If you’re going to really see St. John, you’ve gotta rent a car. That brings with it a few cautions: (1) Driving on the left is easy until you find yourself in a situation where you need to think fast, and that may mean you swerve into the wrong lane. (2) Insurance. Sure, you've got it, but what about the other guy? Odds are one out of three, he doesn't.
The St. John Source quotes the president of Guardian Insurance saying he wouldn’t be surprised if 30% of VI drivers are uninsured.
Not “underinsured.” “UN” insured.
“Underinsured” is also a problem. Minimum limits for coverage were set in 1975. They provide for $10,000 in property damage and $20,000 in medical expenses. Back then, a loaf of bread cost 50 cents. By 2008 it was $2.79. Thats almost a 500% increase. Imagine how far that $20,000 in medical costs will go.
- Read the full Source story: Auto Insurance Falls Short in Coverage
I was driving Centerline Road a few weeks ago when a tourist from Texas, driving on the wrong side, banged into my rusted Jeep Wrangler, mangling my fender and destroying my headlight. He got out of his huge rental Jeep, the kind that looks more like a Hummer than an ancient Jeep such as mine. Cursing me, he asked me who in the hell did I think I was, crashing into him.
“You crashed into me,” I said. “You were driving on the wrong side of the road.”
“Bull,” he said. “It’s you island idiots that drive on the wrong side of the road. You should drive on the right like real Americans do.”
He was curling his fists and I could tell he was ready to spring his Texas macho on me. I thought fast.
“You look tense,” I said. “You could use a good stiff drink.”
“Damn right,” he said.
I had just bought a bottle of Jim Beam and I got it from my wrecked Jeep and uncapping it, passed it to him. He took a long swig and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“That hit the spot, but you’re still idiots down here driving the way you do. Have a drink yourself.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I will, but I’ll wait until after the police leave.”
Wow, @ Wendell’s story! That guy definitely needed a drink! We have been coming to STJ for 5 years. It feels more natural to us to “keep left”. We are really good at it 🙂 we get back to the states and I feel like I’m driving on the wrong side. It does always scare me when driving whole on STJ and we see a rental car coming our way. It reminds me of here in the states, when we are driving on the interstate and a big rig is beside us.
that’s a funny story… and then the police showed up and took him in for drinking and driving, or he calmed down and took responsibility…………