Have you had enough of ICBC yet? read this (1 Viewer)

[Fantom]

So this morning as I am drinking my coffee trying to get the day started I decide to read the Province and see how miserable everything out there is - Once I got to page 13 I didn't stop swearing until late in the afternoon. The "non-profit" corporation we love to hate is at it again, they (at least this time are being nice enough) have put a Notice of pre-hearing in the paper for an increase of 3.3% in basic insurance. Of course they say that it will be temporary and we'll get it back, the last time they managed to find enough excuses not to give a dime back and now they want to jack it up more. I say screw them! Regardless of whether they will actually listen I am planning to go there and see if I can give them my opinion. The hearing is going to be on April 23, they have some workshop happening at 9am, then the hearing at 1:30pm at 1125 Howe St 12th floor.
I am curious to find out where does the current budget go and the reason for this increase. Before I go I am doing some research as to how they are wasting our money now so I can attend with some facts. If anyone has any info - preferably some proof - as to some of their wasted cash, let me know. If anyone else is interested in coming going there, let me know.
Greedy bastards
I'll save the rest of my ranting for another occasion.

 

[Scalp]

Dear Fantom:
Don't you know that you are just the stupid serf milk-cow wage slaves who do the labour, pay the rip-off taxes, then die? Don't you know that real inflation (5%-7%) is deliberately created by the government in order to stimulate the economy and confiscate our savings and continually put us into deeper debt? Don't you know that your protests, letters, and meetings are ignored and that democracy is just a scam to quiet your masses from revolt? Hey, get with the program man and just work your f***ing ass off, pay your exorbidant taxes, shut up and die quietly without a lot of fuss. And don't expect the health care system to be there when you need it on your deathbed either.
Yours very truly,
~Steven Harper P.M.

 

[brownbear]

both posts are quite funny...


Mat fight away man!!!! we need you there.

 

[kim]

I didn't realize that you were a Harper fan, Bill.

 

[Fantom]

Bill.....err....Steven....thanks for clearing that up, I momentarily forgot which country I was living in and what "rights" we actually have. I know that with the exception of blowing something up I won't be able to get these people's attention, does that mean that we're supposed to just sit back and get screwed. Hell if that's the case - I want dinner and drinks first - is that in the budget? This will very likely be a huge waste of a perfectly already miserable day, it will likely not accomplish anything other then annoy me more and it's very likely the decision is already made and this is all just for show to make the little people happy. I guess I'm just a sucker for punishment.
I was able to find out something interesting, you know all the little locations where you can get insurance from, like at the bank, little offices everywhere, superstore, etc. All these places get a cut from ICBC to offer this service, now I found this out from a friend that works at one. They get $8.00 for every time they sign someone up for basic insurance, and anywhere between 10-17% for extra and premium insurance. Add up all those little places, add up how many insured vehicles there are and that ends up being a lot of money. This is on top of ICBC regular offices, claim centers, and Air Care facilities in every area/municipality. I pay around $1700.00 for mine, so that's between $170-$289 of my money that goes to these places. Why can't there be an on-line form, 1 office in each municipality and that's it? That would save us (them) huge coin.

 

[Scalp]

Fantom:
Yes you're quite right to stand up and try to do something about the system. One of our big problems is that most people now do just sit back and get screwed; its the Canadian Way. We've become so dumbed down that we either don't know how to do anything about it, or we just become totally lazy and apathetic about anything other than our own immediate needs. Some nationalities make a point of raising hell anytime the system comes down on them. Canadians, on the other hand, have a reputation of being passive, compliant, nice people who don't make a fuss unless Hockey Night in Canada is pre-empted by an American quiz show. Its something to do with our subserviant colonial background. My hope is that the pendulum someday will swing the other way and that Canadians will start to raise some s**t about the way the elite run this country. In the meantime, if more people like you do stand up and make some noise, its a good example. As for me, I've done my fair share of protesting in my life, as well as watch the system go around and around for a long time, and now have a more cynical attitude.
Go for it.
~B

 

[Scalp]

Kim:
I'm not a Harper fan, Dion fan, Laton fan, or any other fan other than a Cruiser fan. Every politician, regardless of party affiliation (which means absolutely nothing these days), is corrupt and will shove it to you as soon as he gets into power. He has to be otherwise he won't get the financial support to continue. The only thing lower than a politician is a lawyer and a stockbroker, and their jobs are interchangable. Their philosophy: screw the ignorant masses. And no, I'm not a communist, although their retoric is sometimes close to the mark in describing the process of class warfare we live in.
Meanwhile: let's go wheel'n!

 

[Fantom]

I'm originally from Poland, and growing up in a place that at the time was controlled by communism I can tell you one thing, it wasn't that bad. Everyone had a job, everyone had a chance at a good education, and everybody knew you had no rights and there was no bull sh&t about it. The reason why a system like that will never work though is because of the human factor and greed. This is not to say that Canada is a a bad place and I hate it. To the contrary, I love living here, but why can't it be better? I can't remember who said it but: "I love humanity, it's people I hate" seems to apply.
This is turning out to be a very philosophical thread.

 

[Scalp]

I think you hit the nail on the head: the human factor and greed. I also agree that Canada could be so much much better. If you distributed a million dollars to every Canadian, they would handle it in many different ways. Eventually, over time, some would find ways to gain most of it from the others, and some would find ways to lose their share. Human systems mimic natural systems: birth, maturity, & death. Any social sytem of organization, be it a country or a tribe, is born with energy and motivation, matures, and then becomes corrupt and dies. If you look at primitive tribal systems, usually the chief, medicine man and witch doctors end up with all the village wealth. Eventually people get fed up and stop trying and the system fall apart with war or migration. No place left to migrate now, although plenty of the third world peoples would do anything to get here.
I believe that Western society is now in the corrupt phase and has no future on the path its going. The system we have had for the last couple of hundred years has run its course. Meanwhile, the powerful elite will try anything, even war, to keep their privileged status quo from ending. They will ride the Titantic all the way down, hoping in the end to somehow survive for themselves and their families. Meanwhile, us plebians, are left to blow in the wind. Tough luck, sucker!
Enough of that pop philosophy--lets to wheel'n!

 

[Fantom]

Bill, you keep talking about going wheeling, where were you on Sunday?

 

[Scalp]

My rig is not operational yet, I'm shooting for sometime next month. Meanwhile, if any of you have space for a navigator, I'm in! I'm currently modifying an Accura Ingegra driver's seat onto a sprung suspension apparatus and moving it way back. One of the problems with the BJ74 is lack of leg room for tall drivers. On a long haul there's no place to put your left foot and its been damn uncomfortable.

 

[kim]

I've been meaning to put some decent seats, one at least, in my truck. Mine is pretty worn out.

 

[Scalp]

I picked it up on Mitchell Island from one of the auto busters. I think I paid $70. and its a real good one. Better side bolsters than the Cruiser seats. Had to do a bit of fabrication and welding to adapt it to the suspension system.