Think about that for a minute, Bebop...

That $2000 discount you have could be considered, if you care to look at it a certain way, as an underwriting of this extra expense for the next seven years...

You possibly may not be even driving yourself by that time! At the very least, it makes the increase moot.

Don't cut your nose off to spite your face

Bill,

They are lying to you to spare your feelings. The real reason they are charging you more is because you are a musician, and everyone knows how THEY are. Drugs, dope, alcohol, loose women, fast cars, and sex, all these put you at a high risk.

Tom

How about this. If, on your next airline flight, the captain came over the intercom and announced (before takeoff) that he will soon be celebrating his 77th birthday and oh, by the way, "the co-pilot would not be joining us for this flight". Or, imagine a 12,000 lb. vehicle coming towards you with a closing speed of 130mph (65<->65) with an elderly gentleman at the wheel and with a passing distance of +- 10ft. Comfortable? This is probably how the insurance company sees it. Don't get me wrong. I think they are a bunch of blood-sucking leeches in most instances, but for some reason, senior citizen drivers scare the hell out of me. (Let's not forget that I am one). I know this is an unpopular position on this particular board, but I gotta tell you, when I see a 'little ol' lady' driving in a mall parking lot, I go on full alert. Maybe I've been watching my wife drive too long. Aaaaarrrrrgggg (in the words of Donald from New Jersey).

chas

Chas,

What scares me a lot more is some drug-crazed youngster, yacking on his or her cellular phone, while five other similar-aged youngsters are raising hell in the vehicle. Each has something in at least one hand, usually something from a nearby fast-food restaurant, and the person on the cell phone is talking to someone on the back seat of the car, often looking at them in the rear-view mirror while the close on the ass-end of your car at 75-MPH while you're sitting dead stopped at a red light. I see this crap every day, and it scares the living hell out of me. Little old ladies entering a parking lot at 5-MPH will usually find a parking spot, not hit anyone in the process, and if you reached the same parking spot at the exact same time, she would probably allow you to park while she searched for another parking space. And, for this, her insurance company wants to charge premium prices? What a crock of s**t!

Sorry, I really get riled up about this kind thing. I appologize to anyone that may be offended. And, if you want to kick my old, aging ass off the forum, that's OK too.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Here in Australia we used to have state owned and Mutual Insurance Companies now as far as I know they have been sold or turned into companies with shareholders with the resultant disappearance of one form of competition.
We fools let it happen.

Cousin ken

Insurance is a very complex issue.

We in the USA spend a LOT of money on all kinds of insurance in our lives - life, health, auto, homeowners, etc., etc, ... AND YET, we probably understand less about insurance and how it works, how rates are developed, etc. than any other product or commodity we purchase ...

Look at the basic premise - we are paying to protect ourselves against an event we hope will NEVER happen ... When we buy life insurance, we are betting the insurance company that we will DIE - so if we win the bet WE LOSE !!! ...

Rates are based on actuarial tables that show the 'probability' of an event occurring, based on past experience ... it may never happen, but the probability is there ...

"Life is not fair. Insurance is even more unfair." .. sure, until we have a loss that is covered by the insurance company ...

"Unfortunately, the insurance companies have the upper hand--mainly because the state insurance commissions are primarily run by retired insurance company executives and CEOs. They also have a huge lobby at both the state and federal level, which pretty much allows them to do anything they wish."
In reality, one of the most difficult things for an insurance company to do is get a rate increase ... Volumes of material must be presented to a board at the Insurance Department and to independent actuaries selected by the Ins Dept ... very often the rate request is either denied, or reduced, and in either case, the insurance company pays a fee to file for the increase, and pays for the independent actuary, whether an increase is granted or not ...
And, from experience, Insurance Departments are NOT the friend of insurance companies.

"However, insurance companies are in it for the money."
Is there a commercial enterprise that isn't "in it for the money" ... in fact, how many of US would do what we do if we didn't get paid ???

"Age descrimination--you betcha! It exists everywhere." ... yes it does, and sometimes it is very justified ... Do we want people under 16 - 18 (depending on the State) to drive a vehicle on the public roads (I think we should raise the driving age to AT LEAST 18 yrs.) ... Do we want people under 18 to vote? ... do we want people under 21 to drink? ... and do we want people over 90 yrs to drive? - not without a driving test every year, IMHO - ...
Generally, there is more than adequate experience to justify decisions that are made based on age ...

As I said at the opening, insurance is a complex thing... and, yes, there are often stories that make you wonder, and seem 'out of whack' ... but all too often the general public is too quick to rant and rave against a very necessary and important commodity with out knowing the facts on which to make an objective opinion ...
A wise man once told me "The most difficult thing about purchasing insurance is that there is nothing tangible for you to see or feel ... and when you do get to collect on it, you are generally in a mood that WHATEVER you get is not satisfactory" ...

Just my opinion, but one based on "a little" knowledge and experience ...

"And, if you want to kick my old, aging ass off the forum, that's OK too." ...
Not me, I'm not goin' anywhere ...

t.

and Tony, this differs from my first post how?

chas

I have a partner in the warehouse I own who is in his mid 70's. He has a pick-up, a vintage Mustang and a Lincoln. Every time he come in to the warehouse he has a part of a tree extending from under the vehicle, a primed fender, a bent-up bumper, etc.

I take an older gentlemen to his weekly Kiwanis meeting. It's the oldest Kiwanis club in town. At 11:45, the hotel parking lot is a scary place. There are lots of full size Olds, Buick and Caddys with rear end creases, etc.

I believe in individual rights, but sometimes manditory driving capability testing makes sense to me, and I "ain't no spring chicken"!

Russ

I'm sorry, but I can't stop laughing. I know it's a serious issue but just visualizing Russ's scenario above made me go into a belly laugh. Hey, if I weren't an ol' fart myself, I probably wouldn't find it so funny. Hey, we tease ourselves with all kinds of "old" jokes; why can't we admit that we may no longer be the world's greatest drivers.

chas

The thing is, just like elderly drivers, these youngsters are HEAVILY charged by the insurance companies because of these kinds of habits. It's exactly the same response as raising the rates on the elderly driver. No-one is being treated better or worse than another...

The scariest time on the road down here in Florida is the couple of weeks overlap between the Snowbirds heading back up North, and the arrival of of the spring-breakers. Bad drivers going too fast AND too slow at the same time make for some hairy moments!