What can they use against you?
Regarding my entry about my moon roof incident, B.W. Richardson said...
I've been thinking about this comment for days. And I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't fear they used against me.
No one wants an insurance hike, but that possibility didn't really frighten me. It wouldn't be pleasant, and I don't like having my wallet squeezed, but I'd have survived.
Make no mistake, what they used against me was my impatience, and to a lesser extent, my anger. I'm a driver--a doer. Minutes after it happened, I was already on the phone reporting it to my insurance (which, incidentally, is covering the damage under my comprehensive policy). I wanted it (the problem, not the crime) solved, repaired, and off my plate, and THAT is what the state patrol was able to use against me most effectively. Any delay makes me angry, and THAT they used against me. They gambled on the possibility that I wouldn't pursue it out of a desire for resolution. Folks who know me would probably say that's not much of a gamble...
Playing the blame game can be such a waste of time and energy--the problem lies there staring everyone in the face while they all point fingers at who caused it. Solve the problem, then worry about how to prevent it from happening again. If that involves laying blame at someone's feet, THEN it's appropriate. We saw it when Katrina blew out the levees in New Orleans. The finger-pointing had already begun while water flooded into the city. Precious energy and effort was wasted playing Pin The Blame On The Bureaucrat.
So what if someone had caught the person who damaged my car? Other than some personal satisfaction, it would solve nothing. My window would still be broken.
Am I upset that my impatience was used against me? The jury is still out on that count.
Not really surprising - they would have had to report it as an unsolved case, bad for their percentages, so they scared you out of reporting it (well, that, and the idiot insurance companies exist to keep your money and deny as much of your claim as legally possible).
I've been thinking about this comment for days. And I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't fear they used against me.
No one wants an insurance hike, but that possibility didn't really frighten me. It wouldn't be pleasant, and I don't like having my wallet squeezed, but I'd have survived.
Make no mistake, what they used against me was my impatience, and to a lesser extent, my anger. I'm a driver--a doer. Minutes after it happened, I was already on the phone reporting it to my insurance (which, incidentally, is covering the damage under my comprehensive policy). I wanted it (the problem, not the crime) solved, repaired, and off my plate, and THAT is what the state patrol was able to use against me most effectively. Any delay makes me angry, and THAT they used against me. They gambled on the possibility that I wouldn't pursue it out of a desire for resolution. Folks who know me would probably say that's not much of a gamble...
Playing the blame game can be such a waste of time and energy--the problem lies there staring everyone in the face while they all point fingers at who caused it. Solve the problem, then worry about how to prevent it from happening again. If that involves laying blame at someone's feet, THEN it's appropriate. We saw it when Katrina blew out the levees in New Orleans. The finger-pointing had already begun while water flooded into the city. Precious energy and effort was wasted playing Pin The Blame On The Bureaucrat.
So what if someone had caught the person who damaged my car? Other than some personal satisfaction, it would solve nothing. My window would still be broken.
Am I upset that my impatience was used against me? The jury is still out on that count.
Labels: personal
posted by Gospazha at
8:29 AM
