1. Rude, dumb drivers who are yakking into their hand-held cellphones and not paying attention to what they're doing. Can't wefigure out a way to triple their insurance rates?
2. Jesse Jackson's sticking his nose into the presidential votecount in Ohio.
3. Rude people screeching into their cell phones in airportboarding areas. Can't we make a new law and fine them fordisturbing the peace?
4. Rude drivers who ignore the fact that pedestrians, in a legalcrosswalk, always have the right-of-way, even if they'remulti-tasking on their cell phones. Why do these menaces have tomaim or kill someone before they get arrested? And is temporaryinsanity due to road rage a viable defense?
5. Any person dawdling in front of you at a drive-up ATM. Is itwritten anywhere that we have to fire a warning shot beforerear-ending them out of the way? And if they're on a cell phone andignore the warning shot, are additional drastic measurespermissible?
6. Smarmy “lawyers” who begin their nauseating TV commercials withthe phrase, “If you've been injured in an accident…”
7. Rude people who interrupt a conversation with their dinnerpartner in a restaurant to take a call on their cell phone. Andthen talk with their mouth full. If they choke, are you justifiedin withholding the Heimlich maneuver … even if you're a doctor? Andcan their next of kin file suit for malpractice after thefuneral?
8. Fear Factor and Growing Up Gotti. Enough said.
9. Cell phones that signal an incoming call with any show tune,instead of a discreet ring.

What does any of this have to due with adjusters or claims? Notmuch, but I feel better now. And you know, not everything has to beabout you.

And speaking of cellulars, Chicago-based U.S. Cellular has anexperiment going that bans e-mail use on Fridays — to promote andencourage more face-to-face interaction. And a software company inLaLaLand (of course) is trying the same thing. Now shouldn't thatone go right on top of the Dumb Ideas pile! Just imagine howchaotic your adjusting life would become if you were without e-mailfor even one day of the week. And you thought the insuranceindustry was a little crazy at times…

An Important Note