Just 4 More Sleeps Until Two Wheel Sunday!!!

That's right, the 6th Annual Two Wheel Sunday Motorcycle Street Festival is just 4 days away and we're pretty pumped about being there with all the other enthusiasts to help celebrate all things two-wheeled.

This was our setup in 2017

2018 saw us in our new location on 5 St., N.E.

Be sure to ride over to our new location on 5 St. N.E., just north of Cycle Works Calgary. There's plenty of signage to guide you in but please note that the motorcycle only access runs north to south on 5 St. this year, from  46 Ave.N.E. to 42 Ave.N.E.. Bring a fellow rider or two!

The usual suspects

Japanese Motorcycle Culture

There's no doubt that North America has it's unique motorcycle culture, with a lot of different subcultures within its' ranks, but there are plenty of places in the world where motorcycles rule and we're not the only country that loves bikes.

The word Bosozoku supposedly means running out of control (or could be translated to 'Violent Run Tribe" ) and is used to describe a certain type of motorcyclist in Japan. While some of the first Bosozoku started back in the 1950's and were pretty much a bunch of bad-asses ripping around on their bikes, this motorcycle subculture is generally considered a youth movement in this day and age. 

You can get the gist of the style just by looking at the photos, and also get a sense that there are a lot of women who are getting into the bike scene. I can't say the bikes, the aesthetics or the stylings and accessories, appeal to me but I'm not going to be judgy either. Just get out and ride that machine!

There's Insurance for That?

Yes, you can pretty much insure anything and some of it is pretty crazy stuff, but what about some of those every day things that most people don't even think about, yet could be a costly issue if improperly covered.

Image courtesy of Aviva 

Consider the diagram above, indicating the utility services to your home and originating on the City side of your property line. Yes, the City would locate any fault or break in your services and repair the problem, but the latter would only occur if that issue is actually located on City property.

What most people don't realise is that if the issue is on your side of the property line, you're on the hook for getting a contractor in to repair the problem and you're going to have to pay for that service out of your own pocket. Ouch!

With the right insurer, and the right Overland Water Protection coverage with that company, you can get insurance to cover the cost of an issue as suggested in the above scenario. Talk to us at BlueCircle and we'll hook you up with one of the seven insurers we represent, all in an effort to protect you and all you own, the right way!

$1 Billion

Two Boeing Air Max crashes within 5 months of each other sure does bring up a lot of questions about safety and responsibility, but there's also the question of how much compensation the victims' families will be entitled to, much of which will be paid out by insurers.

According to a report Ii just read in Insurance Business Canada, the conservative estimate would be US$1 Billion, split amongst the mutiple insurers who were covering the losses.

No amount of money will ever compensate for the loss of a loved one(s) but there's no doubt there will be a huge payout regardless.

Busted!

In light of the recent posts about insurance fraud and how it impacts the premiums for the average and honest consumer, here's a bit of a twist on the tale, where an individual went to the extreme of faking his own death!

A Modovian born individual who was currently living in the U.S. returned to his former country and concocted an elaborate scheme, dressing a corpse in his clothing and planting personal i.d. on the body, then leaving it on the side of the road to be found by a passerby (nobody knows where he got the corpse) 

His wife then travelled to Moldova and identified the deceased as her husband, receiving a death certificate which she took back to the U.S. and used to claim a $2 million insurance policy payout. After holding a funeral, the wife then transferred money to her son and several European accounts, which may have been the cause of suspicion which led to an investigation.

The means to the discovery of the truth wasn't fully explained but suffice to say, 4 years after the fact, the wife and son of the fraudster were charged and tried, subsequently leading to a sentence and some prison terms. An anonymous tip led to the whereabouts of the husband and perpetrator of the fraud, living in Moldova under an assumed name. He is currently on trial for fraud. 

As for the body used in the fraud scheme, their identity has never been determined and likely never will be, now that they've been cremated.

SPAM

I've done a few posts about cyber crimes and the word SPAM has come up quite a few times, referring to the bothersome and sometimes overwhelming onslaught of unsolicited, unwanted, and often illegal e-mails that can cause problems for home and business computer systems.

Funny enough, many people have no idea of where the term SPAM comes from and that there's history behind the label, originating in a "food" by the same name that comes in a tin! Originally, SPiced hAM, also known by the misnomer Speciality Processed American Meats, was a way to increase the sale of the unpopular meat cut of pork shoulder back in the late 30's. It became quite popular during the second world war and has a niche market even to this day.

Hawaiians have a special love of SPAM and even developed their own speciality dish known as Musubi. This started out being sold as a quickie food item in a local convenience store, consisting as a piece of Spam brand luncheon meat, packed between a rectangular shaped wedge of rice and bundled in a wrapping of dried seaweed. As shown in the above photo, there are now several variations of this dish, but all still contain that thick slab of processed meat.

Now, let's go in a totally different direction with a SPAM carving contest! Seems like people find it fun to take the little block of gelatinous meat and make it into objects, as pictured below.

And if you can't sculpt the SPAM as accurately as you'd like, how about using a synthetic material to represent the processed food and then name it "SPAM, the cat"!

Spam, the cat

How about this beautiful PhotoShop creation as a political statement?

 "Spamold Trump"

Did I mention that there are other flavours of SPAM, pictured here with a bonus carved sculpture.

One of the first comical references to SPAm came from the British comedy troupe, Monty Python, in their television series skit.

Now, making the rounds and doing quite well is the The Monty Python inspired theatrical play, SPAMalot, a slightly adapted version of their movie "Monty Python And The Holy Grail"

photo courtesy of Mercury Theatre

Understanding Auto Insurance Fraud

There's no doubt that fraud has a negative affect on insurance premiums and although the police, the Federal and Provincial Governments, and the insurance industry are working diligently to prevent it from happening and prosecute those who are breaking the law, it requires the co-operation and involvement of the consumer to be part of the process. 

Of course, like any other crime, the public needs to play a big part in the prevention of this detestable activity and assist the experts by being involved in the process, fully aware of how scammers and fraudsters work the system, then be being willing to report wrong doing when they see it happen.

Part of that process is the educational component, whereby consumers have an understanding of how scammers take advantage of the system and know how to prevent fraud from occuring in the first place.

3 Common Ways That Fraudsters Cheat With Auto Insurance.

Staged auto accidents

Fraudsters deliberately stage auto collisions so that they can submit insurance claims for fake injuries and auto damage, often recruiting family, friends or associates to participate as a way of making additional money. Damage to vehicles may be pre-existing or be “enhanced” at a later date, in order to exaggerate the claim.

Tow truck scams

Operators may suggest certain body shops with whom they’re colluding in order to perpetrate fraud. They may also offer to tow your vehicle to a repair shop, then take it to their own facility and charge excessive fees for storage. Operators may offer referrals to other fraudsters in services related to resolving issues with the accident, such as lawyers or other legal services, chiropractors, physical therapists etc.

Body shop scams

Repair shops cause additional damage to a vehicle in order to amplify the claim, or they report damage that did not occur and charge for repairs that they didn’t have to make.

How To Help Prevent Auto Accident Insurance Fraud 

• If you’re involved in an accident, stay calm, call 911, ensure you are safe from further accident or injury, and deal with anyone who may have been injured.


• Record details by using an accident checklist, available at gobluecircle.com. 


• Use your cell phone camera to video record and photograph all the damages done to your vehicle, as well as the vehicles and drivers of anyone else who was involved in the accident. You can also capture images of license plate numbers, drivers licenses, pinks slips and other documents, as well as those of eye witnesses. 


• Do not rush into any decisions or discuss details of the accident with anyone other than police.


• Do not admit or discuss who is at fault.


• Don’t sign paperwork other than a police report.


• Write down/record every detail of the accident that you can remember at the time, no matter how trivial, as it can help jar your memory when proceedings take time to complete.


• Use only reputable tow trucks, preferably those that have a municipal license for towing services or who are associated with an automotive assistance group or auto association like CAA or AMA.


• Be wary of tow truck operators who recommend specific repair facilities without being asked, as this may indicate collusion of some sort with the body shop.


• Carefully read any documents before signing which are provided by the towing service.


• Remember, you have the right to have your vehicle towed to the location of your choice, unless directed otherwise by the police, and can ask your insurer to recommend one of their preferred shops.

How To Help Prevent Auto Policy Insurance Fraud

• Be very wary of anyone offering cheap insurance or making statements or offering policies for premiums that seem “too good to be true”.


• Only deal with reputable insurance representatives, such as brokers who are registered with the IBAA 


• If in doubt of an agent or insurance representative, use the link at Alberta “Government Insurance Companies” to confirm legitimacy. 


• Be wary of any agent who is requesting a referral fee or other such side payment.


• Ensure that when applying for auto insurance the document is an approved Alberta SPF 1 or CSIO Alberta - Application For Automobile Insurance.


• Auto policy applications and forms are legal contracts so read them over carefully before signing to ensure there are no mistakes, particularly if an agent has completed them on your behalf.


• Never sign blank insurance applications and documents (including claim forms, medical forms etc.)


• Do not pay insurance premiums through transfers or money wiring services, as this is not a practice in the insurance industry.

How To Report Insurance Fraud

• Again, be wary of deals that are too good to be true or offers that seem suspicious. If you feel like you’ve been a victim of fraud or suspect others of perpetrating a scam(s), report them.


• Call your local police


• Contact your insurance provider


• Submit a report anonymously to Crime Stoppers ( 1-800-222 8477)


• Contact the Insurance Bureau Of Canada to report a crime.

Everyone needs to work co-operatively to recognize and prevent fraud, which in turn will help keep the cost of insurance from rising.

Safety Is A Priority When Motorcycling

The Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society (AMSS) is a non-profit society formed by a group of concerned motorcyclists interested in improving the safety on our roads. Through partnering with the motorcycle industry, municipal/provincial government and the media, the AMSS is quickly becoming instrumental in the promotion of motorcycle safety, education and awareness in Alberta.  

Photo courtesy of AMSS

Lots of us ride at BlueCircle , which is why we're so happy to be involved in the A.M.S.S. and help promote safety on the roads. Insurance might replace broken parts on a bike or cover medical bills, but preventing accidents in the first place is the best way to ensure no-one suffers a permanant injury or is killed.

AMSS President Liane Langlois speaks at an event    photo courtesy of AMSS

This year the riding season starts out with  the 2019 AMSS Campaign Launch being held Sunday May 5th at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park (9999 Grierson Hill Road). 

Ride on over and say hello to the AMSS crew and all the other stakeholders who will be involved in this important event.

I.F.R.D. Flashback And Future

Tomorrow, May 4th 2019, is International Female Ride Day and though BlueCircle is not directly involved in the events being held this year, we've had the privilege of hosting and riding with a great group of lady riders over the past few years.

Who's that awesome rider on the lead bike, Angela Murray?

Most of our participation in this awesome event was through our great collaboration with an amazing lady and fantastic rider, Angela Murray. Formerly with "Ride Stop n Go" and now striking out under the banner of her own name, Angela is in the class of what I call a "real rider". No matter the weather, no matter if she's riding solo or with a group, Ang is out on her bike, racking up some serious kilometres and exploring the continent from north to south, east to west.

Check out these photos from past IFRD events with Ang and consider signing up for this year's ride so you can meet Ang in person and share some tales of the road.

International Female Ride Day (IFRD) is always the first Saturday in May, and is a global celebration of the cultural and social lifestyles of women who stay active with riding and enjoying motorcycling.  The day is also a call to action for fast-tracking gender equality, awareness, and respect for women in motorcycling or motorsport.

Tax Scam Time!

It's tax time again, and along with the stress and strain of getting your paperwork in order and filing your tax return, there's also the added hassle of dealing with all the scammers who use this time of year to try and rip you off.

image courtesy of the Government of Canada

In fact, I myself was the target of a phishing scam recently, with the following e-mail sent to me this week. (I've blacked out my e-mail adress and highlighted what was a direct link which the scammers had wanted me to click)

Dear --------------------

CRA(Canada) has issued a refund of $520.00 CAD and you'll receive your refund directly on your credit card.

Go to CRA (Canada) portal to claim your refund. 

Regards,

Canada Revenue Agency 

Please don't reply to this email because it's been automatically produced from an address that can't accept incoming mail.

This message has been sent to ----------------- on 4/23/2019 at 14:08:10.

The e-mail stated that the sender was the Canada Revenue Agency but when I hovered my cursor over the sende's address the real one came up as info@digitaldreamscrm.com.

By the way, this method of checking to ensure the addressee is legitimate is one method of protecting yourself. You can learn more about this and other phising scams as well as ways to protect yourself by reading "Oh So Many Types Of Phising Scams"

If you are the victim of a tax scam, or have had a scammer attempt to trick you into sending them any money or provide your personal information, you can report this activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CFAC).

There are also a lot of telephone scams, typically targeting seniors, imiigrants and other people who are more vulnerable due to their unfamiliarity with how the Canada Revenue agency operates. Check out the R.C.M.P. tax fraud warning and how to report a scam.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from scams is to educate yourselves and your family members on the various ways these fraudsters operate and what to do when you become a target.

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2018/09/october-is-cyber-security-month.html

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2017/07/protect-yourself-and-your-business-too.html

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2017/09/goodbye-11-million.html