A new TikTok account belonging to someone who works at a rental car company posted its very first video this week, and the result was over a million views, several thousand spaghetti puns, and a debate on the side about whether spaghetti is plate food or bowl food.
“I work for a rental car company,” ldupre25 (@ldupre25) begins in the 25-second video. “Last night, we had somebody drop in the drop box right as we were closing up. Then, come check out the car this morning.”
The damage list, as he describes it: “Not only did she damage it … and leave the windows down while it rained, [she] just left a full plate of spaghetti in the passenger seat.”
The camera then pans to the spaghetti—red sauce-covered pasta on what appears to be a reusable plate, complete with utensil, sitting on the passenger seat of a car that had spent a rainy night with its windows open.
‘What’s Your Spaghetti Policy?’
The top comment on the video was Laura Worley’s reply: “What’s your spaghetti policy?”
That set the tone for the thread. “If you disclosed your spaghetti policy like a responsible business this could have been avoided,” wrote Brian.
JtotheRo predicted, “Great, now there will be a spaghetti section of every rental car contract from now on.”
Bri added a half-serious legal observation: “Like, does the rental agreement include a spaghetti policy? Because if not, they’re allowed to do that.”
A meta-debate broke out over the proper vessel for spaghetti. “First of all, spaghetti is a bowl food,” declared Unsolicited_Opinion. Bort countered, "Cheap spaghetti is bowl food. Good spaghetti is for a nice plate.”
And Jerry Noggy delivered what several commenters identified as the funniest reply: “Id be upsetti.”
Rental Car Damage: What This Could Actually Cost
For all the joking, the customer is potentially in line for a stack of charges. According to Booking.com’s rental guide, any significant amount of dirt, food, debris, or odor can trigger an additional cleaning fee at the rental company’s discretion.
Budget publishes a tiered fee structure that runs from 20 for minor messes to 150 for “major damage” to the vehicle’s interior. A waterlogged seat with red sauce on it would likely land at the higher end. Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise have similar discretionary policies, with smoking violations often charged at 400 to 450.
Then there’s the rain. A car left with the windows down through a storm can suffer mold, electrical issues, and damaged upholstery—repairs that move the bill from cleaning into actual collision-style damage. Commenter Gigas estimated, “That’s gonna cost her about $9k.”
That’s likely on the high side. Most rental contracts cap personal liability around the vehicle’s actual cash value minus any depreciation, and many customers have collision damage waivers in place. But a four-figure bill for a one-night rental return is very plausible if the seats and interior electronics need real work.
The Two Camps In The Comments
Beyond the spaghetti question, commenters split into two recognizable groups.
The first envied the customer’s serenity. “Honestly, I’m kinda envious of the person who did that, just stress-free living,” wrote BBDB.
“I wish I could be this level of unbothered,” added IamMeSoYouCantBe, who confessed to feeling guilty about leaving an empty soda bottle in a return. “Last time I turned in my rental car at the airport I was freaking out … Dude was like, ma’am it’s really OK, we’re gonna clean it anyway. I still feel bad about it.”
The second group was less generous. “Free from all consideration of others! Heck yeah!” wrote FutureDesolation sarcastically.
Tüna added, “Unfortunately at everyone else’s expense, in this case.”
Jennifer offered the practical retort: “Stress-free until she gets the bills from the rental car place for the damage.”
Kaiti Jenuwine, identifying as a former Enterprise cleaner, contributed her own war story: “I used to clean cars at Enterprise and someone filled the cup holders with ketchup to dip their McDonald’s fries. CUP HOLDERS.”
Michael Spark went one further: “That’s nothing. I found a full diva cup once.”
Whatever ldupre25’s first video lacked in length, it was memorable. As Seryl Mtreep wrote, "I will never forget about this.”
Motor1 reached out to ldupre25 via TikTok comment for additional comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.
@ldupre25 Rental Car Adventures
♬ original sound - ldupre25
