Bad Driving Rant #3: Cops Who Speed

Hypocrisy, much? Gah.

I had to go out of town for work the other day to pick up some equipment, so I spent pretty much my entire day on the interstate. Seeing as it's the end of the month and the states need to make their ticket quotas, the troopers were out in full force with their speed traps.

Likewise, I counted no less than six individual instances were I was easily out-paced by a cop by at least 10mph, when I was right at the speed limit, or even a little above.

Keep in mind, obviously, I'm not talking about police vehicles on their way to a scene or an arrest with their lights and sirens on. No, no...just cruising down the road like the rest of us.

I was reminded of a specific instance a few years ago when I was coming back from vacation, and got pulled over for speeding. The cop gave me a hard time, but at least let me go with just a warning. As we pulled back into traffic, he immediately sped up and passed me, and I watched as he weaved in and out of the three lanes of interstate traffic, and finally turned left into the emergency vehicle turn-around ahead of us. I figured he had just gotten a call, and was on his way to an accident or some such thing. Nope. As I past, he had already set up a new speed trap (maybe I'm being a little self-important, but was it to try to nab me again?). Given the fact that we both pulled out into traffic at the same time just a few minutes earlier, you can imagine how fast he must have been going in order to get that far ahead of me in such a short period of time. Not to mention, again, the driving maneuvers that would have been categorized as "reckless" had anyone other than him done them.

There was also the time when I was driving back to college for the first time on my own; I had just gotten a new car, and it was my first real 'road trip' of any length. I reached part of the highway where there was construction and each direction was reduced to one lane of traffic. As I entered the work zone, a cop drove up behind me and road my ass the entire mile and a half of construction. I was, obviously, both freaking out AND doing the exact work zone speed limit - because you know that if I had sped up in order to appease his need to speed, he would have pulled me over for that fat $250 ticket. (Who cares about the tailgating?)

Oh, and what about that time in high school (I kid you not) when I watched a cop car speed past my parents' car...and turn into the Dunkin' Donuts? Seriously, it happened.

Bad Driving Rant #2: Stopping in the Middle of the Road

I don't care if you're lost or you missed your turn...just pull off to the side of the road or turn around!

I was on my way to the post office today over my lunch break, and this bimbo who is turning into the parking lot in front of me comes to a total halt at the entrance of the lot, completely blocking both lanes of traffic, while she reads the parking notice sign next to the building. Seriously...SERIOUSLY? Just park, for f*ck's sake!

Another "favorite" is the idiots who are in the right lane and realize they need to make the next left turn, so instead of just going past the turn and merging in a sane and legal fashion and turning around, they slam on their breaks and put on the blinker - expecting the traffic behind them to let them cross three lanes to make that turn. I mean, come on - can you really not spare that extra two minutes to drive to the next exit and make a u-turn?!

I'm sorry, but no one is that important or in that much of a hurry to just stop in the middle of the freakin' road. Either pull over or turn around, and get out of everyone else's - who DO know where they're going - way.

Introducing: Money Mondays

So while the original (and still primary) purpose of this blog was to, simply, rant about everyday annoyances, I've gotten a surprising amount of email and Twitter feedback on my posts regarding random things to help make or save a bit of money. So every few weeks, I figured I'd post a little update about some of the stuff I've mentioned in the past, and how it's working out for me.

Paid Surveys
Hey, I've been paid. Twice now. As in, the money is in my PayPal account. So here are my results so far, and how a few others are shaping out:

1. Lightspeed - I racked up enough points to make $10 in my first month. Note that the lowest payout is $5, so I even beat the minimum here. I've been the happiest with this panel - they send a few surveys a week, most of which I qualify for and complete, and most of which are 20 minutes or less.
2. I wrote a review of some of the survey sites I use and a website paid me $10 for my article. Sweet!
3. MyPoints - I'm a measly 20 points away from a $10 gift certificate. I get 5 points for every email I read from them, so I should be placing an order for that thing the day after tomorrow.
4. InboxDollars & SendEarnings (click links on the right to help me out, mkay?) - essentially the same company, they also pay you to read emails and take a few surveys. I'm approaching $10, and the payout is $30...I should cash out sometime this summer...and all just for reading a few extra emails each day.
5. A sneaky trick for those of you who are dealing with the whole Toluna / Greenfield / Your2Cents merger - if you're sick of the low point yet way too long surveys, just log in everyday and take the paid polls. You get anywhere from 15 - 150 points per poll. Not a lot, but that's a good way to inch towards your payout while they get the survey fiasco fixed.

Free Stuff
It's too early to have received anything...but spam. As expected, a few of the things I've found have resulted in an influx of spam to my email. Good thing I'm already using a bogus email address! So be prepared if you start doing this.

Here's a few neat things I've found this week:
1. Free Book from Crown Publishing - they've got three to choose from, just pick one that looks interesting to you!
2. Free Cologne from Swiss Army - free sample of Swiss Army (yes, the people that make those watches and knives) cologne.
3. New website to add to the watch list: MySavings.com. Again, you have to register for this to get the links, but it's worth it. Lot's of stuff added daily on this one.
4. Save the Date(s): February 5th - get a free KIND bar at Starbucks (their new granola bar). February 23rd - get a free short stack of pancakes at IHOP.
5. Prilosec OTC Sample - mmn, free heartburn medicine...for those of us who just can't stay away from the spicy food.

Again, I'll let you know if/when I actually receive any of this stuff. Keep your fingers crossed, or go ahead and give it a go with me and sign up for some of these things now.

In the next Money Mondays edition: getting paid for your junk mail? Sounds too good to be true. Hopefully I'll find out soon...

Bad Driving Rant #1: Driving Too Slow

If you and/or your vehicle are incapable of reaching and maintaining the speed limit, then get off the road.

Myth #1: Driving slower is safer.

Fact #1: Most of the time, it in fact is not. For instance, say you're driving on a highway in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, where the speed limit is 55. Those roads have quite a few large turns, limiting the visibility to only a 50 or 100 yards at certain points. So say you're going 35mph, and the guy coming up behind you is maintaining 55mph...he comes up behind you suddenly...do you think he's going to have time to stop or swerve around you?
This also applies to you idiots who slam on the brakes on the interstate when it starts to rain. In case you slept through that part of Driver's Ed, the road is in fact it's MOST slippery condition the first few minutes that it starts to rain. So all that brake slamming is really just rear-ending waiting to happen.

Myth #1: It's perfectly legal to drive as slow as I want.

Fact #1: In many states, driving between 15mph and 25mph below the speed limit is considered reckless driving. Other states actually have posted minimum speeds on major highways and interstates. Even more states have laws stating that you "cannot drive so slow that you hinder the flow of traffic." Think about that, dude, next time you decide to drive 5mph under the speed limit on the left side of the interstate and have seven cars backed up behind you.

Every once in awhile when I rant about this in person, I hear things like "Well, some people's cars aren't in very good shape," or "sometimes older people are too afraid to drive at that speed." My answer is, "Why should my life be put in danger because someone else is incapable of driving safely?" Your rights end when my rights begin, so if driving the speed limit is really that difficult for you, then find another means of transportation.

Save Money, Get it for Free

So in my quest to make/save money while partially unemployed, I've stumbled upon some legit sites that offer random freebies that are just there for the asking. So, while like my post about online surveys earlier, you won't be making any huge monetary strides with these - every little bit helps, right? Here's some sites I've found that so far seem useful:

SavingsAndCoupons.com - you have to sign up for the links, but there's a pretty extensive listing of random items you can follow through and request.
Free-Product-Samples - a blog with extensive and somewhat frequent updates about offers.
Walmart's Free Samples - Walmart even has a listing of items.
StartSampling.com - a fairly good list of interesting offers.
Bargainist.com - updated every few days or so.
Shop4Freebies.com - updated daily.
FreeGrabber.com - updated daily, or close to it.

Now, you might be thinking, why bother? How is a few samples arriving at my door in two months gonna help? Well, as I mentioned above, this isn't a huge solution. But my thought process is, if I can save a few bucks next month by not having to buy a few necessities at the store, then that extra $10 or $20 might make all the difference. For instance, today I saw offers for medications (heartburn, cold remedies, digestive aids), household products (laundry detergent, dryer sheets, window cleaner), personal products (feminine products, colognes, shampoo, lotion), business supplies (flash drives, pens, sticky notes), and even food products (toaster pastries, sweeteners, health food snacks). So imagine that in two months you're still having a hard time finding work...but instead of having to go to the store, you at least have some samples to last you through until another week and your next paycheck arrives.

At least that's my idea, anyways.

Some recommendations:

1) If you already have a PO Box, use it. I'm not sure how much junk mail any one company might send, so at least keep it confined to somewhere other than your house.

2) Use a separate email addy. If you're like me, you already have one for those online surveys you're doing in your free time, so that might be a good place to send any potential spam.

And finally, to wrap up this entry - I'm on Twitter, now! Add @SHIKrants to your following list and be notified as soon as I get irritated and rant about something new.

Eating My Words

So you know how I said in my post a few days ago about the Craigslist scams that I hadn't heard of anyone ever having to submit to a credit report in order for a job? Well, I have to retract that statement.

One of my friends just recently had a job offer REVOKED after the company did a credit check and found two outstanding accounts.

My friend, like many others, has some overdue bills. The economy is tough. People made stupid decisions when they were younger. Hell, some people just forget to write the checks every month. (In my case, thank God for automatic bill pay!) What I don't understand is...how does having an eight year old hospital bill affect your ability to do your job? I mean, I guess I could understand if you were working with money, giving financial advice, etc. But for a help desk technician? Really?!

Let me get this straight - you didn't hire him because he has bad credit. He has bad credit because he didn't pay all of his bills. He can continue to not pay his bills by not having a job...

...and then who breaks the cycle? The government? He can try to pay off his bills on unemployment, I guess, but I have a feeling most people would like to see their tax dollars better spent.

Bad Advertising is Like No Advertising...

I went to an open call for a job interview today for some part time work, and boy what a waste of time that was! After Google-mapping the directions, I found myself in a residential neighborhood a half an hour later - definitely not at the corporate office I was supposed to be looking for. After returning home and verifying the address, I attempted to call the number that had been listed with the job ad, and though it's well within office hours - it went straight to voice mail!

So hey, all you employers - the next time you spend all that time (and money!) on advertising for new employees - make sure you enable them to actually apply for the job. Thanks.

Returned Statement Fees, Returned

To follow up from an earlier post, I did indeed [finally] receive a reply from my bank about the returned statement fees that had been accruing in my account. You see, after the first month, I switched to e-statements...but then I noticed I continued to receive a monthly fee for returned mail! Fortunately, the bank admitted their mistakes and refunded the fees in full. Another score for the little guy.

Always remember - the only one looking out for you is you.

Et tu, Craigslist?

As someone who is self-employed, I've always been a huge fan of Craigslist. But if you've visited the site recently, you've been bombarded with warnings about the recent scams plaguing the site. And if you're looking for work, you've been bombarded with the resulting spam.

I've spent a good deal of time over the holidays planning for upcoming work, and no matter how good I think I've become at spotting a phony posting, I'm still receiving about five spam replies a week, asking for me to buy my credit report in order to 'proceed with the hiring process.'

First of all, in case anyone is wondering, I have heard that occasionally some employers want to check your credit report, but I have yet to meet anyone where that's actually happened. Secondly, any company who is going to do that is going to do it themselves, and would probably have a business account with their preferred agency to do that very thing.

But moving back to the original problem - how to eliminate applying for bogus jobs? Unless Craigslist starts to implement paying for posting for all of it's cities, the spammers are going to continue to undermine the site. But there are a few things you can do:

1. If there is an actual email address posted, do a Google search for that email. Most of the spammer emails are showing up on a site called flakelist.org which maintains a database of confirmed spammers. If the spammer is relatively new, you can still spot a fake by pulling up multiple posts in different regions by the same email. Also, just a hint: firstnamelastnamerandomnumber@gmail.com is probably not real.

2. If the posting is using the Craigslist default emailing system, try grabbing a section of text and doing a similar Google search. But, by nature, these might be harder to weed out.

3. Help a brotha' out. If you determine a posting is illegitimate, then flag the posting as spam. If everyone helps monitor the site, maybe at some point these spammers will get tired and move on.

In the meantime, good luck in that job hunt.

Unemployed? Scrape by with Online Surveys...

In 'real life' I run a business and do quite a bit of freelancing, but over the last year finding work has becoming more and more difficult. Over the holidays, I finally played around a bit with paid online surveys. Like most people, I figured all of them were scams until a friend of mine mentioned she was actually making a little bit of cash in her free time with them. So, as usual, with a little bit of internet research under my belt, I gave it a shot.

Tip #1: The first thing you should know is, don't quit your day job. I read several good websites and blogs, and the 'full-time online paid survey professionals' generally agree that the most anyone can reasonably expect to make is about $200 a month. While that definitely won't pay your bills, that's still a nice dent. Hell, that would cover my health insurance each month. So instead of playing MindJolt games in the evening before heading to bed, I've been trying my hand at spending an hour or so each day, filling out surveys.

Tip #2: You gotta put in a LOT for a little reward. At least to start. First, you need to sign up for around 15 - 20 legitimate sites. (Legitimate = rated well by others AND not charging you for joining.) Second, each site may require anywhere from six to sixty pages of interest forms for you to fill out so that surveys can be best matched to you. Thirdly, you must establish a good history with many of the companies. Most companies will send you few surveys to start with, and once you have successfully and diligently responded to surveys with little to no reward - then you start receiving invites for the paying / points surveys!

Tip #3: Create a separate email account. While I've yet to receive any type of spam from any company, there are A LOT of surveys to sort out, and having a new email account is very helpful.

After a month, I've earned a bit of spare change, and would recommend the following sites currently based on my own experiences:

Global Test Market - surveys emailed weekly
InboxDollars - get paid $0.02 for each email you read
Lightspeed Panel - surveys emailed weekly
MyPoints - get paid to read emails, give reviews, and points on purchases (comment for an invite)
Toluna - surveys emailed weekly (comment for an invite)

(Why an invite? Help me stay employed, people.)

Anyways, so far so good - I'll post a new update every month or so and tell you if I'm, ahem, slamming my head into my keyboard yet.

A new APR of YourArmAndYourLeg%

Welcome back from the break in December! With the holidays and the 'real life job', I took a month hiatus, but I imagine I'll have plenty to gripe about 2010. With that said, let's welcome in the new year with a rant that is affecting many more than me, I'm sure.

I got two lovely letters in the mail a few days ago from my bank. One was informing me of new legislation that had passed that imposed limits on banks from arbitrarily raising APR's or minimum payments, which goes into effect in June 2010.

The other letter was informing me that my APR was being raised by over 300% in February 2010, unless I chose to protest the raise and close my account.

I hopped online and did a bit of research, and found I'm not alone. Many banks pulled this in the second quarter of 2009, and a second wave hit at the end of the year. I'll refrain from ranting on the idiocy of passing a law that essentially forced the banks' hands instead of restraining them completely (I do try not to get too politically involved here, for now), but I will pass along the tips I learned in my research:

Don't completely close your account. Go ahead and pay down or transfer your balance if you can, and for heaven's sake DON'T charge anything new to your card. Once you protest the APR hike, you can continue to pay down your balance at your OLD rate, so long as you don't purchase anything new. Once your card is paid off, leave the account open but unused. Every six months, make a small purchase and pay it off completely that month. This way, your credit rating is saved by still having the 'active' account, but the greedy bank gets nothin' from you.

In the meantime, I'm looking for a credit union.