【レンタカー、イヌも歩けばこうなるか？】

　前々回の東京出張時に借りたレンタカー。わたしはクルマの種類など一応は気にするけれど、最近のクルマは厳しい競争からか、それほど気にもならないレベルの性能差になってきている。クルマも永く乗り続け、免許証をいただいてからでも（？）54年が経過。狭いニッポンですが、あちこち巡り続けてもまだまだ、好奇心と探究心をお供に走り回り続けている。
　昨日は久しぶりに長い付き合いのクルマメーカーの担当者と話していましたが、道の狭い本州地域では軽の方がなにかと好都合という話題に持ち込んで、かれの高額車販売志向を封じておりました（笑）。
　そうなんですよね、いろいろな取材対象・箇所に行くのに本州の市街地域では道路幅事情が非常に厳しかったりする。普通車に乗っていて、車幅を気にしながら路肩と話し合いながら運転するようなケースも多いのですね。一度など和歌山・熊野地区では急坂の降りていく道で目の前で直角に右折する道路で路幅が非常に狭く、さらにその先にもどういう局面が現れるか予断が出来ない道に出くわした。そういうことでさすがに運転に自信が持てずに結局回避してわざわざ遠回りして目的箇所に行ったこともある。運転歴半世紀以上のベテランではあるけれど、本州の過疎地域などでは、いつなんどきそういった事態に遭遇する可能性がある。
　日本のクルマの４割程度が「軽」だそうで、そういった道路事情も反映しているのでしょうね。
　レンタカーの場合、移動手段としてだけの活用なので、小回りが利くというのは大きなメリット。さらに長距離移動のスケジュールも多いので、高速道路の軽の割引も３割程度なので大きい。たしかに追い越し時などエンジンの非力を感じることはあるけれど、快適性<利便性の一択。
　ということなんですが、このときも通常のチェックを済ませて借りて、必要なカーナビ操作を行ってすぐに出発した次第。で、ひと走りしたあと、高速のPAでふと車両番号が目に入ってしまった（笑）。
　まぁレンタカー屋さんに特段の底意はなかっただろうと信じますが、偶然にしては1/10000の確率の番号であります。大当たり気分も襲ってくる一方、比較的に楽天的性格ですのでいい方に考える習慣からすると、メッチャそのあとの運転に慎重さが増したメリット（笑）。まぁありがたい天の配剤でしょうか。
　たぶん道路で後続のクルマからは、たぶんちょっと距離を離したくなってくれたのではないかとも勝手に想像しておりました。　みなさんくれぐれも安全運転最優先で。


English version⬇

Rental Cars, Canines, and Walking Cars?
In the Kanto region, public transportation is the only choice for business interviews, but for residential interviews, rental cars are still the way to go. This time, I won a precious jackpot number. I'm so sorry....

　This is the rental car I rented on my previous business trip to Tokyo. I am concerned about the type of car I drive, but recently I am not so concerned about the type of car I drive, probably because of the stiff competition. I have been driving cars for a long time, even after receiving my driver's license (?). 54 years have passed. It is a small country, but even though I continue to visit many places, I am still driving around with curiosity and inquisitiveness as my companion.
　Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, I was talking with a person in charge of a car manufacturer with whom I have a long relationship, and I brought up the subject that in the Honshu area, where roads are narrow, it is more convenient to use light cars, thereby blocking his desire to sell luxury cars (laugh). Yes, the roads in the urban areas of Honshu are very narrow, and it is very difficult to visit the various subjects and locations of the interviews. In many cases, you are driving a standard car, and you have to be careful about the width of the car and discuss with the shoulder of the road. Once, for example, in the Kumano area of Wakayama Prefecture, I came across a road where the road width was very narrow with a right turn at a right angle in front of me on a road going down a steep slope, and furthermore, I could not foresee what phase would appear beyond that. I was not confident in my driving skills and ended up taking the long way around to get to the destination. Although I am a veteran driver with more than half a century of driving experience, there is a possibility that I may encounter such a situation at any time in depopulated areas in Honshu.
　I heard that about 40% of the cars in Japan are “kei” (light) cars, which probably reflects such road conditions.
　In the case of rental cars, since they are used only as a means of transportation, the ability to turn around on a small scale is a big advantage. Furthermore, since there are many long-distance travel schedules, the light discount on expressways is also significant since it is about 30%. Yes, there are times when I feel the engine is inefficient, such as when overtaking, but it is a choice of comfort <convenience.
　So, we rented the car after the usual check, operated the necessary car navigation system, and left immediately. After a short drive, I suddenly noticed the car number at a PA on the highway (laugh).
　Well, I believe that the rental car agency did not have any particular bottom line, but it was a number with a 1/10,000 chance of being a coincidence. While I felt like I hit the jackpot, my comparatively optimistic nature and habit of thinking in a positive way made me much more cautious in my driving after that (laugh). Well, I guess it was a blessing in disguise.
　I also imagined that the cars following us on the road probably wanted to keep a little distance from us.　Everyone, please drive safely and give top priority to safety.