acton@ubc-cs.UUCP (Donald Acton) (05/02/85)
The Charter's concept that there should be no discrimination based on sex and
age has some potentially interesting effects. (I realize there is the little
caveat about having to justify any discrimination.) Does this mean that the
local golf courses and ski hills will no longer be able to offer reduced
rates to just women on certain days? What about the bars that have
male exotic dancers and won't let men in until the show is finished?
Women are certainly allowed to be in the bar when women are "dancing".
Does this also mean that movie prices should all be the same?
Since I am too old for the student rate and not old enough for the senior
rate this is clearly a case of discrimination based on my age.
I understand that in less enlightened regions of the country age
discrimination is practiced in the car insurance industry. I hear that
single male drivers under 25 get hit particularly hard. Can this be truly
justified?
Here in BC such discrimination is illegal and all drivers
of the same type of vehicle and carrying the similar type of insurance
pay the same base rate. (Aren't Crown owned insurance companies great. :-) )
From this base rate your actual premiums are adjusted based on the number
of accidents you have been found to be at fault in. Initially you
pay 100% of the base rate. Each year when your insurance is due this
percentage is adjusted up or down. If you had no claims then your rate
goes down 10, on the other hand if you caused one accident then
it would go up 30. This new value becomes your multiplying factor
and is used in the similar calculation next year. (There is a lower limit
of 65% but no upper limit.) Based on the experience in BC I would think
that it would be hard to justify the continuation of age discrimination
in the car insurance industry.
I look forward to reduced midweek green fees, and cheaper times on
the slopes. Of course I could be wrong and maybe the women will just have
to pay what I have to.
Donald Acton