a father and son.
Member Michael P. shared how he gave his dad his lifelong dream car for a few days. “Ever since I could remember,” he recalls, “my dad (Bernie) has always been a huge Chevy Corvette aficionado. Growing up, he always had calendars, model cars, and knew all about the vehicle’s engine.”
Bernie lives in Saudi Arabia, and recently came for a visit during Thanksgiving weekend. While at lunch, he spotted his dream car in the parking lot: a blue Corvette Stingray. Stopping to snap a few pics, Michael could see his excitement after spotting his dream car.
“It surprised me that he had been such a fan all these years and he had never driven one,” he said.
Suddenly, Michael had a lightbulb moment; he had heard of Turo, but had never rented before. So he immediately logged onto the site, searched in his area for the make and model of the car, and lo and behold, he found the exact car he was looking for. “It may have even been the same car we saw at lunch!” he said.
And since the vehicle was in his area, he reached out to the owner, requested to rent the car, and let the owner know of his plan to surprise his dad. The owner accepted his request, thus getting his plan into motion.
It became a family affair: he got his wife and young sons in on the big surprise too: “we kept it very hush-hush; it was going to be a big surprise.”
The morning of the big reveal, the Ohio/Michigan game was on, and Bernie wanted to watch it. The family persuaded him otherwise, telling him they had the whole day planned. They handed him the keys, and “my wife recorded his reaction — he got a big kick out of it!” Michael recalls.
They drove up Highway One and got to the beach just in time for the sunset. It also happened to be the same beach where Michael and his wife had taken their wedding photos. Bernie’s grandsons, who love fast cars, were really excited about riding in the car, but they had to take turns since it was only a two-seater.
Michael and Bernie also drove the Stingray to the San Francisco auto show, to see all the other Corvettes on display.
The Support team loves receiving these heartwarming stories from our community, and we encourage travelers to keep sharing their amazing adventures with us. Thanks, Michael and Bernie!
In the SF Bay Area and want to take a Stingray for a drive?
Marjorie Mante Marjorie works on the Customer Support team and prides herself on providing outstanding customer service. As a Turo renter herself, she has had nothing but great experiences, and wants to make sure all our members have the same stellar trips.
