#Black Van Life In San Francisco: PBS, American Nomads

[appalachiablue]

#BlackVanLife in San Francisco. PBS, Independent Lens. "Young Veteran Couple Attend College While Stealth Camping." Young African American couple Lovell and Paris, both veterans in pricey San Francisco, are doing their best to balance living in a van AND attending college full time. 2020.

Van life in a major city comes with its own set of challenges, and Lovell and Paris navigate break-ins and restrictive parking regulations, while trying to have as much fun as possible. The Pros & Cons of City Van Dwelling | American Nomads, Ep. 5. Learn more about "Independent Lens": http://www.pbs.org/independentlens

[Rorey]

1. Deductible?

I find these van life videos to be very interesting.

I was curious about her statement that they'd have to pay their deductible to get that window fixed. I was thinking that I wouldn't want to make an insurance claim over a small amount. I don't know how much it costs to replace a passenger window on a van, but I'm guessing it would be less than $500. I generally have tried to have a higher deductible to save on premiums, and hearing her say that spurred me to take a look at my policy to see what my deductible actually is.

On my previous policy, I had a deductible of $1,000. When I changed insurance companies awhile back I guess I didn't listen very well because now I see that it's $500. I was going over multiple policies at the time, and I know I listened carefully on the homeowner's policies, but I guess I messed up on the vehicle policy. Grrr.

So now I guess I have to think about what I want to do. Do I jinx myself by changing the deductible?

[appalachiablue]

2. They should NOT claim the broken window.

As you say, be careful, insurance will look at their residence/address info., lifestyle, age, and maybe raise their rates or cancel their policy if the damage is reported. Try to pay for it out of pocket.

This reminds me of an incident years ago when a thug broke a very small back window of my car, a coupe, to take a clothing bag on the seat that contained a couple shirts. It was a daytime 'smash and grab' that happened on an afternoon in broad daylight while the car was parked on city street that was fairly busy with pedestrians.

So I claimed the damage with insurance; they replaced the broken window and then notified me by mail that my policy was cancelled, over about 50 bucks. I was stunned, had no prior claim history. The only factor I can think of is youth and maybe being a big city resident. Getting new coverage was a hassle but I managed.

> Otherwise, I like and admire this young bright couple in the video 'on the road.' What a crime though that people have to live like this in wealthy America.

[YoshidaYui]

3. i just love my city

And yeah its expensive here... but its so worth it.