I've got them old...
Auto-Insurance Blooze...
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They're all over radio, TV and internet...I'm referring to those auto-insurance commercials, you know, the ones that say "call such-and-such an 800 number" for a quote, or "go to our website to find out how much you can save, Save, $AVE!!!" I've been with 'The Gecko' for over 10 years now; I don't know how much better/worse 'The Gecko' is than the 'Good Hands People', or the 'Progressive' people such as their saleslady, 'Flo', their heavily-lipsticked white-aproned clerk with the 'tricked' out nametag, who's just this side of Totally Wacko--maybe that's why I like her I like her so much...
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I've not had a traffic accident in the last 30 years, unless you count the time I was almost killed by a young non-insured couple in a large, tricked-out muscle car. At that time, I only had liability insurance...instantaneously, I was without a car, since mine was totalled. If I hadn't hit the brakes when I did, they would've nailed the Driver's side door, with the Driver (me) just inside that door. Instead, 'cos I slammed the brakes as hard as I could, they hit the front fender, caving in said finder, ripping out the grille, crumpling the fender into the engine, popping open the trunk, anti-freeze gushing forth from the engine, with my car itself spread out over two lanes on a busy one-way street. Pieces Everywhere. Maybe I saved my own life that night; far better for the front end to get crumpled than me, I guess...
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The insurance game is one of probability. If I'm a good driver and stay out of accidents, I'll never know, really, how good my insurance company is. Maybe I should have an accident just to find out? Car Insurance is something you pay for, hoping you never have to use it. All my insurance does, really, is Keep Me Legal on the streets. When Mr. Policeman pulls me over, and wants my registration and proof-of-insurance, well, I've got that, and it's already for instant display, which is nice; I can drive without a sense of guilt 'cos I'm LEGAL! If I remain collision-free, basically, all the insurance company is doing is sucking money outta my wallet. I could go and sign up with "Bargain Basement Joe's Auto Sales, Repair and Insurance" and I'd be just as "legal" as long as I kept up the premiums, no matter who those premiums are getting paid to.
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So anyway, after seeing one of those insurance ads online which screamed "CHECK OUT OUR RATES! YOU ARE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR AUTO INSURANCE!", I did just that. I thot the website would just give me an instant quote! Oh, but noooo...they want phone numbers and addresses and zip codes, plus who knows what else, so I entered all those details, thinking I would then get an Instant Quote. HAH! Your name gets put into some national database, and all of a sudden, people start CALLING YOU, wanting to sell you insurance! I can't STAND being "pitched to" over the phone. I've even left an answering machine message which says, "...and if you're an insurance person trying to sell me a policy, sorry, Not Interested." So it goes without saying that I Automatically delete every E-mail that tries to get me to "switch"...
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I'm pretty sure that "The Gecko" is, price-wise, in the same ballpark as Those Other Insurance Companies. I pay about $45 a month for full-coverage, $100 deductible. The taxi company I used to drive for had a body shop as well as Engine and Transmission mechanics, and oftentimes I saw a Geico Insurance guy in the shop, attending to his client's needs, so they do have fast response from Actual Human Beings. And I must admit I do love that Gecko. I figure a car-insurance-outfit that has A Sense Of Humor is good enough for me. I pride myself on being a Really Good Driver, and because I've got such a clean record, you'd think I'd actually get an incentive from the insurance company for accident-free driving. How about "one month free for every year you're not in an accident"...but no, not even 'The Gecko' does that.
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Actually, now that this post is part of the Public Domain, I wouldn't be surprised to get Car Insurance solicitations showing up in the 'comments' section of this blog. I 'spose if you represent an insurance company that gives me one free month every year, I'd have to at least consider your offer. Even then, I might still stay with that cute little Gecko. He really is a cool little fellow...