Before coming to America, every Fulbrighter wants to know how to (or if) get a #car. I was informed that it was supposedly to be easy; "you cannot live without a car in the States" is one of the most cited sentences within the community. Often, "but don't worry, it's easy to get as well as to sell one (if buying)" comes as addition to the first statement. Let's see if that is the case or if it is a real undertaking.
So, when I came to #Athens, it was August. I would really could have used a car then since it was really (and I mean really) hot so if you wanted to get around without having to shower several times a day, a car would be an excellent choice. Except that in August, there was not much choice for getting around. The University of Georgia bus system was not operational yet (it was just the start of the academic year and the usual schedule was totally unusual, if any) and for a starting Fulbrighter, without all the documents required to be considered a Georgia resident (which would allow for purchasing a car, for example), there was not much to do as to make your transport-related torment easier. Yes, it's true that there are many opportunities for car purchase: #Craigslist is certainly one of them as well as rows of car dealers along the streets. Some less usual ways (not to be neglected) to search for the car are spreading the word within the University community (usually there are University listservs where you can share your posts), asking around the community where you live, or looking for (much smaller than #Craigslist) community lists where you can post you are in search for the car. I find those even more reliable since you want a rather reliable car as to be able to use it for your weekend travels, right? These worked for me very well at the beginning. Until I found out that I cannot own a car before having a Georgia #driverslicense. So, as you already know, it took me some time to pass the exam and get my own. Then, I could buy a car.
Concerning the price of a car, it's difficult to talk about it in general since it depends on the type and the make of a car but just to make sure that the price is realistic, you can always check the #Kellyebluebook, the official vehicle valuation site. OK, so, let's assume you found a car of your choice. Once again, don't forget to have proper documents related to the state of your Fulbright placement which are required for you to own the car. You must check what is required yourself, since they may vary from state to state. In Georgia, a valid Georgia #driverslicense or #GeorgiaID is needed. After obtaining these documents, you may want to proceed with the car purchase. In order to transfer the ownership of the car to your name, you will have to buy a new tag and #insurance. All the info about the tag can be obtained in Department of Driver Services offices (#DDS). As I recall, it is around $30, so not so much money is to be spent there.
Now we come to #insurance. Do not forget about it, since you cannot drive without it! And it can cost you a lot, depending on the type of insurance, type of the car and the length of your stay. The most basic type of 6-month insurance for a 20 year old car is around $600, paid in monthly instalments. Be prepared to pay much more for a newer car. Now, 6 months is the shortest period which you may consider. This might pose another problem, especially if your Fulbright scholarship period is shorter than that. Big insurance companies (such as Geico, Allstate...) may not even consider giving you the insurance option, even if you are willing to pay for 6 months, and staying for, let's say 5! You would get a robot-like phone reply (alongside a mailed letter rejection) that your-request-is-not-in-line-with-their-insurance-policies. Just to mention that this type of rejection was preceded by several phone calls of the type if-you-need-this-press-1, if-you-need-that-press-7, with around 10-15 minute pressing all of your phone numbers before getting to talk to an operator. So forget about that. You may consider finding a small local insurance company which would give you an offer. It is again 6-month policy to be paid in 1 instalment but it you need a policy for a period less than 6 months, you would be reimbursed for the remaining period. This is good news, right? So this could be one way of getting things done.
If, however, you thought of renting a car for a longer period, I strongly suggest you to drop the idea immediately. As much as the rental companies say that there is a discount for the long-term rental, it's a total rip-off! The price of a car itself may seem rather favorable, but as you proceed with paying it online (since online is supposedly "the best option", a Budget car rental employee cited, also various coupons may apply), the price of different taxes may substantially raise it, not to mention the insurance. In the end, you may end paying as much as $11,000 for a 4-moth period! If you manage to wait for a #Thanksgiving or any other holiday discount, you may be happy if paying "only" $6,000. Yes, you can purchase a car for that amount, so you easily give up the idea of a car rental. Then you may decide to rent a car only for certain weekends, for 2 or 3 day trips. Yes, you'll pay less, but the price of a short-term rental is higher and may be around $100 per day. If you have certain credit cards (such as #BankofAmerica any type of credit card, but watch out, it has to be a CREDIT and not DEBIT card), car insurance may already have been included, so you will end up paying around $50 per day.
Car lease? Forget it! The shortest period is 24 months.
Another option which I thought I could consider is a long-term car rental company Fair.com. It seemed as if you could get a smaller car, including insurance for as much as $500/month. If you search it through their website, a smile may appear on your face because it would be even less. However, in order to get the car, you first have to install their app (it is the only possible way for renting a car), provide a number (and I mean a real number) of info and documents (such as your social security number, 3 bank statements, a copy of driver's license, another ID, copies of utility bills, etc.), wait for a real long time for them to check the documents and get the approval, and once you think everything is finally set - the app blocks you saying "oops, something went wrong". Supposedly my SSN did not match (someone copied it incorrectly?) but they cannot correct it and you end up calling some companies you never heard of and not understanding why you are contacting them since it wasn't gonna work anyway. I know one Fulbrighter though, who managed to rent the Fair.com car, but it was only because he used to live in the USA before so he had a credit report, while for foreigners, it's obviously not working.
In the end, you just make peace with yourself that you will not have a car in the USA. And begin to cherish your feet and your sneakers.
After all, walking is good for your body and soul.
Just after you are in peace with walking, it turns out that the Universe works its mysterious ways. You may end up meeting someone who has a spare car he doesn't need and is willing to rent it to you for a symbolic price. He earns some extra money and you end up seeing the world through the windshield. And moving around #Athens. Thanks a million, Douglas!
So, how to get a car when a Fulbrighter? The best advice is just to let it go... And a car may come to you. Moreover, it may come in sizes which you least expected... :)))
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