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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Saturday November 28, 2009
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Well, good morning and happy Saturday friends. Yesterday was quite a pleasant day and surprisingly sunny. That was a nice switch from all of the rain earlier on in the week. I took quite a few snaps on Thursday and you can view them in Friday's post here on Dear Courier Diary. I only took one picture yesterday and that is the photo above. It is a hand dryer called the " XLERATOR ". The significance of this device is explained below.
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If you live in a jurisdiction that does not have public automobile insurance then you really do not know what you are missing. Now, this public auto insurance thing was a creation of the so-called ' socialists ' or ' socialist hordes ' as the former Premier W.A.C. Bennett used to call them. These socialists were actually the political party known as the New Democratic Party or N.D. P. They rose to power back in the early 1970's here in British Columbia. I remember the period well since I supported and voted for the socialist hordes. These were my university and rebellious youth days. The NDP had been trying to achieve power for a long time and finally they made it. I was very happy that they came to power and I felt like I had done my part in creating change in our Province.
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And the NDP introduced some great changes which are still with us today. One of them was the Agricultural Land Reserve, something to protect farmland and another one was the introduction of public automobile insurance. Once the legislation was established to create this entity the government spent the social capital and constructed ICBC centres all over the province.
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To my mind, this is a very well run public enterprise and I, personally, am very happy with our public system. It is a no fault system and it works extremely well. They try to maintain costs as best they can and naturally this involves controlling the prices that are paid out to the repair shops and monies paid out for injury claims. The controlling of costs feature is the same idea as found in our public health system as well. If you did not make an effort to control costs then where would you be? Well, that is the essence of the public system and the controlling of costs is one of the things that makes public systems work so well. You cannot let the private system run amuck as it were and get greedy and ruin the whole system for everyone. Now, rates are going up all of the time, but that is a function of price inflation generally so everyone understands and appreciates this aspect of the business.
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Furthermore, I have never had a problem with ICBC as regards to claims or receiving money for injuries and the like. As a courier I get rear ended all of the time. And, my repairs are fixed in a timely and efficient manner. And, even if you have a broken windshield that needs repair you do not even have to report to a claim centre. You can just drive into any repair shop and they will fix it and charge ICBC.
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Also, as a courier I visit ICBC claims centres frequently, picking up and dropping off deliveries for our customers. I have always found the staff courteous and very efficient at what they do. And, when you do have an accident you simply report your claim over the phone and arrangements are made for you to visit a claim centre for further processing of your accident. And, you can take your vehicle in for inspection to the centre of your choice. Kind of like our public health system. You pick the place in which you want to do business.
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So, as you can see the public automobile system here in British Columbia is a very good thing. Most of us really like this organization. There are the detractors of course but you will find that in any jurisdiction. I mean, that is what insurance companies do generally; they try and control the costs. And, besides if you are not satisfied with decisions or the potential outcome of things you can always get legal help and seek remedies in the courts as well. I am just trying to say that as an idea and as a functioning entity the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is a respected institution and it is accepted by the population for what it is. In fact, when the current Liberal government came into power they floated the idea of privatizing this entity. The people rejected this notion so the government did not act on their ideas about privatization. I think, generally, people do not trust the private sector when it comes to the business of insurance. Profits are what drive the owners of insurance companies and the people know this well.
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But, here is the finale and real reason for my piece this morning friends. And, it is just an example of how people friendly ICBC is and what public institutions are capable of. And, it concerns their bathrooms and the experience the customer receives from this part of their operation. Friends, I am talking about hand dryers here. Now, if you have ever been to a McDonald's restaurant, for example, and used their hand dryers then you will know what I am talking about. The McDonald's hand dryers are totally second rate affairs compared to those found in our public automobile insurance outlets. McDonald's restaurants dryers found in this part of the world are tedious and ineffective. You stand in front of the thing for an eternity and nothing seems to happen; you simply get to experience the thrill of cold air running all over your hands. How exciting is that? But, inside the restroom of an ICBC claim centre you are in for the experience of your life. Just place your hands under one of their dryers and you will be amazed at just how fast and effectively the job of drying your hands is accomplished. Take a look at the XLERATOR shown above. Their machines are totally state of the art and they are meant to keep you the customer happy and smiling. Warm air comes gushing out these things and before you know it you are a new person again. No more waiting and no more suffering. Totally awesome and satisfying results pour out of these machines and they make your life come alive. You become a new person in literally, seconds. And, you immediately come to know that your public automobile insurance company is interested in bringing you back to cleanliness and happiness in the shortest time possible. I believe that is the real message of these fascinating machines. Now, unfortunately, I suppose, you have to have some sort of accident to be able to appreciate these devices. The cost of doing business? Is it worth it? Well, you decide for yourself. Anyhow, rest assured that the next time you have an accident and get to visit one of the ICBC restrooms you will not be disappointed. Just ask to use the restroom and take a visit. And, be prepared for the thrill of your life. Public companies really do have the best interest of the public in mind. I guess that is why they call them public companies. Talk to you later.
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