What pissed you off today?

[ProfessorPeart]

I've seen that a lot of these insurance companies are jacking up rates on every policy for everyone as a way to 'make up' for all the payouts they have been having to make for all the recent disasters. I mean, look at the exodus of insurance companies abandoning Florida. We're paying for people we have never met.

[ReaperKK]

Fuck em, time to find someone new.  My auto insurance goes down slightly every year.  The time it goes up with my aging car (if it does) is the time I look for new insurance.

I do the same if my rate goes up. Funny enough last year my insurance went up almost $100 with progressive, I call to cancel because I found a cheaper rate and progressive started a new policy that's even cheaper. Stupid as hell.

[Stadler]

And the American myth that "insurance is free money" goes poof!   

A year later there is STILL damage on Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian.  You drive around Cape Coral, and it's getting fewer and fewer but there are still piles of debris out on the road shoulders.   

SOMEONE has to pay for all this.

(This is in some decent part why I am for single payer, even though it generally goes against my outlook on economics.)

[hefdaddy42]

So last week I found out that our auto insurance is going up by $600/year.  We've been with Allstate for 30 years at least.  We haven't made a claim since my kid had an accident in 2018 that was not her fault.  We have had zero driving infractions.

Of course I called to say WTF and of course they said there is nothing they can do.  Because the cost of auto repair and health care to treat injuries is skyrocketing.  I guess on the one hand, I get it.  But on the other hand 

That's a pretty steep increase with no new drivers, no infractions, and no claims.

It's not necessarily uncommon for there to be sizable increases statewide if your state insurance commissioner approved it, but that seems a little high.

Unless you purchased a couple of sports cars this year, or something.

[El Barto]

The cost of fixing a car has damn sure gotten more expensive. Just the way the manufactures have planned it. Right to repair is something desperately needed, and something I'm pretty certain our corporate overlords will never allow to happen. I was just complaining to a friend that mechanics have gotten expensive and sleazy right at the point I'm no longer interested in doing my own repair work and can (could) afford to pay for it.

The good news is that I live in a city under siege by illegal immigrants (according to some, at least), so going forward I'm just going to buy the parts I need and take them to el mecanico and give him some shiny pesos to install. Even though I have an old enough car that working on it shouldn't require anything new and fancy, I still have to pay for the updated gear to work on the new ones. Anybody can replace a water pump. Fuck yeah, capitalism!

[Chino]

I work in insurance, specifically with the team that models large scale disaster events and the damage that comes with them. Auto claims are obviously a component of that.   

Like everything else, new and used car values have sky rocketed. My SUV (bought used) has only depreciated about $8K (35%) in the last 5 years despite me putting 105K more miles on it.

For the last 5 years, my insurer has been insuring me assuming my car would cost them maybe $10K under a total loss, and now it's closer to $15K. It's an astronomical increase in their view of risk once you apply the same math to all of their policy holders. Even not taking into account a total loss, and along the lines of what Barto mentioned, repairs are a small fortune now. Replacing a driver door and side mirror (contain lots of tech these days) could cost almost double what it did 3 years ago once you factor in the part, paint, labor costs (both garage and insurer), etc.

[Stadler]

My family makes fun of me a lot for this.  "Back in the day, I could paint my entire car at MAACO for $400, as long as I didn't change the color".  Just this past week, I paid $850 (cash; it would have been $1000 if I used a card) to JUST have my front hood repainted, and that's with ZERO body work or prep, on a 2013 car. 

[King Postwhore]

Uh-oh, better get, MAACO!

[faizoff]

I've seen that a lot of these insurance companies are jacking up rates on every policy for everyone as a way to 'make up' for all the payouts they have been having to make for all the recent disasters. I mean, look at the exodus of insurance companies abandoning Florida. We're paying for people we have never met.

The company that gave me their home insurance policy last year pulled out of the state last month. I took Citizen's coverage which were offering the same policy but cost over 60% of my previous one.


I fear it's going to up even more after Idalia's carnage.




There was also a proposal in our city to raise the property taxes to pay for certain infrastructure. Only problem was that it was going to raise my property tax assessment by 150% instead of the 100% I was anticipating.

[TAC]

Uh-oh, better get, MAACO!

 

First thing I thought of.

[ReaperKK]

My family makes fun of me a lot for this.  "Back in the day, I could paint my entire car at MAACO for $400, as long as I didn't change the color".  Just this past week, I paid $850 (cash; it would have been $1000 if I used a card) to JUST have my front hood repainted, and that's with ZERO body work or prep, on a 2013 car. 

As someone whose used MAACO in the past I'd rather pay $400 to a blind chimp to paint a car.

In relation to cars they are just more complicated machines these days coupled with the price increases of repair shops. I traded in my porsche a few weeks ago because, yet again, it broke down and in the 13 months I had it over $22k of warranty work was done to it.

[ProgMasterMind92]

i got bbq sauce on my waffles

[Glasser]

i got bbq sauce on my waffles

I hate when that happens. I'm pissed for you.

[King Postwhore]

i got bbq sauce on my waffles

Add chicken and cheese and rock on.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

got paged at work yesterday and had to fix a problem that delayed me long enough to miss the herbie hancock concert i was supposed to go to 

[El Barto]

Only the DMV can find a way to improve something to be far worse than it already was. I was steeling myself to spend two hours waiting in line for those fucksticks to renew my license, only to find that it's now appointment only at all locations. This should be a great thing, but the appointments are booked 2 months out, naturally. Moreover, half the time when you try to make an appointment in an available slot it's suddenly not available. Worst of all, once you make an appointment you can no longer search for better dates (that seem to pop up all the time) without first cancelling your existing appointment. I'm booked six weeks out in a city 30 minutes outside of Dallas, which is fine, I like East Texas, but I no longer have the option to look for the same-day appointments that pop up every morning. I'm convinced they're using hundreds of hours of AI computation to find ways to make things as miserable as possible.

Now I'm scrambling to get my car registered, because even though Dallas cops don't care about registration, they will pull you over just to get a look inside your car, and what would normally be a offensive but tolerable pretextual stop can now lead to me walking home.

[hefdaddy42]

Only the DMV can find a way to improve something to be far worse than it already was. I was steeling myself to spend two hours waiting in line for those fucksticks to renew my license, only to find that it's now appointment only at all locations. This should be a great thing, but the appointments are booked 2 months out, naturally. Moreover, half the time when you try to make an appointment in an available slot it's suddenly not available. Worst of all, once you make an appointment you can no longer search for better dates (that seem to pop up all the time) without first cancelling your existing appointment. I'm booked six weeks out in a city 30 minutes outside of Dallas, which is fine, I like East Texas, but I no longer have the option to look for the same-day appointments that pop up every morning. I'm convinced they're using hundreds of hours of AI computation to find ways to make things as miserable as possible.

Now I'm scrambling to get my car registered, because even though Dallas cops don't care about registration, they will pull you over just to get a look inside your car, and what would normally be a offensive but tolerable pretextual stop can now lead to me walking home.

No option to renew your license online?  I just did that here in NC (although you can't do consecutive renewals online, so next time, I have to visit an office).

[El Barto]

Only the DMV can find a way to improve something to be far worse than it already was. I was steeling myself to spend two hours waiting in line for those fucksticks to renew my license, only to find that it's now appointment only at all locations. This should be a great thing, but the appointments are booked 2 months out, naturally. Moreover, half the time when you try to make an appointment in an available slot it's suddenly not available. Worst of all, once you make an appointment you can no longer search for better dates (that seem to pop up all the time) without first cancelling your existing appointment. I'm booked six weeks out in a city 30 minutes outside of Dallas, which is fine, I like East Texas, but I no longer have the option to look for the same-day appointments that pop up every morning. I'm convinced they're using hundreds of hours of AI computation to find ways to make things as miserable as possible.

Now I'm scrambling to get my car registered, because even though Dallas cops don't care about registration, they will pull you over just to get a look inside your car, and what would normally be a offensive but tolerable pretextual stop can now lead to me walking home.

No option to renew your license online?  I just did that here in NC (although you can't do consecutive renewals online, so next time, I have to visit an office).

I was actually in my 30s when my last renewal was done.

[Chino]

I just came here to complain about the DMV as well!!

I paid off my car two months ago and the title got lost in the mail. So I have to go to the DMV with paperwork from the bank in order for the state to release them from my lien and to issue me a new title.   

Same in CT - Appointment only.   

Of the 7 DMVs within 45-60 minutes from me, only one, ONE, has an available appointment within the next 90 days. Their calendars don't allow you to schedule beyond that. After being on hold for an hour and forty minutes, I finally got through to a rep on the phone. I asked if that was a glitch on the website, and the response was "no, it's just like that some times". My concern is what happens if I get T-boned and my car is totaled before I get a new title?   

I'm all for single payer healthcare, but if it's managed like the DMV is, no thanks.

[El Barto]

Will they let you look more closer appointments while keeping your existing one? That's what pisses me off about the situation down here. I can't even look at the schedules without first having to dump my current one.

[Stadler]

I just came here to complain about the DMV as well!!

I paid off my car two months ago and the title got lost in the mail. So I have to go to the DMV with paperwork from the bank in order for the state to release them from my lien and to issue me a new title.   

Same in CT - Appointment only.   

Of the 7 DMVs within 45-60 minutes from me, only one, ONE, has an available appointment within the next 90 days. Their calendars don't allow you to schedule beyond that. After being on hold for an hour and forty minutes, I finally got through to a rep on the phone. I asked if that was a glitch on the website, and the response was "no, it's just like that some times". My concern is what happens if I get T-boned and my car is totaled before I get a new title?   

I'm all for single payer healthcare, but if it's managed like the DMV is, no thanks.

So, I live in the same state as Chino, and I have to go in to get my registration changed on my truck, and to register a new (well, new to us) vehicle for my step son. I signed up last week and have an appointment on I think it's September 30th.  But the process is actually more convoluted than even Chino said. So it depends on what action you want done as to what appointments you get to see.  If you have a driver's license issue, you can get appointments in as little as two weeks.   If you have a registration issue, you can get appointments about four to six weeks out or so, depending on where you feel like driving to (there are I think 10 DMV locations across the state; that's why mine is on the short side of four weeks).  Title issues, as Chino has noted, are much further out.

My driver's license has my old address on it (they don't make you get a new one for a change of address, you just add the new address on the back in handwriting on a sticker.).   You can do up to three transactions at a time; I might sign up for a "license" issue, ask that they give me a dup, then do my two registration issues.  The person at the DMV is going to hate me, but so be it.

Tip, though, Chino:  depending on your circumstances, I think you can request a new title online.   It's $25.  If the title that was coming to you in the mail had the lien removed, you shouldn't have to prove it again.  If it wasn't then I think you have no choice but to do it in person or by mail.  (Sorry, I know you're thorough; I'm just trying to help, not second guess you.)

[Stadler]

On the upside, though, the appointment only is the best way to do it.  I have, in the past, waited entire DAYS in the DMV and never got my number called.   Now, the most you wait is maybe 15, 20 minutes, depending on where you go (I go to a quiet little town in northwest CT and I've never seen more than 15 people there at one time).

[Chino]

Will they let you look more closer appointments while keeping your existing one? That's what pisses me off about the situation down here. I can't even look at the schedules without first having to dump my current one.

I'm actually not sure. I'd have to try. I did see a footnote that said something like "you can only have a maximum of two appointment booked at a time". If that's the case, I might be able to snag an earlier one without having to risk losing my place in line by cancelling the other one first.

On the upside, though, the appointment only is the best way to do it.  I have, in the past, waited entire DAYS in the DMV and never got my number called.   Now, the most you wait is maybe 15, 20 minutes, depending on where you go (I go to a quiet little town in northwest CT and I've never seen more than 15 people there at one time).

That's true. Last time I had to go, to the the DMV's credit, I was in and out in about 10 minutes. Due to the lien, I have no choice but to go into the place in person (I didn't see anything about by mail). I've got a notarized letter from BoA in Texas, and I have to hand that over to the DMV.

[El Barto]

On the upside, though, the appointment only is the best way to do it.  I have, in the past, waited entire DAYS in the DMV and never got my number called.   Now, the most you wait is maybe 15, 20 minutes, depending on where you go (I go to a quiet little town in northwest CT and I've never seen more than 15 people there at one time).

The last few times I've driven to Waxahachi to get mine done, about 45 minutes south, and it's been a snap. Well worth the drive time and gas. The problem here is that they put the DPS places in the worst parts of Dallas, so the waits are just ungodly. Waiting in line at the VA hospital to get your dick amputated would be more bearable. I could be in and out of Waxahachi in half an hour, or spend 3 hours waiting in line at one of the Oak Cliff branches. No contest.

Same rule applies for cable companies, too. You can save two hours by driving one hour outside of town.

[Harmony]

Fuck em, time to find someone new.  My auto insurance goes down slightly every year.  The time it goes up with my aging car (if it does) is the time I look for new insurance.

I do the same if my rate goes up. Funny enough last year my insurance went up almost $100 with progressive, I call to cancel because I found a cheaper rate and progressive started a new policy that's even cheaper. Stupid as hell.

So quick update - I had forgotten that when we had our then teens on our policy, we had upgraded to the "Gold Star" membership (or whatever the fuck they call it).  This essentially allowed us one claim a year that would not count toward any policy raise  and each passing year without any claim, brought our deductible down by $100.  So we carry a $500 deductible and since it has now been 5 years without a claim, our deductible was essentially zero.  No way in hell they were going to put up with that.  So they aggressively jacked up the rates for us hoping we'd drop the Gold Star status - which is exactly what we did - and now our policy went up only - only - about $200 a year.

And last week I heard on NPR that all auto insurance policies are going up by about 20-30 percent across the board.  So we did not switch companies.  Our plan is to get through our home remodeling adventure and then do a deep dive into looking at other companies before our 6 months is up for renewal again.

[Grappler]

Disclosure - I'm not a hunter.  It's just not my thing, but I respect people's choice to do so.

On Friday night around 7pm, we were coming home from the store and drove past a house towards the end of the block.  I've had some issues with them before regarding various things and just shake my head.  But this is a new one for me.  There were a few additional vehicles parked in front of the house.  We passed by and they had a MASSIVE deer hung by rack or hoist, right in the center of their driveway.  My wife thought it was really gross, I just shrugged my shoulders, but we both knew what they were doing - bloodletting it.  My kids saw it, but a car was thankfully blocking the view of it's head, so they didn't see any gore.

So this morning (Monday) we are walking up to the corner, which is our kids' bus stop.  We walk past their driveway and there is a large black smear and an awful, rotten smell of dead carcass was all around.  It's garbage day, so maybe they threw out some of the carcass (which is appropriate) and it smells.  Maybe the driveway stunk from the spilled blood (my likely guess).  I don't know, but I actually did place a call to the non-emergency police department to see if there was any ordinance prohibiting that kind of stuff.  The community service officer said there wasn't (aside from bad odors emanating from a residence), but he would at least stop by the house and check it out, as well as convey the message that they should try and clean up after themselves a bit better.  The smell was so strong that I actually felt queasy, and that rarely happens to me from bad smells. 

In all of my years living in the suburbs, I've known plenty of people who are into guns and/or go hunting.  I have never seen someone string up a dead animal in their driveway and do the dirty work in full view of anyone who might be passing by. 

[TAC]

Wow, that's crazy. yeah, clean your shit up!

When I was a kid, for a bit we had a next door neighbor from "the old country" and he used to hang animals on his fence. Goats, rabbits.....stick their heads between the pickets..

[wolfking]

Man, living over here I can't fathom that shit.  I just don't understand hunting, I think it's awful and unnecessary.

Wow, that's crazy. yeah, clean your shit up!

When I was a kid, for a bit we had a next door neighbor from "the old country" and he used to hang animals on his fence. Goats, rabbits.....stick their heads between the pickets..

WTF?!   

[cramx3]

I live in NJ and sometimes I feel like the hunting culture is shocking.  I experienced this going to college in PA where I was the minority in having never gone hunting before.  It's not common at all near me to see any carcass being worked on so I'd be fairly mortified if my neighbor was doing that. Granted, I don't have anything against actual hunting.  I understand most people do it the right way. It's just not very common in the part of the world I live in (even within the US).

[Grappler]

I live in NJ and sometimes I feel like the hunting culture is shocking.  I experienced this going to college in PA where I was the minority in having never gone hunting before.  It's not common at all near me to see any carcass being worked on so I'd be fairly mortified if my neighbor was doing that. Granted, I don't have anything against actual hunting.  I understand most people do it the right way. It's just not very common in the part of the world I live in (even within the US).

It's common here in the northern Chicago suburbs where I'm at (we're just a few miles south of the Wisconsin border, and hunting is big up there).  My thing was just the mess - don't do it right out in front of your house, in a suburban neighborhood.  Have some consideration for your neighbors and use the garage or backyard.  And clean up the mess really well while you're at it.

[cramx3]

I live in NJ and sometimes I feel like the hunting culture is shocking.  I experienced this going to college in PA where I was the minority in having never gone hunting before.  It's not common at all near me to see any carcass being worked on so I'd be fairly mortified if my neighbor was doing that. Granted, I don't have anything against actual hunting.  I understand most people do it the right way. It's just not very common in the part of the world I live in (even within the US).

It's common here in the northern Chicago suburbs where I'm at (we're just a few miles south of the Wisconsin border, and hunting is big up there).  My thing was just the mess - don't do it right out in front of your house, in a suburban neighborhood.  Have some consideration for your neighbors and use the garage or backyard.  And clean up the mess really well while you're at it.

Yeah, that's kind of what I was getting at with people doing it the right way from my experience.  All my time in PA, I saw plenty of hunters doing their thing, but never so blatant with a carcass in public view. 

[Jamesman42]

Living in south FL and I didn't know people thought hunting is awful. I have never done it myself (maybe once when I was young) but it's so ingrained as being normal here.

[lordxizor]

We gotta get rid of all the excess deer up here somehow since we killed off all the predators. It's either hit them with our cars or hunt them.

[Grappler]

Living in south FL and I didn't know people thought hunting is awful. I have never done it myself (maybe once when I was young) but it's so ingrained as being normal here.

It's normal here too, I just found it very strange to see someone have the dead animal strung up in full view of the neighborhood and am lucky that my kids didn't see the gory mess as we drove past.  The residents of that house have zero consideration for their neighbors and those of us who live on the street, so it's par for the course with them.

We gotta get rid of all the excess deer up here somehow since we killed off all the predators. It's either hit them with our cars or hunt them.

I agree - I know hunting is useful and culls certain animal populations down to manageable numbers.  Deer season is starting up and there are mornings when it's quiet and you can hear the gunshots in the distance.  I have no problem with hunters and people using the meat.  The residents on my street are odd, however.  The 10 year old girl who lives across from them said that she thinks they collect animal skulls, so she's probably seen a lot more that I haven't. 

[El Barto]

We gotta get rid of all the excess deer up here somehow since we killed off all the predators. It's either hit them with our cars or hunt them.

From what I saw it didn't look to me like hunting them was an option. I drove through OH, MI, IL, and IA a few months back, and the amount of roadkill was simply astonishing. Ohio in particular. You couldn't drive more than a quarter mile without seeing a huge, spinning blood trail across the highway leading to a carcass. I've never seen anything like that shit before. Might be time to skip hunting and go directly to poisoning. Hell, that's probably why Harmony's insurance is going up so much.