Ignore the Alamo : Automobile Rental Agencies Strip Decals From Vehicles to Thwart Criminals

Alamo Rent a Car on Wednesday said it has removed company advertisements and decals from most of its vehicles nationwide as a safety precaution after the recent murders of two Florida tourists who were driving Alamo cars.

The company’s decision and similar moves by the Avis, Hertz and National rental agencies are intended to make tourists and business travelers--who often carry large amounts of cash and other valuables--less vulnerable to criminals. Alamo says markings remain only on cars that are now rented.

Decals and bumper stickers used by rental firms to advertise and identify their vehicles have also served to attract thieves, law enforcement officials say.

“The stickers on the rental cars were mainly used for advertising purposes,” said Gary S. Rubin, executive editor of Auto Rental News.

“Now the consumers are very aware that the markings bring (unwanted) attention to the rental cars. I think it will be a benefit for Alamo and other rental companies to do this,” he said.

Ft. Lauderdale-based Alamo has been sued twice this year over two separate murders involving customers. In an incident that attracted international attention, a German tourist who was driving an Alamo vehicle was slain last month after getting lost on the way out of Miami International Airport.

The car driven by German schoolteacher Barbara Meller Jensen carried an Alamo sign in the front license plate holder, in violation of a local ordinance that bans such corporate markings on rental cars.

The murder took place two months after Alamo had adopted a “logo-free” policy for all its vehicles in Florida, where several incidents of violent crime against car rental customers have been reported during the last two years.

“We rented the car in violation of the ordinance,” Alamo spokeswoman Kathy Bradley said. “It was a human error” by an Alamo employee.

In addition to removing all exterior Alamo markings on vehicles nationwide, the agency is also developing a safety guide to be distributed to all customers.

Other rental car firms, which had already stripped most company logos off their vehicles in Florida, expanded the policy nationwide after the Florida murders.

Avis and Hertz last month instructed all company-owned and franchised dealers to remove such markings.

Besides prominent signage, Hertz and Avis are in the process of removing tiny decals attached to windows and bumpers that carry an inventory number as well as a company logo. The decals will be replaced with less-visible tags without a company name.

In some cases, the rental companies have adopted different strategies regarding safety and signage. While Hertz is removing all company symbols from its vehicles, it does not intend to distribute safety tips to customers nationwide, as Alamo plans to do and National already does.

“We don’t believe at present there is any need for it,” a Hertz spokesman said.

Meanwhile, National, which does not include the company name on inventory decals in Florida, says it has no plans yet to alter the tags elsewhere.

In addition to removing company symbols, companies such as Hertz are lobbying several states to eliminate requirements that rental cars bear special license plates.

The Alamo car driven by the murdered German tourist in Florida carried one of the plates, which begin with the letter Y or Z.

Florida now permits rental cars to bear generic license plates.

Safety Tips

Alamo Rent a Car will issue each customer a safety guide with the following advice:

* Ask for specific directions to your destination before you leave the rental counter, and take a map with you.

* If you become lost, do not pull over to study your map or directions. Instead, drive to the nearest well-lighted, populated, public place, such as a service station or restaurant.

* Keep doors locked and windows up when driving and when parked.

* Do not pick up hitchhikers under any circumstances.

* Lock purses, wallets, luggage and valuables in the trunk or glove compartments.

* Locate your vehicle’s safety equipment--such as hazard lights, spare tire and door locks--before leaving the rental lot.

* Always park in well-lighted areas. Make sure your keys are already in your hand when you approach the vehicle and check inside and underneath your vehicle before entering the car.

* Criminals have used a number of ploys--such as yelling, honking or pointing at your car as if something is wrong--to distract motorists or get them to stop. Do not pull over or stop. Instead, drive immediately to the nearest service station or well-lighted public area and call the police (911).