Bob Graham, Executive Editor

While skipping around the broadcast TV channels last night, I stumbled upon “Samantha, Who?” and its portrayal of insurance.

The ABC program starring Christina Applegate is about a woman who has amnesia and is trying to rediscover who she is/was. In last night’s episode, probably a rerun, Samantha drives her parents’ car into a lake. Later, she gets the car out of the lake and returns it to her house. Several scenes later, Samantha and her father are back at the lake, pushing the sedan back into the water. Her father explains that if they don’t return it, his insurance company will “kill me” or something similar.

These portrayals of insurance and how it might be acceptable to commit fraud are intended to be funny - although with this show it was hard to see any evidence of comedy. But unfortunately, they just perpetuate the myth that insurance is just this big beast which we should all try to overcome however possible. Fraud costs every driver.

However, few people seem to notice.

It seems that Samantha’s amnesia has caused her to forget that without insurance people would suffer far greater losses when involved in auto theft or accidents.