IF INSURANCE IS SUCH a good thing tuh have, why every time I think ’bout it, nuh matter wha’ kind o’ insurance it is, I does get vex?
Look, I gine tell you the truth: I doan think I can handle this insurance thing nuh more, hear? Okay, I know dat I have tuh have insurance fuh certain things like the car insurance, which, if I doan have it, I cahn drive my li’l old puma pon the road; it is compulsory.
But you see this girl Mavis? If I had my way I would have nothing whatsoevah tuh do wid any kind o’ insurance, nuh matter if duh did offering me the sun, moon and all the stars in the heavens pon a gold platter. And dat is the truth from my heart.
I find insurance companies too unfair. Now look, duh got two types of insurance fuh the car: one is comprehensive and the other, third party. When the car is new or only got in a few years, ya does get the comprehensive insurance package but from the time ya vehicle start tuh age – I ain’t too sure how old but leh we say about ten tuh twelve years old – all of a sudden the option of third party or comprehensive doan exist nuh more and you ain’t got nuh say in the matter. It is what it is.
Third party!
Now if I get in tuh a li’l accident, it is the body fault and I happen tuh have comprehensive insurance, before the insurance company could pay out one blind cent tuh me, I have tuh give dem a comprehensive rundown of how the accident happen.
Then the next thing duh gine tell me is dat I have tuh pay the excess. What excess? Fuh years I was faithfully paying my insurance ’cause evahbody know dat if ya doan pay it and the police stop me and check, duh gine report me.
On the other hand, if the body is at fault, when I get my renewal letter, nuh matter how small the damage was tuh the other car and how little dem had tuh pay out, dem does increase my insurance.
The other thing is this: if I only have third party insurance and I happen tuh get in tuh the slightest li’l accident, dem does pay the damages pon the other party vehicle but me and my vehicle could guh tuh hell.
Now cud’dear, why was I paying insurance in the first place? I thought having insurance was supposed tuh cover ya when ya get in tuh any kind o’ accident. I thought dat the insurance companies was supposed tuh look out for duh customers. But It look tuh me like all me and a lot o’ people like me does be doing is only paying insurance tuh make a lot o’ other people rich.
Leh me gi’ ya another one. Now when Tropical Storm Tomas touch Barbados a couple years ago, it blow some o’ the guttering offa my house along wid a small part o’ my roof. I called up my insurance company and explained the situation tuh dem. A young fella tell me dat I would have tuh get an estimate done.
So dat is what I did and called back the guy tuh tell him. The man tell me dat the company gine have tuh send somebody tuh access the damages and then he allow me tuh know dat I gine have tuh pay the excess first.
I ask the man what excess, what was the meaning tuh this excess thing or deductible and how much it was. I ain’t gine tell ya nuh lie: when he tell me the amount o’ money duh gine gi’ me after dat, my mout’ drop open. Wha’ dah couldn’t even pay fuh the man labour, far less the material tuh fix the roof.
I had tuh ask the man what was the reason fuh my paying insurance all these years. I thought dat I was paying it fuh when things like these happen.
I didn’t realise dat I would have tuh fork out money in order tuh get money fuh something dat I thought I was suppose tuh be paying for all the years.
Well, there and then I came tuh the conclusion dat I would be better off keeping muh two cents in muh pocket in case something like this should happen again.
That way I would know dat I won’t have tuh go tuh nuhbody expecting any kind o’ help after paying premiums fuh donkey years and not claiming anything, not getting anything, not even a postcard at Christmas or when my birthday come ’round.
Doan talk ’bout if you get intuh an accident, and have tuh make any kinda claims at all. Duh know you hurt and should get some kinda compensation ’cause ya gotta go tuh the doctor all the time and the doctor ain’t cheap nor he doan credit, so ya gotta pay evah cent outta ya pocket, even borrowing, and still the insurance companies holding out pon ya, like duh hoping ya would dead so duh won’t have tuh pay out nutten.
I know what I talking ’bout, ’cause all like now so I gine through the stress.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
