Why in Japan, they rent cars by the hour but do not drive them

This became a mystery for several temporary car rental companies. Many customers have paid to "use" the car for a few hours, but the mileage has not varied. They remained silent. They rented a vehicle but not to move.

What was happening? Two companies, Orix and Time23, detected this behavior and decided to choose an easy way out: they asked customers what they had done with cars.

The answers are incredible and they were compiled by the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbunalthough a tweet summarizes it in a simpler way. Some people they use these vehicles as an "extension" of their offices and homes. Some use them to work. Others watching TV, having lunch or taking a nap.

"I used the car to eat lunch that I had bought because there was no other place where to sit," admitted a prefecture customer. from Saitama to Tokyo.

The message on Twitter summarizes it the best way: with emoticons. Siestas, work, storage -When they make purchases, they keep the bags in the trunk, eat, talk on the phone, watch TV, dress for a costume party or, our favorite, practice rap – or karaoke.

The article highlights other uses of "silent" cars, such as charging mobile phones or computers in the event of an electrical emergency, such as occurred in Japan in 2011.

Although it may seem extreme, car rentals at the time are not very expensive. You can get it for $ 8 / hour and they are in the main car parks of big cities. The problem of personal space in this country is striking, where the departments are usually very small.

The most favored by this trend are those who rent cars, who pay the same price as those who drive it, but do not add mileage, the engine does not wear out and, above all, there is no risk of 'road accident.