>The Weasel is a tracked truck. Not sure how this is lying.
First off, the legal reason why the Weasel can not be called a truck:
Insurance companies define "truck", in part, as something that can drive
on roads. Because of this I need to have the vehicle registered in some
capacity (antique car/truck in this case) with the state's department of
motor vehicles before they will insure it. But the Weasel, by Maine
State law, can not be registered with the department of motor vehicles
because it isn't allowed on roads due to the fact that it doesn't have
wheels (all non-wheeled, non-agricultural/industrial vehicles are
governed by the State's Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife).
Therefore, it can't POSSIBLY fit the definition of "truck" because it
can't be registered since it isn't allowed on roads. Even if I told the
insurance agent that it was a "truck" I would have to offer proof of
registration. Since I can not, the whole question about "truck" being
legit becomes a moot point.
Common sense reason why the Weasel can not be called a truck:
I use the "common definition test" for stuff like this. In other words,
what do people think of when you say truck? I bet you wheels will be
part of that mental image for sure. So by not mentioning that there are
no wheels you are, in most people's minds, lying. At the very least you
are being purposefully deceitful, and that is all the insurance company
needs to dispute paying out a claim for or against you.
Show 10 people a picture of a GMC Pickup and a Weasel and ask them to
identify the class of vehicle for each. Even without multiple choice I
bet you all 10 would call the GMC a "truck" and probably 10 would call
the Weasel a "tank or something" or simply shrug and say "dunno"<g>. But
I don't think ANY non-MV type would call the Weasel a "truck". Heck, I
also bet that if I asked 10 people on this list if they had a choice of
classifying the Weasel as a truck, tank, ATV, or snowmobile nearly all
would say tank or ATV. Neither of these definitions will work either as
the insurance company's definition of an ATV involves wheels and tank
lands you up in the same spot I found myself in.
Because the common image of a "truck" involves wheels, I don't think any
authority (insurance company, bank, courts, etc.) would think any
different. And if you get in an accident, you can bet your bottom dollar
that if there is a way to get out of paying a policy because of
questionable information (i.e. fraudulent and/or grossly misleading) they
will dispute paying out.
> What would you define it as? It certainly is not a snowmobile.
This is exactly the problem I had. The Weasel simply defies all common
definitions, so I had to pick the one that was closest acording to laws
and common definitions. A snowcat is as close as I could get. Fits all
legal definitions perfectly, as well as those of use. Problem is that
snowcats aren't very common and are usually insured as town vehicles up
here. So this didn't really help me.
The Weasel doesn't even fit into neat military definitions either. It is
a hauler of sorts, but isn't a "prime mover". It's also not a tank, APC
(no armor and 3 passenger capacity), jeep, SPG, truck or what have you.
It just isn't easy to classify.
The easiest way to drive my point home about a Weasel NOT being a "truck"
is our recent political freakshow in Washington. Our President said he
didn't have "sex" with Monica. By some narrow legal definition he was
correct. But NOBODY thinks of sex the way the dictionary or law states
it, so in effect in everyone's mind he lied (I won't get into what should
or should not have happened regarding this fact). Since most people
would ASSUME that a truck has rubber, air inflated wheels, and the Weasel
most certainly does not, it would be at the very least deliberately
misleading to not mention the fact that a Weasel has tracks. This is
akin to a lie, especially in the eyes of an insurance agency. And in the
end, that is all that matters.
Steve
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