Useless Thread MDCCXCVII: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

[John Price]

They have a few comparison sites here in the US but they mostly have ads directed towards a certain agency like GEICO because GEICO is a sponsor of the NHL

For example NerdWallet gets ads on TV and they just compare credit cards for you

 

[JMCx4]

... Girls used to be able to get reasonable insurance because they don't crash as often but then feminism scored an own goal and insurance companies aren't allowed to discriminate by gender anymore. So boys insurance went down and girls insurance went up to meet in the middle

In the U.S., the response would've been to raise both demographics' insurance rates to meet at a common outrageous price point. In fact, that may have already occurred here. Luckily both of my children are over the age of 30 now.

 

[Oogie Boogie]

I can't

Why

 

[John Price]

Why

Because my alleged COVID (no proof or positive test or anything) may be contagious

I literally cannot leave the house

 

[JMCx4]

From what I've seen of American telly from watching the NHL, Geico seems to be one of the only big name car insurance brands

You watch UK telly and you see more ads for the insurance price comparison websites than you do for the actual insurance companies

Your advert exposures are too narrow. According to BankRate.com, State Farm & GEICO & Progressive hold the lions' shares of the U.S. auto insurance coverage market (each above 10%). And commercials for 3rd-party web-based insurance brokerages such as NetQuote & The Zebra & CoverHound & Insurify & Gabi pepper our airwaves.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Exactly!

The other infamous one is Go Compare with the Welsh opera singer man who everyone hates, but you hate him so much you remember the ad! It's marketing genius

 

[Siamese Dream]

In the U.S., the response would've been to raise both demographics' insurance rates to meet at a common outrageous price point. In fact, that may have already occurred here. Luckily both of my children are over the age of 30 now.

Yeah I'm not really sure entirely what did actually happen, since it didn't occur until well into my 20s and at that point the price difference between the sexes is negligible. It's only in the teenage years that boys had to pay a ludicrous amount because of the discrepancy between how often they crash compared to females of the same age in the UK.

I expect the fact that almost everyone is cutting about in manual shift cars in the UK is probably why insurance costs so much more here when you are young, plus aren't there different licence levels and restrictions in the US when you start driving?

 

[Sega Dreamcast]

Geico's commercials are so obnoxious that I will never give them any business

 

[JMCx4]

... aren't there different licence levels and restrictions in the US when you start driving?

They vary state-to-state, the chaotic equivalent to a scenario of having each of your UK counties applying different restrictions to novice motor vehicle operators. Only we have a bit more space & generally larger vehicles to cushion the blows.

 

[Siamese Dream]

They vary state-to-state, the chaotic equivalent to a scenario of having each of your UK counties applying different restrictions to novice motor vehicle operators. Only we have a bit more space & generally larger vehicles to cushion the blows.

Yeah here you can't learn to drive until you're 17 but then when you pass the test you're let loose, and as a learner driver you're not allowed on the motorway so you're given no official motorway training before you're let loose on it

My instructor took me on the local A Road/dual carriageway which is essentially a baby motorway with 2 lanes instead of 3 or 4 and works in a similar way, but if you live in an area that doesn't have that type of road locally for the instructor to teach you on, it's not mandatory for you to get that experience as a learner driver

 

[Siamese Dream]

Also @JMCx4 I have spent all of this week at work looking at the Carmarthenshire area of West Wales on Google Earth and come across several tourist attractions that I've had to add to a list for a future trip

Carmarthen Castle, Kidwelly Castle, LLansteffan Castle, Laugharne Castle, Carreg Cennen Castle, Dinefwr Castle, Drylwyn (no English vowels in this one so good luck pronouncing!) Castle

And that's just the castles

Also noticed Paxton's Tower, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Gwili Heritage Railway, as well as some of the scenic walks near the mouth of the river Towy

 

[Tarantula]

Geico's commercials are so obnoxious that I will never give them any business

Agreed, plus I now order imported English accented glekos by the dozen, they are awesome on the barbie...

 

[JMCx4]

Also @JMCx4 I have spent all of this week at work looking at the Carmarthenshire area of West Wales on Google Earth and come across several tourist attractions that I've had to add to a list for a future trip ...

Copied & saved - Cheers!

 

[Siamese Dream]

Copied & saved - Cheers!

And a few areas that might be of interest near my old stomping ground of Bridgend:

Coity Castle, Dunraven Bay/Park/Castle, Ogmore Castle/Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes, Bryngarw Country Park, Margam Country Park

Then I remember the nearest summit being the Bwlch (another no English vowel word!" Mountain car park having excellent views. I just went on google street views and in some of the images you can see literally nothing because of the clouds and in others it's spectacular. I will always remember going up there on the one Christmas day when it did snow, and some girl was feeding bread to the very tame sheep next to the road and when it was all gone she ran down the hill with the empty packet and all the sheep were chasing after her Google Maps sheep just chilling on the side of the road eating grass

 

[Siamese Dream]

God I remember the last time I went back to Wales and drove through the village St. Brides Major and was completely thrown off by all the sheep just casually on the side of the road like it's a completely normal thing, you don't get that shit in England

Look at the ickle lambs Google Maps

 

[John Price]

f***ing idiot I possibly have covid I literally cannot leave the house and I'm out of f***ing food

You CANNOT DELIVER TO THE WRONG HOUSE IDIOT

I CAN'T LEAVE THE HOUSE

 

[LarryFisherman]

f***ing idiot I possibly have covid I literally cannot leave the house and I'm out of f***ing food

You CANNOT DELIVER TO THE WRONG HOUSE IDIOT

I CAN'T LEAVE THE HOUSE

how do you have covid

 

[John Price]

how do you have covid

i went out wednesday to the baseball

 

[LarryFisherman]

i went out wednesday to the baseball

have you not been vaccinated?

 

[John Price]

have you not been vaccinated?

they dont' really have them here

plus with J&J going out it's less supply

 

[John Price]

Like they literally opened up to those under 65 a week ago

 

[LarryFisherman]

Like they literally opened up to those under 65 a week ago

they open phase 2 on sunday?

not sure why you'd go to a baseball game unvaccinated. that's fkn asking for it

 

[LarryFisherman]

we were supposed to go phase 2 in mid april as well, but they ended up opening it early and i got the first shot on the 6th. next one is scheduled for the 27th. first one made me super tired and didn't feel great.

 

[John Price]

they open phase 2 on sunday?

not sure why you'd go to a baseball game unvaccinated. that's fkn asking for it

i was masked

 

[John Price]

gonna go lie down