It's a form of intolerance of other opinions and it's been in the HUBB for a while.

If anything, I think the HUBB is LESS intolerant than most places. Tolerance is a hard thing to come by - for too many people, anyone that doesn't agree with their party line is wrong, and needs to be educated in right think, loudly.

Of course on the HUBB we COULD always be more tolerant! Differences of opinion are what forums are all about after all, a way to DISCUSS and learn, not belittle others ideas, no matter how way out YOU might think them.

Ive travelled to 70+ countries and Ive worked as a tour guide in over 20 of them, Ive had no major problems anywhere, the ONLY place Ive had a motorcycle stolen was the UK, go figure.

Absolutely, but it is a case of good-better-best, and where the HUBB lies on that scale.
Put another way, you are in the quest of seeking excellence, and such a quest is never-ending in my view.
All heady stuff in among the day to day tasks.

Post number 73 in the link contains another view on the same subject
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...t-does-61908-5
That is a very high, and difficult, tightrope to walk.

Eventually...this post became more balanced as I followed it through,the beauty of free speech on these forums, people offering different views and opinions. Few months round Europe for me next year starting May ish, looking at fellow travellers plans on here too, I still want to venture further outside 'Europe' when funds allow. Happy xmas to you all and ride/drive safe.

both my parents are in their mid 70s. 10 years ago my dad made his first road trip out of Europe when we both drove to the Gambia, It was a relatively safe introduction being part of an (semi) organised group as the Plymouth Dakar challenge.

Last year, now in their 70s, my folks drove to Poland, where we met up with them before driving on with us to Belarus, no mean feat at 73. Hopefully, this September, me and my dad will be going with some other like minded individuals to tour around the off road areas of Romania.

Maybe something like that would be a good intro to the rest of the world, some kind of tour. There's lots of organised type events available, and there are lots of folks on here you could probably tag on with.

Not having got to 73 quite yet I'm no experience of what I'll be like then (:confused1:) but I do know lots of people that age or older who are extremely active. We were discussing travel plans at a family gathering yesterday and my wife's parents (80 next birthday) mentioned they're off to North Cape next summer as part of trip trip round northern Scandanavia. A friend of roughly the same age is an active skier and is off to La Plagne shortly while another (mid 70's) still does long distance (LeJog for example) cycling events.

Even at my relatively tender age I've noticed that the insurance industry is rapidly becoming the biggest obstacle to an active older life era. The renewal for our "easy trip" travel insurance came through a few days before Christmas and I rang them up (more in hope than in expectation) to see what, if any, of next year's planned trips they would cover. As an intro I said I was planning a few more active events in the next 12 months and got the reply "yes, we do cover cruises". ... :( What hope is there really if that's their idea of being out on the edge.

These days I work on the medical desk of a medical assistance company organising the repatriation of people from overseas who have damaged themselves or got sick abroad. We work for various insurers

What you really want from an insurance company is the knowledge that when the sticky stuff hits the whirly object they will pay out and not quibble.

From that perspective, Thomson are not too good. Price is quite good, but balanced against that is the fact that they will go through your medical history with a fine tooth comb in the event of a claim, and if there is anything in there you haven't declared, they probably won't pay out. And all that checking takes time of course, when time may not be on your side

At the other end of the scale, for the over 50s SAGA are hard to beat for normal everyday type stuff, not too sure about the more 'dangerous' activities. That will hopefully change though as over 50s get more adventurous. But they are very reliable.

For the under 50s, sainsbury is suprisingly good and the one I will probably go for.

Don't forget other specialist insurers though, like through the motorcycle federation, but check who the underwriter is. Cigna is the main underwriter we deal with and they seem pretty good.

of course, all that only applies in the UK!

The key though is hide nothing, if you don't declare something and you need the insurance they may not pay out, even if the reason for the claim is unrelated to what you didn't declare, and they will find out because in almost all illness claims and some accident claims, we will need a medical report from your GP before cover is agreed.

A very informative post with an inside view on medical insurance companies, perhaps it could go into trip paperwork in some form or other perhaps with some examples of why insurance companies don't pay out.

thanks:thumbup1:

I would say the two main ones are they find something in your GP record you failed to declare or you are doing some kind of activity that's excluded.

We had a big case recently where a guy was injured kite surfing, which isn't covered, but when we got the translation of the medical report checked it turned out he was windsurfing, which was covered. The difference was whether a medical bill of potentially tens of thousands of pounds would be paid for by his insurance, or him.

Be under no illusions, we're into selling your house territory here, especially in America where bills frequently run into hundreds of thousands.

I recently queried a bill from America for over £10000 for simple gastoenteritis that required (or probably didn't) a one night stay in hospital.

Mark, PLEASE put a post together and I'll be VERY happy to put it somewhere useful :) The whole insurance question is something that really does need a proper writeup, especially for the older amongst us - and that includes me. :(

Sadly I'm around a year behind where I'd like to be on content... or is it two years...?

Grant, that would be Moggy 1968 ..

Like to be..? Need several life times for the 'like to be' thing :( .. Should I become a Buddhist? :palm:

---------------
One insurance thing .. going wrong so far http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1028263

I would be quite happy to but as Warin has pointed out it is Moggy 1968 who has access to first hand information, if I write something based on his reply there is a risk of inaccuracies creeping in.
One point I would like to mention on the subject is something I have put in several replies to the often asked question "can I ride in Europe/Africa/America on a provisional licence" is no it is illegal but also your insurance will be invalid.
Apologies to the OP as we are now totally off topic but an important issue.

I am not so sure that we are :offtopic:
this most recent discussion is a very valid consideration for staying "closer to home" as one ages (and we all do the latter if only because the alternative is clear).

The basic information about the approach taken by life insurance companies must be in here already surely? I feel sure that I have seen it discussed in here previously ("elf and safety" on the road for instance), somewhere between the "expert" information and those who don't understand the difference between life insurance and insurance of vehicles.
I agree that Moggys' post is a worthy read because he has some inside knowledge of the business that is current, but it is hardly a new revelation.

As for the OP, he is expressing a view about why he travels in a certain area while asking a question - personally I see little enough of this type of discussion; so often a report turns on how many beers were consumed or how many countries could be "ticked off the list" in the shortest possible time.
Or, heaven forbid, "I am saving the planet by riding around the world and it would be really great if you pay me to do it".
As the OP said: why? (and please don't come back with that old chestnut "because it's there" and similar tedium).
Nor, just for clarity do I have any problem with folks who are doing such things for such stated reasons - but please don't think that it is of widespread interest or that your blog should be in the best seller list of e-publishing.

I'll get my coat now! Happy new 2015 by the way.

Life's a risk, then you die

Why go- a thousand reasons- but for me it is to understand and maybe in the end be able to influence change here at home to make the world a better place.

As for the risks I once had a conversation with a round the world traveler and the only trouble he ever had was when he was robbed - in USA state of Oklahoma.

I think travel outside of ones comfort zone should be required at least once in your life.

:scooter: