http://www.atainsurance.com/blog/View ATA Insurance Agency, Inc.'s Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.atainsurance.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:2f709df6-188b-4e4c-b76a-9940776808c6urn:uuid:529dc6c1-3646-49fe-95a3-b21a0230b61b<img src='http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/park-job.jpg?w=112" data-mce-src="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/park-job.jpg' align='left' />Ahhh, it's that magical time of year when I have to rush around during the final week before Christmas to shop for my loved ones.&nbsp; There's just something special about that burning sensation I get at the base of my skull when my fellow last-minu...Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:26:19 -0600<a href="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/park-job.jpg" data-mce-href="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/park-job.jpg"><img alt="" width="112" height="150" title="park job" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-84" src="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/park-job.jpg?w=112" data-mce-src="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/park-job.jpg?w=112" /></a>Ahhh, it's that magical time of year when I have to rush around during the final week before Christmas to shop for my loved ones.&nbsp; There's just something special about that burning sensation I get at the base of my skull when my fellow last-minute shoppers put their own interests above everyone else's.&nbsp; Last night on my annual journey through the enchanted South Shore Plaza, I encountered&nbsp;a handful of joyful patrons who were so&nbsp;overwhelmed by the holiday spirit that they forgot to be polite and constructive members of modern society.&nbsp;&nbsp;While searching for a parking spot, I was reminded of my favorite episode of Curb&nbsp;Your Enthusiasm - The Pig Parker, in which Larry goes on a mission to promote parking space etiquette.&nbsp; "This is chaos! Society can't function like this," he proclaimed to a gentleman who had just parked his vehicle across two spaces.&nbsp; "That's just shoddy... it's not an&nbsp;open field! This is not a farm," he pleads.&nbsp; Alas, these wise words apparently went unheeded last&nbsp;night in the parking garage behind Sears at the Plaza. <p>I just hope that as panic&nbsp;truly sets in&nbsp;later this week,&nbsp;procrastinating Christmas shoppers take a deep breath and remember that they are not barbarians living in the Stone Age, and that their actions may&nbsp;have consequences that affect other people.&nbsp; Already, we have seen the psychological affects of the season driving people to the brink of insanity.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Monday afternoon, an unsuspecting driver in Quincy was pepper-sprayed by a fellow motorist following a traffic dispute.&nbsp; It's a shame that&nbsp;enraged driver&nbsp;did not&nbsp;see the aforementioned episode of Curb, otherwise they may have heeded the words, "society can't function like this."</p> <p>So to all my fellow procrastinators, and all motorists braving the roads this week:&nbsp; be careful, treat others like humans... not punching bags,&nbsp;and above all,&nbsp;don't be a pig-parker!</p> <p>From&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/" data-mce-href="http://www.atainsurance.com/">ATA Insurance Agency</a> family&nbsp;to yours - Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, &nbsp;Happy Holidays... and don't be a pig-parker.</p>urn:uuid:d2521968-c9a7-4f0c-a54d-a831bf4b9378<img src='http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/concourse_1.jpg' align='left' /> So far the new Waler Hannon Parkway that connects Burgin Parkway to the Southern Artery has gotten mixed reviews.&nbsp; I have personally only driven it a handful of times during low-volume hours, and I found it to be a vast improvement over the con...Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:38:58 -0600<div id="nav-above"> <div class="nav-previous"><a href="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/concourse_1.jpg"><img alt="" width="150" height="112" title="Concourse_1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-76" src="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/concourse_1.jpg?w=150&amp;h=112" /></a>So far the new Waler Hannon Parkway that connects Burgin Parkway to the Southern Artery has gotten mixed reviews.&nbsp; I have personally only driven it a handful of times during low-volume hours, and I found it to be a <em>vast</em> improvement over the convoluted maze it used to be.&nbsp; Others, however are arguing that increased traffic volume on the new road will lead to an increase in car accidents and ultimately, higher <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">Massachusetts auto insurance</a> premiums for Quincy drivers.</div> </div> <div class="post-75 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-auto-insurance category-insurance category-local"> <div class="entry"> <p>Interestingly, control over traffic signals has yet to be fully turned over to the city.&nbsp; Reportedly, the state Department of Transportation and city engineers&nbsp;are continuing in a joint effort to adjust traffic patterns and the timing of traffic signals along the new road.&nbsp; So, apparently, it is still a&nbsp;work in progress.&nbsp; There are still plans&nbsp;to develop&nbsp;over 400,00 square feet of retail space along the new Hannon Parkway, which could&nbsp;conceivably amplify the traffic congestion problem.&nbsp; If problems persist, traffic accidents could increase, leading to higher insurance premiums for Quincy drivers.&nbsp; As we all know, even a minor accident can increase your <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">Massachusetts auto insurance</a> premium exponentially.</p> <p>In any case, drive carefully out there, especially this week when people like me will be scrabling around after work to pick up last-minute gifts.</p> <p>Please feel free to <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/contact.aspx">share your thoughts</a> on the new Walter Hannon Parkway in Quincy.</p> </div> </div>urn:uuid:57e63881-9ebe-4338-b583-dc29e29fed45<img src='http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/bfast1.jpg' align='left' /> One of my favorite things to do on a dreary&nbsp;Saturday morning is sit down in a dingy&nbsp;joint with a cup of coffee, an extra large ice water and an outrageously huge plate of eggs benedict, corned beef hash and home fries.&nbsp; I have repeate...Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:54:18 -0600<div class="entry"> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/ATA-Insurance-Agency-Inc/195761503801505"><img alt="" width="150" height="112" title="bfast" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-68 alignleft" src="http://massinsurancewiz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/bfast1.jpg?w=150&amp;h=112" /></a>One of my favorite things to do on a dreary&nbsp;Saturday morning is sit down in a dingy&nbsp;joint with a cup of coffee, an extra large ice water and an outrageously huge plate of eggs benedict, corned beef hash and home fries.&nbsp; I have repeated this ritual countless times in fine breakfast dining establishments accross the country, and even internationally in Spain, France, Italy and the Caribbean.&nbsp; In my infinite crummy diner wisdom, my all time favorite diner is the <a href="http://www.hiddenboston.com/WheelhouseDiner.html">Wheelhouse </a>in <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/locations.aspx">Quincy, MA</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Thinking about my date tomorrow morning with a hearty feast at the Wheelhouse got me wondering&hellip; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/ATA-Insurance-Agency-Inc/195761503801505">what are some of the favorite local diners out there?</a></p> <div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <div class="clear"></div> </div>urn:uuid:1c74148c-db57-483c-b479-0b340e5214a2A local developer has&nbsp;proposed plans for a zip line course on the Quincy side of the Blue Hills area near the Quincy quarries.&nbsp; The development would span the granite cliffs, offering knee-wobbling zip line flights and&nbsp;panoramic views ...Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:39:39 -0600<p>A local developer has&nbsp;proposed plans for a zip line course on the Quincy side of the Blue Hills area near the Quincy quarries.&nbsp; The development would span the granite cliffs, offering knee-wobbling zip line flights and&nbsp;panoramic views of the Boston skyline.&nbsp; Currently, there are a few zipline courses in Western&nbsp;Mass,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Northern NE.&nbsp; The Quincy&nbsp;zip line course&nbsp;would be the first development of its kind in the Greater Boston&nbsp;area.</p> <p>Dangerous&hellip; maybe.&nbsp; Controversial&hellip; perhaps.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pretty cool&hellip; yep.&nbsp; Conservationist and climbers may argue that&nbsp;the cables and crouds&nbsp;will spoil this pristine area.&nbsp;&nbsp;Others might say its a great way to showcase a relatively unknown area to a new crowd, offering a unique wilderness experience with Boston skyline views, just minutes from the city.</p> <p>Tell us what you think!</p>urn:uuid:e8aad7d1-f109-4f5a-a1c2-d45e48b4fa60The Mass Division of Insurance has fined Progressive $125,000 for failing to properly explain their rating system to their clients.&nbsp; The DOI claims Progressive told roughly 3,200 Massachusetts auto insurance customers that their credit rating wa...Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:38:36 -0600The Mass Division of Insurance has fined Progressive $125,000 for failing to properly explain their rating system to their clients.&nbsp; The DOI claims Progressive told roughly 3,200 <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">Massachusetts auto insurance</a> customers that their credit rating was used in setting their <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">auto insurance</a> rates.&nbsp; However, credit scores have never been used&nbsp;in rating <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">Mass auto insurance</a> &ndash; in fact,&nbsp;the practice was&nbsp;formally&nbsp;banned&nbsp;earlier this month.&nbsp; Acording to sources, Progressive stated that their reps mistakenly referred concerned customers to a generic explanation of rates on their website.&nbsp; Some say&nbsp;this may&nbsp;reflect an&nbsp;uninformed and indifferent approach to customer service.&nbsp; Your best source for unbiased and accurate insurance advice continues to be <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/default.aspx">Massachusetts independent insurance agents</a>.&nbsp; Progressive has been fined by the DOI&nbsp;numerous times over the past few years for overcharging some customers and for comparing their 6-month rates to competitors 12-month rates.urn:uuid:3fe0ae01-a0cc-496a-a9c4-b1df54a6444fConsumers and insurance agents scored a big victory on November 22, 2011 when Governer Patrick signed a law banning the use of credit rating in the underwriting and rating of Massachusetts auto insurance.&nbsp; Previously, using credit for rating ins...Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:52:22 -0600<p>Consumers and insurance agents scored a big victory on November 22, 2011 when Governer Patrick signed a law banning the use of credit rating in the underwriting and rating of <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">Massachusetts auto insurance</a>.&nbsp; Previously, using credit for rating insurance premiums was restricted only by a regulation imposed by the Insuracne Commisioner.&nbsp; Now it is part of Massachusetts law, and can only be amended or appealed by the Legislature or the Governor.</p> <p>Consumers and agents have been pushing for this legislation for a while now, and we see this as a big win.&nbsp; The Mass Association of Insurance Agents commissioned&nbsp;a poll&nbsp;which showed that 64% of Massachusetts consumers believed that credit should not be a factor in the rating of <a href="http://www.atainsurance.com/automobile/auto_insurance_quote.aspx">Massachusetts auto insurance.</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><a>Let us know what you think!</a></p>