Date:         Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:50:17 -0800
Reply-To:     Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Fwd: BLACKBREARD - the debacle
In-Reply-To:  <9f4608e90811120746i33c00699pe272fcf50cd70043@mail.gmail.com>
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From: Al Knoll <anasasi@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 7:46 AM
Subject: Re: BLACKBREARD - the debacle
To: Don Hanson <dhanson@gorge.net>


I recall from times past that the only way to be sure was to pack your
own 'chute.  Learnt to pack my own.  That way if it didn't work, no
one to blame but myself.  Raising the metaphor one level of
abstraction, haul out that policy, tote it down to the local
mumbojumbo interpreter, pay to have it translated and keep the copy
(suitably annotated with the cartouche of the interpreter)

Now as I may have mumbled recently, chose for yourself.  Insure the
road diva with full, coverage for everything from headons to bug guts
in the grill for major bux? Or salt away some frogskins to pay for the
inevitabilies of entropy, decay, and acts of <insert name of favorite
deity here> and just insure per the legal requirements of your locale.
 Your choice just like always.

With all due respect to those vanagonuts that have had good
experiences with the insurance droids, all your'e doing with that full
coverage is paying the salary of predatory vermin that will not give
you the real, proven, market value of your dearly beloved.  (note that
this value is the fulcrum in all the previous stuff about paying for
this and that after the crash).  Lowballing this fulcrum value is on
the PKOs of all the 'adjusters' .   By paying in advance for something
you are virtually guaranteed not to receive, you merely add buffalo
chips to the fire that many of us are pretty mis-informed and make
mis-informed decisions about lots of stuff.

So since well-packed parachutes are notoriously in short supply during
a crash, get that policy out from behind the desk and trundle on down
to your local and get a shiny bright new copy of the policy.  Keep the
old one and compare, virtually line by line.  If you don't understand
it while you're in their office, ask directly for an explanation of
each item of the finely crafted arcane verbiage and make notes and
make sure they're watching you make notes and then review your
knowledge with the expert in the room note by note.  'Noting'
carefully any changes to what you thought you understood, ask for a
the business card, and a stapler.  Staple your notes to the back, and
the business card to the front of the document and bid them a pleasant
gidday.  The chute is now packed, tuck it away but keep it handy, you
never know.

Ever wonder why the fine print is so fine?  So you can't or won't read
it until it's time to bail, then of course it's too late.

So, trust in allah but tie your camel, and pack your own parachute.

Cane Rattler