help me, my insurance is screwing me

[LarryStooge]

I have a ****ty record. 16 points and I'm 18. I drive a 97 240sx. In order to get insured, I have to have a seperate policy from my family. We got some quotes, and the average one was about 440 a month for full coverage, with a deductable of $500. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go buy a bike and use that to get to work, because I'm not paying that. Any ideas? I'm also thinking on getting a motorcycle license.

[Bubba1]

Unfortunately, riding your parents' policy is your best financial option. Other ideas:

1. Convince your parents that you'll pay for their premium increase as well as your car's premium, and follow thru with it. You know their policy would jump with you, but not as much with your own policy.2. Change your attitude. Nothing will change if you continue to drive like you are now. I'm not ragging on you, but if you don't start driving better, you soon won't have a license. So your car will become a 3,000 lb lawn ornarment as you won't be legally allowed to drive it. Driving is still a privilege, not right.3. take a driver education course. With many insurance policies, It could lower your premium4. Good student discounts. If you're still in school, some policies give you discounts if you maintain a certain grade average.4. raise your deductible to $1500.5.Sell your '97 on a much older car that you can get clear tittle to, where collision coverage is not required. I don't carry collision on my '89 240sx. It's downright cheap to insure6. Bum rides or ride your bicycle until enough time has passed until the points start coming off your record, and your premiums become more reasonable. 7. hit the lottery.8. A Motorcycle will not help you much as you think as you still have to buy and insure a motorcycle as well as paying off and maintaining your car. Plus getting a motorcycle license doesn't mean you start with a clean sheet with respect to your driving record. 9. Keep shopping. You may find something more reasonable.

Sorry about your mess, hope you can work it out. Good luck

[Zydeco]

omg 16 points in two years!

[n00b240]

points, 16 points. Whats that??

[LarryStooge]

ive got alot of bs tickets. I don't have any legit "speeding tickets". I get nailed for **** like "violating traffic control device" (i was going 13 over, in florida you have to be going 15 over for it to be speeding) and "following fire apparatus" (i was following an unmarked utility vehicle that was a fire department cheifs vehicle, within 50 yards, while he was on the way to a scene. he was also going the speed limit and didnt have any sort of lights or anything to distinguish him, and it was in my neighborhood on the way home, 20 feet from my house. the police knew they were harrasing me, hence the reason they wouldnt let me get my parents, and they were in my house 20 feet away, and i was a ****in minor, but they held me there and searched my dads brand new truck in the ****in rain) I ****ing hate cops and wish every oviedo police officer that is corrupt, would ****ing die and burn in hell.

[Repo Man]

Unfortunately, there are just some people that have terrible luck when it comes to tickets, police and insurance. I have a friend who got a ticket his first night out when we were 16 in his '73 Duster because his made a left where there was an obscure sign that said he couldn't. Cop cut him NO slack at all.

I myself have had some bad luck that way. The night I brought my 240 home from Chicago I got a ticket for not having a plate on the car. In podunk Westfield, Indiana of all places. Made all the way here no problem, but that damned donuteater had nothing better to do.

Summer of 2001, I make a left turn through an intersection where there were two left turn lanes in my Turbo Buick. I made it through on yellow with another car (Accord) behind me. Not sideways, squealing or anything, but got pulled over and ticketed by a rookie female cop. I asked her "what about the car behind me?". She told me she wasn't concerned with that car, just me. That's what you get for driving a musclecar vs. a grocery getter.

I did catch a huge break from a sheriff's deputy in Marion County last year. I was on the beltway in my '72 Camaro RS (406 SBC, Weld racing wheels, red, Flowmaster dual exhaust, etc) and got pulled over. I was in the left lane passing a semi, cop was in the right hiding on the other side of the semi and came outta nowhere. He said he could give me $400 worth in tickets, but let me go and said to not call attention to myself and slow the hell down. Not all cops are worthless donuteaters.

[Bubba1]

StephNic. You can't accumulate 16 points so quickly by being a victim. You accumulated those points by breaking several motor vehicle laws. Plain and simple. If you think the cops are watching you more closely, then you need to obey the traffic laws, and not give them a reason to pull you over. Drive like an old lady if you must. FYI: 13mph over the speed limit is still breaking the law. Until you change your attitude and behave/drive more responsibly, your problems are not going to go away with the cops and insurance companies. Your behavior is what created your problem. Changing your behavior is how you'll solve it. Go ahead and flame me, but I still wish you good luck.

[stretch240sx]

hey on the whole serching your car, you should have asked whats the reason? if they didnt have probably cause you could have basicly said **** you your not serching my car....

gotta love the 4th amendment....

[Daunttless]

Have you ever told a cop to go **** himself? : ) Not as easy as it sounds.

[Tino]

I forget whats the max points level anyways my friends has 19. And wheres hitman for this discussion?

[APEXi240]

Bubba nailed it on the head. You don't get 16 points being a good driver...stop driving like garbage.

Most insurance companies will not allow people with large amounts of points to be on their parents policies, they need their own because they are "high risk". So in other words you are beat. With that many points why would you be driving a 97, pick up an 89 Hynduai and call it a day, or get that bicycle. Getting a motorcycle liscense is just dumb, and you'll still have to pay out the a** for insurance, it is not a solution to any problem.

Its not the insurance company screwing you over...it's you.

[AZhitman]

I have absolutely NOTHING to add here. Apex, bubba and Repo have said it perfectly.

I did "Habitual Offender School" when I was 19 (had 8 points, max in AZ). 8 nights, two hours per night, in lieu of revoking your license. The funniest part - You can't drive to class. Have only had one ticket since then (14 years).

There's a little class we like to offer called "Intro to Accepting Responsibility For One's Own Actions" and you're enrolled. Sit up straight, take notes, and no crying in my class!

p.s. Bravo to every cop who ever pulled you over, for showing enough restraint to not give you the Rodney King Treatment for acting like such a victim.

[Tino]

It's wierd half the most outcast hell-raising punks become the cops around here I know three of them.

[AZhitman]

And you'd better hope the three of us don't show up in your neck of the woods, drunk and armed, princess.

j/k Tino - The irony of it all, indeed.

[240canuck]

I got 5 points out here in Vancouver BC 2 speedign tickets one exssive speed and 1 regular speed. first was 60 km over speed limit seconds was 11 kms over. anyway because we got stupid graduated licensing I got my License suspended for 4 months!!!! I got 5 god damn points WTF if your not a new driver ie. under 19 then you can get up to 15 points before they think of suspending you. Now thats bull****. Now I'm screwed once i get my license back I can't get a single ticket for anything for 6 months or I get suspended for a year BULL****!!!!!

[Onizuka]

wow I must live in the only place where cops dont seem to give a damn. Dont get me wrong, they will pull you over and say your headlight is out, but ive driven by squad cars doin 85 on a 55 road and nothing happens

BTW if anyone wants to stop by and drive 120+ on our brand new 6 lane highway is welcome to without fear.

[C-Kwik]

"Driving is a priveledge, not a right"

If your breaking a law and you get caught, pay the consequences and move on. If you are pulled over for something you didn't do, then take it to court.

And as far as insurance screwing you, if you're profile fits that of a higher risk driver, then your premium will reflect as such. Insurance companies spend a lot of time trying to determine what each type of driver presents as a risk. In the rule of high numbers it is actually accurate overall. So don't blame the insurance company that you fit a particular statistical profile. You can always choose not to drive.

[Bubba1]

240Canuck. So you got 2 tickets for speeding and got your license suspended because you were young...and speeding, one of them excessively? Uh, buddy, that suspension was a wake up call for you as an inexperienced driver with the wrong attitude about driving, and it sounds like you slept right thru it. You're a prime example of why that law is appropriate. So You can't get a another ticket for 6 months? You should be thinking about not get any more speeding tickets PERIOD! It's not BS, it's a privilege with rules and you need to wake up and follw those rules. Simple as that.

[LarryStooge]

I have absolutely NOTHING to add here. Apex, bubba and Repo have said it perfectly.

I did "Habitual Offender School" when I was 19 (had 8 points, max in AZ). 8 nights, two hours per night, in lieu of revoking your license. The funniest part - You can't drive to class. Have only had one ticket since then (14 years).

There's a little class we like to offer called "Intro to Accepting Responsibility For One's Own Actions" and you're enrolled. Sit up straight, take notes, and no crying in my class!

p.s. Bravo to every cop who ever pulled you over, for showing enough restraint to not give you the Rodney King Treatment for acting like such a victim.

you dont know what your talking about, and the rodney king comment, try not to make stupid comments. I actually have been assaulted by a police officer, my buddy got pulled over for having an expired tag on his camaro, i was in the passenger seat. The cop that showed up (youve seen it, the ones that haven othing to do, so they hang around other cops while they give tickets, randomly pulling up to pulled over people that have nothing to do with them) randomly decided to start giving me ****. First I said hello when he came to my window and stared at me like an idiot, then i said "hows your day been" and he said "lets not worry about me, lets worry about you and why your here", as if i did soomething wrong, ****ing idiot cop. Then he randomly said "why dont you step out of the car", and I continued to be polite and said "sure thing". I stepped out into the ****ing rain, he told me to go put my hands on his car and spread my legs so he could search me. The ****er searched me once and kicked in my leg because he said I wasnt spreading it far enough and wasnt listening, what the **** would you call that? My fault for driving like an idiot? Then he searched me again 5 minutes later, as if a knife would have randomly appeared in my pocket since the first search. Overall, he searched me a total of 5 times, while his buddy searched my friends car without a warrant or his permission. Half the town watched since it was in a turn off on an intersection, right by a light near my house. That cop never got around to searching my friiend who was driving, maybe because he's 250lbs and 6'5", they tend to stick to people their own size or smaller, because theyre spineless p******. That cop was the same cop that searched my dads brand new truck a few feet from my house in the ****ing rain, and left every damn door open. I told him he couldnt search it, he had no warrant, but he continued to, saying "you smell like pot, thats probable cause", I had my nice curve on that my gf bought for me, and I haven't smoked pot in years, so I told him he was lying (yes, I told him that). He couldn't find a reason to give me a ticket, so while I Stood in the rain for 30 more minutes while he sat in his car (he told me I wasnt allowed to go back to the truck and wait in it) righting me a ****in ticket, he remembered the ute vehicle earlier and how it was a sherrif, so he gave me a ticket for that. If you want to call that my idiot driving, then your a ****ing moron. As far as me going 13, there were multiple people going faster than me, but when they see me they think "punk kid" and the other people were all older people. I also got a ticket for "running a stop sign", I stopped completely, the cop even admitted it, but he said "you have to come to a complete stop and stay there for 3 full seconds, or it counts as runnign it", that is also a bs ticket, I found out last month when talking to a local neighbor (hes a cop, a decent one) and he said that was total bs. BUt I'm sure it's just idiot driving that caused me to not stop for 3 seconds, right? I'll admit that the 13 over was a legit ticket, but still kind of stupid, but the other tickets were all bs tickets from stupid ****ing idiots that couldnt find anything better to do.

[240canuck]

I admit that the first one was me being stupid i had my first car and was rippign it like hell down the highway I was beign a complete a-hole but the second was no where near as serious but still my fault but c'mon 2 tickets and its suspended alittle harsh. I got a buddy that has got 3 speedign tickets 1 ticket for no insurance and one ticket for failure to produce driver's license spend a night in jail for that one and is still driving because he's 20. Mine is suspended with 2 speeding tickets because I'm 18. WOW those 2 years makes a huge difference!!!! does anyone else see my point?

I aknowledge that i screwed up but why should others be allowed to screw up more then me? just because I'm a new driver. I've actually calm down alot since i got the 240 cause i'm still not fully confident with rear drive. anyway i don't care i'm a good driver now.

I actually went to pay my second ticket and lady at the counter said to me must have been a cop trying to fill his quota. I was liek what fill his quota and she said yeah they have to give out a certain amount of tickets each month so we see alot of these barely over the limit tickets late in the month its real common. My jaw dropped to the floor i was stunned. COPS ARE SO CURUPT.

If you live up here you've probly heard of the 7 cops that dragged 3 homeless guys into the park and kicked the s*** out of them a cuople days ago. SOSO VERY CORUPT!!!

[nissanrcer240]

damm 240canuck, you say your 18 and only got 2 tickets and you got yur license suspended..i must be lucky b/c im 16 and i ve gotten 2 speedin tickets(one of them was almost a racin ticket but the cop was in a good mood that night i guess), a seatbelt ticket, and a driving without headlights ticket(long story), and i stil have my license and i ve already been to court for all the tickets and been to drivin class for the speeding tickets and have to go again for the seat belt ticket. Yeah u might say i was drivin pretty stupid about a couple months ago b/c i was, trust me i ve learned my lesson, i ve wasted about 400 dollars(doesnt seem liek much but thats alot of money to me, i work at foodlion partime:( ) on tickets and drivin class and im about to waste another 60 or 70 dollars on another drivin class session. Plus my insurance is gonna be skyhigh now probly...when do the tickets start to affect your insurance, does any1 know?? im mean how long after u get the ticket does it make your insurance go up?

[Lsnaple]

i agree with bubba1, c-kwik,apexi240, etc that all support the same side. i lost my license for six months for having 2 speeding tickets, 15 and 24 over. thats only 4 points here. get over it. i just got my license back about a week and half ago, and its not that hard to not speed.

240canuck, i see your point about the age deal. i was 17 when i lost mine, now im 18. i was pissed about that topic too, mainly because now i can ( im not) get 15 points before i loes my license, because im 18.

stephnic, yes, alot of cops are @$$holes.16 points (even if some tickets are bs) is ****ty. 440 for full coverage on a 97 240? wow. i pay 275 A MONTH for the LOWEST LIABILITY on a 92. i wanted to get a 95, but all the insurance companies wanted about 525 A MONTH, for me to pay full coverage.stop your *****in. the insurance companies arent screwing you, your screwing yourself.

accept responsibility for your actions. i did, now im paying for it.

EDIT: nissanrcer240, it goes up as soon as you tell them, or they find out. if you dont tell them, they will drop you and youll be penalized for insurance fraud.

[milo]

I agree , some tickets are bull, but some are rightly deserved..I got nailed for 30 over on the interstate (i know i'm an idiot)

I get to wait 6 months for that court date (may).. not fun.. court 2 days after my birthday Pain in the rear because the 1 time I screw up... i get nailed (I would always drive close to the limit).

I dont think i've ever gone 10 over since... RARELY even 5 over... and whoever said it is right.. it isnt hard to not speed.

Its really annoying to see my friend drive like a complete idiot going 20-30 over whenever he wants... esp with his goddamn neons on... i'm just waiting for him to get arrested...

[Rockenreno]

I have friends who get away with everything while driving... They go upwards of 140 on the freeway at night and others drift through crowded intersections during yellow lights. Its not safe, and they havent got caught. Luckily for me I am a good, legal driver and have never been pulled over, though one time a cop car paced me going 35 in my minivan. Whatever. Just drive safe and hope for the best.

[C-Kwik]

I've seen a lot of harrassment and BS from cops myself. Hell, when I was 18, I received 6 tickets in one year followed by a ticket for driving on a suspended license. And that year, I had actually been pulled over more to be searched than I was for tickets. I went to court 4 times that year to fight tickets. And while it sucks to get searched, you must understand that cops typically do this with a purpose. In my case, I'm asian, and was in an area where there was a lot of asian gang activity. I accept it as something that helps the community. If I thought at anytime, the officer was misusing his power, then I'd report it to his superiors. And I will admit, not all cops are perfect, but they are human. And to call them p****** is poor form when they are putting their lives in danger just by putting on a uniform. How many people in here volunteered for a job where your life can be in danger at any moment?

As far as BS tickets, again, you have a right case heard in front of a judge(U.S., not sure about the laws of Canada). If you feel you are harassed, report the incident to the officer's superior. Complaining to a bunch of guys on the internet solves nothing. You are only helpless if you think you are. And I'd hardly call getting kicked in the leg a Rodney King incident.

I adjust auto claims for a living. As far as I'm concerned, you can break every law in the book as long as you don't cause an accident. But the laws are there as a way to try and control people who break laws. Imagine what society would be like right now if we had no laws. Imagine if we did nothing to enforce them. If you are breaking a law and get caught, you have noone to blame but yourself. You made the choice to break the law. And if you feel you did not break the law or in some way was harassed, do something about it. It's as simple as that.

[Bubba1]

Steph: An old unregistered camaro is a gigantic warning sign to a cop. It's against the law. That's also more than enough reason for a cop to pull your friend's car over and suspect the worst. Doesn't sound like you're arguing about guilt here, just treatment while stopped. But harassment is a different issue. If this an isolated cop that you believe is harassing you personally, you're gonna have to build a stronger case against him because, with your track record, and your friend, who's not real bright for driving an unregistered car, who'll believe either of you on just your word? You'd need a microcassette recorder perhaps, planted in your car to record your conversations with the harrassing cop if he stops you again. But from where I'm sitting, it still sounds like you and your friend are giving the cops damn good reasons to pull you over to give you grief. You and your friend need to stop doing dumb, illegal things to get yourself noticed by the cops. Who cares if there were other people going faster than you? If you were a cop and saw two people exceeding the speed limit, one a soccermom in a register Voyager and a kid in an UNREGISTERED camaro, who the hell would you pull over? Does that make sense?

[Lobot]

When did this board become a f u c k i n g sob fest for p u s s i e s who are to stupid and immature to take responsibility for their own stupid moronic actions. StephNic you broke the LAW(not suggestion) and got what you deserved try growing up rather than whining next time it is a little harder but ultimitly more rewarding.

[240canuck]

lsnaple- thanks for understanding but damn you go tit worse then me 6 months with only 4 points i got 5 points and only 4 months I got an excessive speed ticket which was 110 in a 50 zone which was construction zone so my ticket was 500 bucks. I thought no one would be in as worse a position as me but oh well there is a worse place then Vancouver.

[AznRide]

how about you buy my 91 240sx and save a bunch on insurrace money. I used to have 2 points and paid 2500 for 6 months...but now i put it under my winter beater so it's only like 700 per 6 month liabilty. I'll givey ou some cash if you are willing to trade..hehe

[AZhitman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by StephNic "]you dont know what your talking about, and the rodney king comment, try not to make stupid comments. Actually, I'm pretty well-versed in law enforcement - Ask anyone here, I DO know what I'm talking about.

I actually have been assaulted by a police officerNo, you got searched. Assaulted is when you get a toilet plunger broken off in your manpleaser (like Abner Louima), in which case you'd have every right to complain.

my buddy got pulled over for having an expired tag on his camaro Tell your buddy to keep his registration current and he won't get pulled over. Brilliant, eh?

The cop that showed up (youve seen it, the ones that haven nothing to do, so they hang around other cops while they give tickets, randomly pulling up to pulled over people that have nothing to do with them) That's called backup, genius. That's their job. You've been watching too much TV. Go spend some time in the garage.

That cop never got around to searching my friiend who was driving, maybe because he's 250lbs and 6'5", they tend to stick to people their own size or smaller, because theyre spineless p******. Interesting how you can say that now but not when you were whimpering spread-eagle on the side of the road. Try passing the physical requirements to become a cop and we'll see who's a pu$$y. Most well-trained officers could drop you like a bad habit on their worst day, without any weapons or backup.

As far as me going 13, there were multiple people going faster than me, but when they see me they think "punk kid" and the other people were all older people. Lesson: Guess you'd better drive slow until you get older (and more skilled). And why do you think they think of you as a "punk kid"? Do you look the part? Do you have a "F*** Tha' Po-Lice" sticker on your car? Most traffic cops are between the ages of 19-30, so we're not talking about old people here...

Interesting how you're getting absolutely NO backup from any of your peers here. Might want to consider that you COULD be wrong in this instance (novel idea, I'm sure).

Be safe out there - You'll get through this. It's like puberty: It's just a phase.