So, how does one (especially when that "one" is "me") decide whether to carry comprehensive and/or collision insurance.
Up until 4 days ago, I was a 1 vehicle family. Now, I am a 2 vehicle family, though I haven't gotten the 2nd vehicle home yet. Remember that old math question about how 1 farmer with 1 boat gets a chicken, fox, and chicken feed across a creek? Well...that's easy compared to how does 1 woman with 1 car living 25 miles out of town get 1 more vehicle to her property without leaving the original vehicle stranded on the road.
Here are the options that occurred to me:
1) Hitchhike...but I saw that movie "The Hitcher" with Rutger Hauer and he is one creepy mofo so I don't hitchhike.
2) Drive my current vehicle 25 miles to the dealer. Drive the new car 1 mile. Take 20 minutes to walk back to my car, at the dealer where I had to leave it to get the new vehicle, drive my original car 2 miles, walk back 1 mile to get the new vehicle, drive that 2 miles, walk back 1 mile...lather rinse and repeat until I get home having walked 25 miles at 20 minutes a mile (500 minutes, or 8hours 20 min). That seems a bit more trouble than it is worth. And, I need to spend another 45 minutes at the DMV explaining yet again that yes, my mailing address is in one county/highway district and my home where the vehicles live with me, is in a different county/highway district. Lather, rinse, repeat.
So, that makes 8hr 20min of driving/walking home, 30min driving to dealer, 45min at DMV (realistically, 1 hour...). Total: 9hr 50min. If I have to pee and eat, 11 hours. That seems excessive
3) Mooch a ride. My main moochable ride friends who live closest are selfishly visiting their grandkid. Where are there priorities? I had a ride Weds but my original car was in the shop getting tires 25 miles the other way. Thursday I was waiting for heating log delivery and didn't get done with that until my ride had had to make other plans. Friday, I was 2.5 hours the other way. Same for Saturday. Sunday the dealer is closed. MONDAY I can mooch a ride into town in time to get plates, apply for a title, and pick up the pick up.
4) If the Monday ride falls through I will call the local taxi (which is a small step up from hitchhiking because the driver looks more like Boss Hogg than Rutger Hauer) and pay to get to the dealer. Cripes.
ANYWAY: The brand new used truck...1999 pick up so obviously its name is Prince Rogers Nelson...changes the risk factors for insurance coverage and/or lack there of.
While I was a 1 car family, carrying more insurance to make sure I had a rental car and could comfortably replace the car, was more important (see above: live 25 miles out of town). If I crashed the car or a moose stomped on it while I slept, I was stuck. There are rides I can easily mooch to work, but not back and forth to the repair shop or car rental place. Those are all different directions.
NOW I only have to mooch a ride home. There should be a working rig waiting for me there.
So, is it worth it to keep paying coverage for a rental car?
If I am more than 50 miles from home then it might be. But probably not. I'd be pretty screwed anyway.
If the car or pick up were completely unrepairable, like a roll over or a tree completely crushing the car, or a moose hitting the front end at 60mph, would I replace the rig? Probably not. I'd take the payout and drive the remaining vehicle until it wouldn't go anymore. What price is that repair? I DON'T KNOW. That's part of the decision problem. The other is calculating my risk. Then there is calculating my risk tolerance.
I will wait 30 days to try to figure this out again, maintaining current coverage until then. That's about when I owe for the next 6 months of coverage.
Winter is especially risky drivingwise, so I may carry more coverage through winter and drop it in spring.
