What's bugging you? (2016)

[LouisEly]

Liberty Mutual. First, they won't let you get a quote for moving to a new state on-line, you have to call. I called a couple of weeks ago, and they quoted me $1400/year for the same policy I had in St. Louis, an almost 50% increase. Well, I have 30 days, so I want to shop around. AAA quotes me $920/year on-line, same limits. Not so simple as switching, I have overarching umbrella liability and business owners (rental property), and usually they want the umbrella to be with the same company as the other policies, so it likely means moving all of my policies.

 

I just called Liberty Mutual back, as the quote I got a few weeks ago was expired. The rate is no longer good, and the rate they quoted me today is...

 

... go ahead and take a guess...

 

...

 

$1887/year. A 33.6% increase over what they quoted me on October 18th. Who in the hell do they think they are that they can get away with that?

 

Next stop, AAA, followed by a letter with the two quotes to the state insurance commissioner because that type of increase over a couple of weeks is criminal.

[FVBrewerFan]

I would suggest you find a good local independent agent. They will have access to many more markets, and find a solution that makes sense for your particular situation. As for Liberty, I get the frustration, but I'm sure whatever they did was legal. The big insurance companies know exactly what they can and can't do in each state, I promise you. But sometimes it fells good just to write that letter!

[LouisEly]

I would suggest you find a good local independent agent. They will have access to many more markets, and find a solution that makes sense for your particular situation. As for Liberty, I get the frustration, but I'm sure whatever they did was legal. The big insurance companies know exactly what they can and can't do in each state, I promise you. But sometimes it fells good just to write that letter!

If Progressive and AAA came back around $1300-1500 then I'd say it was legal. But for Progressive to come back at $1000 and AAA to come back at $840 says that $1887 is either criminal or somebody made a big mistake in changing their algorithm.

[pacopete4]

Badger football. Every time I start to think they may take the next step and put themselves in the mix of the best teams in the nation they do what they're doing right now and play absolutely atrocious. How embarrassing. Canceling my trip to Indy and I'll save some cash.

[AKCheesehead]

No offense but don't you think that was a tad harsh? A lot of credit goes to Minnesota, they came in to Madison incredibly fired up to play.

[MKE81]

The Badgers played very bad in the 1st half and their win was as a direct result of the atrocious play from the Gophers QB in the 2nd half. It was much more on the poor throws/decisions than the Badgers defense making a great read and play on the ball. If the Badgers repeat that performance it could be an ugly championship game next week

[owbc]

That was a fun Badgers game. I didn't see much to complain about. By the 4th quarter they had complete control against a solid 8-win Minnesota team. The PSU game will be fun, winner to the Rose Bowl (unless Washington or Clemson somehow falters).

[paul253]

Is it just me or is there something tacky about people ringing those bells for the Salvation Army soliciting donations while talking on their cell phones? I get it. They are people and have lives. But if I going to drop some money in your kettle I'd prefer it if you aren't on the phone when I do so.

[TURBO]

Is it just me or is there something tacky about people ringing those bells for the Salvation Army soliciting donations while talking on their cell phones? I get it. They are people and have lives. But if I going to drop some money in your kettle I'd prefer it if you aren't on the phone when I do so.

 

people and their phones....don't get me started...

 

[hawing]

Is it just me or is there something tacky about people ringing those bells for the Salvation Army soliciting donations while talking on their cell phones? I get it. They are people and have lives. But if I going to drop some money in your kettle I'd prefer it if you aren't on the phone when I do so.

It doesn't completely outweigh the value of giving to those in need...but it's not a good look.

[1992casey]

I really dislike driving on weekends. You end up sharing the road with a bunch of amateurs. You can expect to see stuff like:

 

[list-sp]

• Drivers going way too slow in the left lanes.
  
• Drivers who mistakenly get into a turn lane and then try to get out of it.
  
• Drivers who decide to turn from a forward lane.
  
• Drivers who occupy both the forward lane and the turn lane to make their turns (sans signaling).
  
• Drivers who slow to a crawl and inspect the toll lanes like they're dishes on a smorgasbord.
  
• Drivers who slow down for open road tolling.
  
• Drivers who crawl out at a green light and speed up to all of 22mph in a 35mph zone… while leaving 15-plus car lengths between them and the vehicle ahead of them.
  
• Drivers who get to about 300 feet from an intersection, realize they need to turn, then change two lanes to do it.
  
• Drivers who park in a no parking zone that's supposed to be a turn lane. Heck, it's Sunday, right?

[/list-sp]

[owbc]

The two worst times to drive IMO are Sunday mornings and commute times. Sunday mornings because the church crowd has absolutely no idea how to drive. Commute times because everyone is either in a rush or on their cell phones.

[GAME05]

The traffic was brutal tonight, as I figured.

[FVBrewerFan]

I really dislike driving on weekends. You end up sharing the road with a bunch of amateurs. You can expect to see stuff like:

 

[list-sp]

• Drivers going way too slow in the left lanes.
  
• Drivers who mistakenly get into a turn lane and then try to get out of it.
  
• Drivers who decide to turn from a forward lane.
  
• Drivers who occupy both the forward lane and the turn lane to make their turns (sans signaling).
  
• Drivers who slow to a crawl and inspect the toll lanes like they're dishes on a smorgasbord.
  
• Drivers who slow down for open road tolling.
  
• Drivers who crawl out at a green light and speed up to all of 22mph in a 35mph zone… while leaving 15-plus car lengths between them and the vehicle ahead of them.
  
• Drivers who get to about 300 feet from an intersection, realize they need to turn, then change two lanes to do it.
  
• Drivers who park in a no parking zone that's supposed to be a turn lane. Heck, it's Sunday, right?

[/list-sp]

 

Can't argue with any of those, but I'll add my personal favorite. Driver does something stupid, 100% wrong, then looks at ME funny or flips me off.

[Patrick425]

Badger football. Every time I start to think they may take the next step and put themselves in the mix of the best teams in the nation they do what they're doing right now and play absolutely atrocious. How embarrassing. Canceling my trip to Indy and I'll save some cash.

 

When I first read this, I was thinking maybe you were talking about Basketball. Sure, Minnesota kept it a close game until towards the end, but A) WI was playing without one of their QBs for most of the game and B) They won by 14 (which I believe was the spread).

 

Having said that, I do not think they are a playoff caliber team. The two teams they beat (Michigan State and LSU) that vaulted them in the rankings ended up really not being that good and I feel like the rankings were never really adjusted for that. I feel they are more of a 6-10 rank team.

[Patrick425]

The traffic was brutal tonight, as I figured.

 

Drove from Ames, IA to Waukesha yesterday afternoon. Traffic was not too bad until I hit Madison at around 5pm. At times traffic basically came to a halt on I-94 between Madison and Waukesha. I drive in traffic like that just about every day too and from work, so I'm someone used to it, but not really what I was hoping for after being in the car 10 hours (also drove 5+ hours to Ames from Waukesha in the morning).

[DHonks]

I've been noticing a lot of people lately in Arizona that stop at stop lights, but leave 1-2 car lengths between them and the crosswalk.

 

I hate that this time of year the snowbirds migrate here from cooler climates. When they're driving around, 50mph roads start moving 40, 45 move 35, etc. And grocery checkout lines are awful. I need my local store to bring back the self checkout line, as I'm tired of people paying with check or cash.

[1992casey]

The two worst times to drive IMO are Sunday mornings and commute times. Sunday mornings because the church crowd has absolutely no idea how to drive. Commute times because everyone is either in a rush or on their cell phones.

 

I can manage Sunday mornings because traffic tends to be lighter than it is later in the day. When traffic is light, it's easy enough to work around amateurs, those who are too slow or too fast, etc. I think a good chunk of the church crowd stays on the road past church time, though, and they likely contribute to the amateur situation later on in the day.

 

Commute time isn't pretty, but at least it's predictable. I've found that it doesn't pay to try to rush because it isn't going to get you anywhere. But you don't want to take that to the extreme either. It annoys me when traffic decides to move and the driver ahead of me doesn't.

 

 

I hate that this time of year the snowbirds migrate here from cooler climates. When they're driving around, 50mph roads start moving 40, 45 move 35, etc.

 

The trick to me is to adapt to the situation. If you're driving on the highways around Chicago, you have to be more assertive/aggressive than you might otherwise. But that doesn't mean that you have to go to the extreme and pick up on the worst behaviors, such as intentionally cutting people off. On two-lane rural roads, taking a chill pill is in order.

 

The reason many Illinois drivers stick out like sore thumbs in Wisconsin and Indiana is that they don't adapt. The level of aggressiveness that they display in Illinois is neither necessary nor appropriate once they leave the state.

 

 

Drove from Ames, IA to Waukesha yesterday afternoon. Traffic was not too bad until I hit Madison at around 5pm. At times traffic basically came to a halt on I-94 between Madison and Waukesha.

 

Yeah, that sucks. You can pretty much expect stop-and-go on that stretch when you're headed eastbound on a Sunday afternoon. There really aren't any alternate routes available until you're east of Waukesha. By that time, you're so burnt out that it's easier to opt for the backed up freeway rather than taking city streets and dealing with traffic lights.

[Patrick425]

I need my local store to bring back the self checkout line, as I'm tired of people paying with check or cash.

 

Yeah, I'll never get the check thing in this day and age. In this day of credit card miles and reward points, use a credit card for everything and pay it off every day or at least once a week (most credit cards allow this, but not all). Seems like a hassle, but it literally takes 2 minutes to do this. You are then basically using your credit card like a check or debit card and accumulating points. This is what my wife and I do. Pretty much every purchase we make, we use a credit card (a Southwest rewards card), and we pay it off daily. We usually use the points to take a trip to Vegas every year. On top of that we are signed up for the Mlife "rewards" club at MGM properties. The last two years we have received a 3 night free stay at NY, NY along with $100 "resort" money (and we really are not huge gamblers).

[logan82]

They don't even keep the ckecks anymore. They just scan them and hand them back.

[jerichoholicninja]

I need my local store to bring back the self checkout line, as I'm tired of people paying with check or cash.

 

Yeah, I'll never get the check thing in this day and age. In this day of credit card miles and reward points, use a credit card for everything and pay it off every day or at least once a week (most credit cards allow this, but not all). Seems like a hassle, but it literally takes 2 minutes to do this. You are then basically using your credit card like a check or debit card and accumulating points. This is what my wife and I do. Pretty much every purchase we make, we use a credit card (a Southwest rewards card), and we pay it off daily. We usually use the points to take a trip to Vegas every year. On top of that we are signed up for the Mlife "rewards" club at MGM properties. The last two years we have received a 3 night free stay at NY, NY along with $100 "resort" money (and we really are not huge gamblers).

 

Old people. I've been behind old people at checkouts that have no clue how to use a credit or debit card and it winds up taking them longer than writing a check.

[FVBrewerFan]

Old people. I've been behind old people at checkouts that have no clue how to use a credit or debit card and it winds up taking them longer than writing a check.

 

It's not my fault sometimes you swipe, sometimes you plug the card in because it has some sort of new-fangled microwave chip or something. Then sometimes you punch in a code I can never remember, sometimes you don't. Then there are times I'm supposed to sign, other times not. Plus I have to remember which card my wife told me I'm supposed to use at each store. Oh yea, there's the loyalty card at each store, never remember which ones I have along in my wallet. And that's if I remember my wallet.

[1992casey]

Yeah, I use credit cards for almost everything, although I don't pay them down daily. Two or three times a month isn't unusual, though. I'll also pay right after I charge something comparatively large. And I choose the card I use in a particular situation based on the type of rewards it offers.

 

The one place I always pay cash is Woodman's, but that's because they don't take credit cards. They'd get more of my business if they did. I pay cash in restaurants if several of us are splitting the bill, otherwise it's the card. And I pay cash for parking at Brewers games, usually in exact change.

 

I think I last wrote a check about three years ago. I have a couple of checks stashed somewhere in the house. I should probably get some just in case they might come in handy.

 

I refuse to carry loyalty cards. I enter my phone number, or I have the cashier look me up. And I refuse to sign up for store credit cards. All these merchants want to get into my pants, and I'm not going to let them. I lug enough stuff around as it is.

 

I have a high level of patience for older people, in part because my parents were old before they died and I know what older people are up against. My dad was pretty good at the checkout drill, though. He'd have his cards and/or cash ready, and his coupons would be organized. What slowed him down was general mobility and his walker.

 

What I can't deal with is people who can help what they're doing. Digging into the purse after the bill is rung up or talking on the phone while checking out unnecessarily show things down.

 

FVBrewerFan has a good point when he says that checkout is inconsistent from place to place. You try to be organized, but it's not unusual that something trips you up. The first thing I generally ask is if the chip reader is functional. I shouldn't have to do that. If the thing doesn't work, it should be plugged up with a piece of plastic or cardboard that directs people to swipe. Along with that, at some places you can swipe or insert right away. At others, you have to wait for the right time. If you're too early, the cashier has to do a reset, and you start again.

[Patrick425]

And I choose the card I use in a particular situation based on the type of rewards it offers.

 

I read an article a week or two ago that stated you are better off picking one card and using that everywhere. Otherwise you are just spreading your points out too thin among cards....3,000 points on one card...5,000 on another.....5,000 on another. Instead of all points on one card for a bigger reward.

 

The one place I always pay cash is Woodman's, but that's because they don't take credit cards. They'd get more of my business if they did. I pay cash in restaurants if several of us are splitting the bill, otherwise it's the card. And I pay cash for parking at Brewers games, usually in exact change.

 

Didn't know that about Woodmans, but just gives me another reason never to shop there. Reason 1...I have zero desire to deal with that craziness when grocery shopping. I don't even like the crowds at pick n' save. And yes, obviously there are times when you have to use a check or cash. Wedding and graduation gifts are another good example.

 

I refuse to carry loyalty cards. I enter my phone number, or I have the cashier look me up. And I refuse to sign up for store credit cards. All these merchants want to get into my pants, and I'm not going to let them. I lug enough stuff around as it is.

 

I don't carry them either. However, for the ones I use most frequently (like Wallgreens and Pick n' Save), I use the key fob that most of them provide. I feel I'm in the less than one percent of people that use them. I don't feel like the fobs take up that much space and, like you, I don't want to put any additional cards in my wallet. Going back to your point about using various cards based on where your shopping. If you just used one or two cards with great rewards, you could save space in your wallet and build up more points on that one card.

[MrTPlush]

Most places you don't even need a little key chain card for rewards. Everywhere I go they just ask for my phone number or I punch it in myself.