Random reminder

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 49

Random reminder

THE BITER BIT He was typical of many Aucklanders, with a good job, a modern home in a fashionable suburb, a company car and a big, luxurious yacht. Money was his chief interest, and how to acquire more ... a car for each member of his family, a swimming pool, a spa pool, and all the household conveniences.'

When he was young he started with nothing, but he was a hard worker, willing to take any job, provided it paid well. Like many in those days, he was not above working a “swiftie” with his insurance company. His new wife had quite a bit to learn in the housekeeping art, so she felt that expensive dry cleaning bills were really unnecessary. She decided to wash his best suit. Everything shrank and wrinkled, and the result was disastrous. After all, it wasn’t really his fault, and it was an accident of sorts, so he just embroidered his claim a little. He told the insurance agent that his wife had washed his suit; but it was because he had stopped to give first aid iq a car adKident and his suit was covered in brood. He told such a convincing tale

that he came to believe it himself, and so did the insurance company; and they paid out. As he became more affluent, these dodges were no longer necessary, until the camera episode. He came to Christchurch for a rugby match and forgot to bring his own camera, borrowed his friend’s and left it behind after the match. Advertising brought no results, and he felt distinctly glum at the prospect of paying over several hundred dollars for a new camera.

Then he had an idea. He got all the details from his friend and when he went back to Auckland, claimed it as his own, and bought another camera to replace the lost one. By an ironic chance, when he was out in his yacht a few weeks later his own, equally expensive camera was accidentlly kicked overboard by a friend. He tried his insurance company again, but they refused to pay ... and, they told him quite firmly, it was becoming too costly to insure his possessions, so they Jo longer wanted any of his business*® rature. w