The price of car insurance is going through the roof.
People are absolutely FREAKING OUT:
This is the result of extreme car dependency.
They were free people.
Now they are held on a leash by oil companies, car companies and insurance companies
You must log in or # to comment.
I was told that privatizing auto insurance led to lower premiums and less waste.
Weird that my insurance in BC hasn’t gone up in years and we even got rebates the last couple years. And yeah, a freak hail event in Calgary is going to affect rates, but that’s a one off event and Alberta and Ontario insurance premiums have been outpacing BC for as long as I can remember.
When prices drop it’s because privatization is the best and nothing else but privatization! When prices skyrocket it’s because of unforseen external market factors but still somehow record profits.
I recall as a new driver (1997?) my insurance was cheaper in BC the after moving back to Alberta (early 2000ish) it went up, then it slowly went down to less than before. Moved back to BC (late 2000s) and it was more again, but not a ton. Just stating my experience I’ve been back in BC for quite awhile, I think what I pay is fair, around $120 a month now. Also yes I have liked there are rebates for sure that would bring down the monthly price but didn’t factor that in, I sort of forget what they were but maybe $100 or so, so close to a month’s payment. I always thought BC insurance was more fair overall even if I paid more sometimes. Think it was the premium for under 25 yr olds paid in Alberta that made it more for rather than actual claims needed which I sort of get but let people’s driving set the amount not necessarily their age.
Useless Clown Party strikes yet again.
Ugh she is so flipping dumb. The premier that is.
So I’ve never owned a vehicle or had insurance since I’ve never needed one living in Calgary the transit system has been enough for me. Looked at getting a EV. Screw that. $700 to $800/month for insurance. So I went and bought myself a very nice cargo ebike. It will also help me get into better shape so win win for me. I plan to ride for spring, summer, and fall. Not sure about winter yet.
I didn’t ride in the winter on my acoustic bike.
Once I switched to an ebike, wind never bothers me, and îl ride until -25° windchill. That cutoff is because that’s the temperature daycare stops putting my kid outside. Once she can better express and dress herself well be able to push that limit.
Otherwise, there were a handful of days i didnt ride because the roads were cleared, but none of ym bike paths yet. Calgary probably has better route clearance that Kingston ON (at least based on what ive seen watching Shifter).
My personal suggestion is to try riding in the winter, but it’s not a competition, take transit instead if you want. I didn’t even intend to ride in the winter, I just didn’t stop.
I’ll give it a try that’s for sure. Shouldn’t be too bad even if I end up looking like the Michelin Man while riding lol
Our pathway system is usually plowed within 24 hours of snow fall finishing. I opted for the off road tires and ABS on my ebike so should be all good. I can always add some traction weight in the cargo area to help as well.
If you’re riding to work, are you wiping down your bike when you get there, or how else are you preventing road salt from eating the metal bits? Also how does the bike handle if you hit a patch of ice? Studded tires or nah?
I got my ebike earlier this year and I’d like to keep riding for most of the winter if it won’t fuck up my bike too badly. I’ve heard that my city is pretty good at keeping bike infrastructure plowed through the winter.
I don’t wipe down at work, but I’ve got a hose in my garage at home. I just give it a rise and lube every week or two. My work also uses gravel instead of salt; and the city has been leaning away from salt, so that reduces the damage a fail bit.
I’ve never hit a patch of ice by surprise, so when I see them coming up I put my feet over the sides to catch myself if I fall and throttle my way through if I can’t glide the whole way. Kiddo goes in the trailer for the winter since the bigger safety risk is tipping, also keeps her out of the wind. Come to think of it, the strong winds here is probably what keeps my routes clear more than anything else.
I haven’t done studded tires yet, haven’t found it necessary, but my radbike has wide tires to begin with, and I pressure down to 30 psi.
So is alberta just a demonstration for the rest of the country of what would happen if you became the 51st state?
