How much does Batman pay to insure ‘The Bat’ vehicle?
A tongue-in-cheek letter from an equally fictitious Progressive Insurance claims agent indicates that the famed caped crusader is paying monthly premiums of more than $258,000.
That’s based on an extraordinary claims history, the letter from Progressive reads.
“We want to point out that the history of claims filed for the Bat Fleet of vehicles points to a tendency toward recklessness, even in light of the dangerous nature of Batman’s profession,” says the Progressive letter to representatives of Batman’s Estate, following the demise of Batman during a recent terrorist attack by his nemesis, Bane.
“Claims in the past five years alone have totalled an astounding $214.7 million, a figure that would disqualify you for coverage by all but the most dedicated of insurers.”
The straw that broke the camel’s back was a $52-million claim for damage to ‘The Bat,’ damaged by an atomic bomb. The claim amount covered specialized features, such as:
• titanium construction that renders the car bullet- and bomb-proof.
• a jet engine with high-speed flight capacity.
• an onboard computer with a direct feed to the mainframe computer located in the Bat Cave.
• onboard projectiles and missiles, and the ability to self-destruct by remote control in the event the vehicle falls into the hands of criminals such as Bane, the Joker, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze or the Riddler.
Batman's car may be expensive to insure, but how much would it cost to insure ‘Downton Abbey’? (continued)#pb#
Fans of the wildly popular British soap opera Downton Abbey might imagine what it would be like to live in that privileged world and its fabulous homes. But could they afford the insurance that the Grantham family, Downton’s proprietors, pay each month?
Built in the 1800s and modeled after the Houses of Parliament, Downton Abbey’s real-life setting, Highclere Castle, could fetch about $239 million in today’s real estate market.
From the hand-carved oak staircase to the filigreed stone pinnacles, Highclere would require skilled artisans and craftsmen to rebuild it.
Contents usually are covered at half the home’s insured value, but that may not be enough for Highclere’s interior opulence, says the Tom Wiles Agency. The library where the fictional Granthams “withdraw” contains about 5,650 books, some from the 16th century. Paintings by Van Dyck and other masters adorn the walls of the state dining room.
Don’t overlook the beautiful landscaping and formal gardens, which also can be insured. Chubb provides coverage of $10,000 per tree, for instance.
If you had an alley of 100-year-old trees leading up to your estate, you’d want them to be covered. “You don’t want to replace (a lost tree) with a sapling,” says Christie Alderman, vice president of Chubb Personal Insurance.
