2 posts tagged “driving”
In the very near future, I'm going to have to change my automobile insurance provider, for reasons best not discussed here. (You know who you are.) So today, I've spent some time calling various insurance companies to get quotes. Here is part of the actual conversation I had with the American Family insurance agent:
Agent: Okay, then, you mostly use this vehicle for driving to work?
Me: I don't drive to work.
Agent: And how many miles a week do you drive to work?
Me: I don't drive to work.
Agent: So you are unemployed at this time. And your husband works where?
Me: I work at the University. I JUST DON'T DRIVE TO WORK.
Agent: (stunned silence)
Me: Not driving to work is not the same thing as not having a job.
Agent: Now you'll want rental coverage on this policy?
Me: No. Don't need it.
Agent: But if this vehicle were in the repair shop, you'd need a rental car to get to work.
Me: I still don't drive to work and you can't make me, even with your weird cultural pressure to conform.
Agent: (stunned silence)
I'm an overly cautious driver, or so I'm told. By "overly cautious," most people mean "overly law-abiding." I don't run stop signs or red lights. I always signal my intentions to turn or change lanes. I don't tailgate and I never ever speed. My dad was a driver's ed teacher for many years and he's the one who taught me to drive, so maybe the blame lies there. I learned to drive exactly as it was printed in the driver's ed textbook, and I still drive that way.
Boring, consistent, and safe, thank you very much.
Over the years I've preached against speeding and been ignored and mocked. It used to be that I preached against speeding because of the gamble inherent in it. Anytime you speed, you're betting that the cops won't catch you. You're betting $80, $120, $180 that you won't get caught, and you're bound to lose some time. (Or several times *cough*)
Some of the recipients of my lectures at least lowered their speeding threshold, choosing to go only 5 or 6 miles over the speed limit. Most of the time, the police won't even stop you if you're only going 5 miles over on the highway. The problem is, you're still speeding, and it's still bad.
To tackle that lingering urge to speed, a few years ago I added a new element to my diatribe against speeding: gas prices. As gas prices go up, it makes sense to slow down, because the faster you go, the more gas you burn per mile. People didn't believe me. My own husband didn't believe me until I showed him the numbers. Finally, CNN agrees with me--slow down and save gas. Save money and lower your contribution to greenhouse gas accumulation.
So, now that CNN says it's true, will you believe me?
