Playful Tumblr Post Reveals the Struggles of Getting a Car Insurance Discount in Boston

Riley Sundew

Updated Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 12:00 AM CDT

A Tumblr post has gone viral, amassing 19,740 notes, as it humorously details the challenges of obtaining a car insurance discount through the use of a dongle that tracks driving habits. The original post by user "sexhaver" narrates their experience with their car insurance company, which offered a discount ranging from 10% to 40% based on driving behavior.

In the post, "sexhaver" shares their initial thought of creating a device with an Arduino to filter out data on hard brakes and accelerations, aiming to maximize the discount. They humorously acknowledge that this would be insurance fraud and attribute their engineering mindset to being raised by two engineers.

The response from user "globalincident" suggests a simpler solution: driving safer to achieve the discount. However, "sexhaver" humorously retorts with a short yet telling response: "i live in boston," highlighting the notorious reputation of Boston drivers.

The post has sparked a lively discussion among users, many sharing their experiences and frustrations with similar car insurance tracking devices. One user comments on the data collected being sold to other insurance companies, impacting insurance rates. Another shares a personal story of being unfairly penalized for "aggressive braking" while stopping at a stop sign, suggesting that the system is rigged for failure.

Others chime in with anecdotes about their own experiences. One user mentions having an OBD dongle that connects to an app to monitor engine stats and error codes but refuses to use it for an insurance discount. Another user shares their frustration with driving in Boston, opting to park outside the city and take public transportation instead.

The conversation also touches on the broader implications of data privacy and the monetization of driving data by insurance companies. One user points out that if the product is free, the consumer becomes the product, emphasizing the hidden costs of such tracking systems.

Overall, the Tumblr post by "sexhaver" offers a humorous yet insightful look into the complexities and frustrations of car insurance discounts tied to driving behavior, resonating with many who have faced similar challenges.

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View source: Imgur

Top Comments from Imgur

RetrogradeLlama

The data they collect is kept and made available to other insurance companies. If you subscribe to one of these services, or even just have a newer car with built in manufacturer tracking, your data is sold for profit and used to rate you for insurance risk. There's only upside for them: they hope you'll drive safer and reduce their costs. But even if you don't, they'll sell your data and make money from that.

RockettGraphics

If the product is free, you're the dongle!

HollerinAtTheVoid

I was approaching a stop sign with my foot merely off the brake - less than 5 mph, but when I stopped it dinged me for aggressive braking. It's rigged for you to fail.

fractalsphere

I have a OBD dongle in my car, but it connects to the Torque app on my phone and I can see engine stats and error codes if I need to, plus a bunch of other info. But for an insurance discount? NO. If I'm not getting in accidents or receiving a bunch of tickets, then my driving is safe and has no negative impact on your bottom line. There's zero reason to count hard braking against me (that's avoiding an accident or stopping at a light) or to even think about tracking me.

DrewThe3DPrinterGuy

Speaking as a Ma******, Boston Drivers give the entire state a bad name. I refuse to drive in Boston, I drive into Alewife and take the T into Boston proper. You could not pay me enough to drive in city limits.

Orclover

My friend does this. Didnt save him much. He drives 10mph bellow the speed limit on the freeways and will not leave the right lane for any reason. Sitting in his passenger seat means listening to people honking at him to get the f*** out of the way. Basically utter hell to put up with.

richardstinks

My wife's employer had her do the same thing for their company cars. Huge parts of the job required local travel and they tried to keep an eye on people. Must have been too complicated because they stopped after a year or so.

Bohrdumb

Everywhere has bad drivers. It's a universal truth.

diggetydug

I did it. Worked nights at the time. Didn't read the fine print. Accidents happen more frequently at nights so I didn't get any discount even though I drive like a grandpa.

Raecracy123abc

One car insurance company offered me to do it by app on my phone---I ran it while taking the bus