Denver Mayor Helps Himself to Someone Else's Car After Finding Hertz Rental Counter 'Abandoned' by Employees

Multiple Hertz customers, including the mayor of Denver, Colorado, attempting to pick up rental cars simply chose cars with keys in them, driving away after arriving at an unmanned rental counter at the Syracuse Regional Airport in New York.

On July 20, over 20 customers arriving at Syracuse Regional Airport went to the airport's Hertz counter in order to obtain rental cars. One of these customers was Denver mayor Mike Johnston. However, they found the counter severely understaffed. Staff left the counter unmanned at 7:13 p.m. It was staffed again from 8:25 to 8:41 p.m., and then once again empty, remaining so until 6:57 a.m.

According to airport officials, the Hertz location was supposed to be open until 1:28 a.m., reported CBS News.

"We showed up and the rental car company was closed," said the mayor.

As customers began arriving at the unmanned counter, they realized that there was also no automated or computerized way to obtain a rental car. With delays looming, some customers, including Mayor Johnston, resorted to simply taking cars with keys inside after it became apparent that no one was going to come to help them check out a rental.

"There were probably 40 of us all stuck at the same rental car company, there were a bunch of folks picking up cars ... But not the right cars," continued Johnston.

Initially, Johnston took a car he "thought was for [him]," but then later returned it and exchanged it for the actual car that had been assigned to him after finding out the first car was not for him, he told CBS News.

Eventually, the Hertz location was emptied of driveable cars with accessible keys. One customer called airport officials to report that she could not find a car to rent.

Syracuse Regional Airport's Chief Commercial Officer, Jason Mehl, emailed Hertz, reminding them of their obligation "to ensure a level of customer experience commensurate with a first class rental car concession."

Hertz Area Vice President Jillian Kober responded, offering "sincere apologies for the level of service that we have provided." She promised, "We have taken the feedback and actioned immediately."