From: Joseph McAllister
On Aug 27, 2012, at 09:33 , John Sessoms wrote:
The part that mattered and y'all kind of missed was the "and don't
touch anything else kid".
I really was a kid, not yet old enough to drive. It was very
unusual someone my age would even be allowed inside the computer
room. Not only was I allowed in, I was allowed to do something, a
very VERY minor something, with the computer.
I wasn't even particularly interested in computers. If you can't
take it apart to see how it works, what good is it? I already
understood enough about the grown-up world to know "THEY" were
never going to let me do that.
It was just the least boring place for me to wait around until my
dad decided to quit work and I could catch a ride home. I don't
remember what they used the computer for, although I'm sure I was
told at some time or another. It was an insurance company, so it
must have had something to do with keeping track of the money.
It's called Actuarials. How the companies crunch all the statistical
know data about peoples frailties, accident rates, death rates,
broken down by the block you live on, so they know what to charge
everyone and cover known and unknown claim rates, still making enough
profit to buy the largest buildings in all large cities so their name
is placed up in the air for all to see.
It was hospital insurance, what grew into today's health insurance
nightmare. Back then you could afford insurance and if you had to go
into the hospital the insurance would actually pay your hospital bills.
Would Actuarials be something that affected hospital bills?
Joseph who's Dad worked for Liberty Mutual in Boston and Hopkinton
Mass for 30 years. The very same company who cancelled me after one
$300.00 accident. Bastards. I've only been involved in 4 accidents in
my 55 years of driving. One that was my fault, I think. Not sure,
really, I nodded off on the way home from my second job at 2 AM on a
one way street in San Francisco in 1969. I was driving the timed
lights. Apparently I entered the intersection as the light turned
green. A taxi entered in a late yellow. Light was red when he T-boned
me in my '64 MGB. Seatbelt saved me. Repaired the 'B' and painted it
white. Never liked the baby blue the factory used.
The company my dad worked for changed a lot from the time my dad worked
there. It changed a lot while he was still working there. I think he
couldn't live with some of the changes in the way they did business and
that's part of what killed him. His job was his life.
I'm currently paying an additional $300 a year for automobile insurance.
My car inexplicably rolled backwards into a tree & damaged the rear
bumper & hatch. Insurance company said my rates wouldn't go up as long
as the damage was under $1800. The adjuster's estimate came in at $1756.
I took the car to the shop recommended by the insurance company and he
accepted the adjuster's estimate.
Fast forward 4 months to when my insurance was due for renewal. I see a
$150+ jump in my premium. WTF?
The answer is the shop who did the repairs didn't like rear hatch the
adjuster had found and ordered another. The other hatch brought the
total to $1802. No one from the shop or the insurance company consulted
me at the time.
They're telling me I'll have to pay the increased rates for another 5
years (7 years total).
I've been with Allstate ever since I first got auto insurance (> 40
years), but every time I think about this shit I get angry all over
again. It is probably going to make me change carriers.
I had to take a week long defensive driving course before I could get my
Army driver's license. They taught us to wait at least 3 seconds after a
light turned green before starting into the intersection. I get idiots
blowing the horn at me a lot because I don't just jack-rabbit out into
intersections.
--
PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
PDML@pdml.net
http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow
the directions.
