# Now that Elon Musk has bought Twitter - now the Pit edition (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** elon-musk\ **Created:** [August 13, 2024, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634 "2024-08-13T00:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 25
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/481 "2024-10-07T03:46:23Z")
Tesla does offer insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/482 "2024-10-07T04:15:33Z")
To be fair, it’s not the greatest insurance. But any port in a storm, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/483 "2024-10-07T05:15:32Z")
Elon (or his buddies) is willing to pay $47,000,000 just to get this voter information? That seems weird and maybe illegal? [Elon Musk on X: “Sign our petition to support the Constitution! Also earn $47 for every person you refer to sign the petition if they’re in a swing state. Goal is to get 1M voters in swing states to show support for free speech & right to bear arms.” / X](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1843011773567578166) I can’t get the link to preview, so for anyone who can’t see Xitter, this is about a “petition” from an Elon created PAC that purports to be about supporting 1st and 2nd amendment rights but, of course, is about getting voter information in swing states. > [@](#): > > In appreciation for your support, you will receive $47 for each registered voter you refer that signs this petition. [AMERICA PAC (theamericapac.org)](https://petition.theamericapac.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Xocomil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xocomil/32/14927_2.png) [@Xocomil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xocomil)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/484 "2024-10-07T05:41:49Z")
That’s a misleading headline. It should read: > GEICO Terminated Insurance Coverage of Tesla Cybertruck, Says “This Type of Vehicle Doesn’t Meet Our Underwriting Guidelines” At this point it’s one guy and one Cybertruck. Let’s see what GEICO says Monday. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/485 "2024-10-07T09:15:21Z")
Said by Elmo’s Mom: > The Democrats have given us another option. You don’t have to register to vote. On Election Day, have 10 fake names, go to 10 polling booths and vote 10 times. That’s 100 votes, and it’s not illegal. Maybe we should work the system too. Said by 52 USC 10307: > Whoever votes more than once in an election referred to in paragraph (2) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. Some questions occur to me. (1) I wonder if anyone following Elmo’s Mom’s advice could face 99 separate charges, which could theoretically earn them a maximum of 495 years in jail. (2) Is Elmo’s defective brain a direct genetic inheritance from Mom? (3) Where does Mom get her information? I really wanna know! Mom’s advice is the sort that I can see being eagerly embraced by your typical “sovereign citizen”, the kind who are always outraged about being arrested, decide to represent themselves in court, and manage to turn even a minor misdemeanor into serious jail time.Go Mom! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/486 "2024-10-07T12:33:06Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Tesla does offer insurance. In twelve states. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/487 "2024-10-07T13:17:45Z")
> [@Xocomil](#): > > At this point it’s one guy and one Cybertruck. Let’s see what GEICO says Monday. I think there’s like 3 confirmed cases? But yes, we need to know a _lot_ more about this situation. I really don’t understand the spue of articles titled “GEICO BANS CYBER TRUCKS” off of one guy’s story. Seems like very irresponsible journalism to me. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/488 "2024-10-07T13:22:11Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Seems like very irresponsible journalism to me. If anything about modern media makes me want to rip out my eyeballs in despair, it’s “journalism” that consists of links to social media and nothing else. Video game journalism is fucking terrible with it, with stories often being nothing but quotes from reddit users. But yes, there’s not a single verifiable thing in this story. Even the “email” has been copy/pasted and edited to remove personal info, so who knows what it originally said? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/489 "2024-10-07T13:24:10Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Their sources are going to be current and former employees, some they’ve spoken with directly and others that have posted on sites for silicon valley insiders. > > Me, I believe them, because their reporting matched exactly with what I was seeing. But, hey, I get it. Journalists reporting with anonymous sources is an exercise in trust, and they haven’t earned your trust. Nothing wrong with that. > > But I think that’s all we’ve got. Insiders who don’t want to get sued speaking on condition of anonymity. Nobody’s released internal DORA metrics or anything. Thank you for that nuanced summary. I think that lines up with everything I’ve been seeing about the way X is run, too. Like I said, I wasn’t necessarily doubting the story, I just thought it was… Shall we say, interesting, that the headline confidently declares as fact something that the publishing site has very little information about. The problem with the phrase “A [Publication] report says” is that the “report” could be based on everything from two disgruntled employees talking shit, to video evidence of the CEO admitting to whatever unsavory allegation is being discussed, to everything in between. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/490 "2024-10-07T13:26:09Z")
This is making the news now, I’m guessing because existing policy holders are coming up on their 6 months renewal and finding out the bad news, but this has been [reported on the CT forum for months](https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/geico-insurance.20297/). From here: [https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/geico-cancelling-all-cybertruck-insurance-policies-what.24927/](https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/geico-cancelling-all-cybertruck-insurance-policies-what.24927/) > This issue needs more attention before other car insurances follow suit. > > I’ve been trying to bring this to the attention of Tesla but have not been successful. It’s very troubling. This used to be an issue in NY, now it seems to be happening in other states too. First Geico will provide you with insurance for the Cybertruck, then cancel in 2 weeks. In states without Tesla insurance, like NY, this causes a serious issue in that other car insurances either A) refuse to insure the Cybertruck or B) charge an EXORBITANT monthly fee. > > What is happening with Geico is very inconsistent. Some customers are being told that the Cybertruck is a “restricted vehicle” and cannot be insured leading them to be dropped, while others are renewing their insurance without any issues. Some people, especially in NY seem to be immune to this issue, while others are getting dropped from Geico policy for having a Cybertruck. > > It’s truly puzzling and inconsistent. It feel like there is something we are missing here. > > I’m have been trying to figure out what is triggering this non-renewal for certain people, but not others, but have not been successful. I am being ghosted by all the people and representatives from companies involved. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/491 "2024-10-07T13:27:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > If anything about modern media makes me want to rip out my eyeballs in despair, it’s “journalism” that consists of links to social media and nothing else. Video game journalism is fucking terrible with it, with stories often being nothing but quotes from reddit users. Oh God, yes. The Algorithm has decided I am interested in these stories, even though I very much am not. I constantly see recommendations for this journal called Arse Technical or something like that, and it constantly does that shit. “New game expansion is released and Reddit users are _not happy_!” Who gives a shit??? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/492 "2024-10-07T13:30:13Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > This is making the news now, I’m guessing because existing policy holders are coming up on their 6 months renewal and finding out the bad news, but this has been [reported on the CT forum for months](https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/geico-insurance.20297/). I saw those threads too. Some of them mentioned getting a supervisor on the line and being told that the Cybertruck is on a restricted list along with a bunch of high end sports cars? Some people also mentioned Tesla cars in general running $1000+ more than similarly priced gas cars. Given that this is all just forum chatter, I have no idea how _true_ it is. That seems like the sort of thing that these “journalists” could look into, rather than parroting the latest threads on the topic with no research at all… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/493 "2024-10-07T14:03:21Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Arse Technical Speaking of: > **[X fails to avoid Australia child safety fine by arguing Twitter doesn’t exist](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/x-loses-appeal-of-400k-australia-child-safety-fine-now-faces-more-fines/)** > > Elon Musk merging Twitter into X didn’t absolve X from child safety fine. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/494 "2024-10-07T14:09:56Z")
GEICO’s actuarial tables are surely proprietary and I doubt they put out press releases about this sort of thing. Maybe journalists could verify emails or phone calls but it’s kind of a non-story. I wouldn’t expect much. This is a popcorn topic, maybe check your expectations 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/495 "2024-10-07T14:11:26Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > GEICO’s actuarial tables are surely proprietary and I doubt they put out press releases about this sort of thing. Maybe journalists could verify emails or phone calls but it’s kind of a non-story. I wouldn’t expect much. Surely if GEICO was going to stop offering Cybertruck insurance across the board they would make a public statement along those lines? Or at the very least, an investigative journalist could investigate, by calling them and pretending to have a Cybertruck to insure? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/496 "2024-10-07T14:41:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Wheelahan summarized X’s argument as saying that “X Corp was not obliged to prepare any report in Twitter Inc’s place, as X Corp was not the same person as the provider to whom the notice was issued.” Somehow Musk’s lawyers have managed to apply a sovereign citizen argument to a corporate liability case, and with about the same level of success as such arguments usually have. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/497 "2024-10-07T14:41:32Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Surely if GEICO was going to stop offering Cybertruck insurance across the board they would make a public statement along those lines? This doesn’t sound like something insurance companies would bother doing. > [@Babale](#): > > Or at the very least, an investigative journalist could investigate, by calling them and pretending to have a Cybertruck to insure? I guess, but then, so could any of us. In fact, rather than finishing this post I went out to Geico’s website and tried to get a quote on a cybertruck. It’s not available in the list of 2024 Tesla vehicles, and if you enter the VIN for a cybertruck, it says this: > We’re unable to insure the vehicle you provided at this time. This may be because it’s a high-end vehicle or has a customization we don’t insure. Try it yourself, it’s fun and doesn’t cost nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/498 "2024-10-07T14:47:20Z")
There’s a lot of esoteric questions applicable to a small niche of people that investigative journalists (who are currently an endangered and rapidly dwindling species given modern news budgets) _could_ be researching. Any particular reason this should be one of them, other than a personal interest? While there are the typical aggregator sites and such, there don’t seem to be many human beings or actual news organizations interested in this one. Of course, once it affects enough people, it’s no longer niche or esoteric. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/499 "2024-10-07T15:06:22Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I constantly see recommendations for this journal called Arse Technical or something like that, and it constantly does that shit. You must be thinking of something else. Ars Technica is one of the best-respected and most widely read online publications focusing on technology and engineering. They absolutely do not run those sorts of Huffpost-style aggregated-tweet empty-calorie articles. Many of their writers are acknowledged experts and their analyses are lengthy, detailed and in-depth ([sample from their current front page](https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/10/ulas-second-vulcan-rocket-lost-part-of-its-booster-and-kept-going/)). ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634/500 "2024-10-07T15:11:16Z")
Didn’t notice the dig at Ars Technica. That’s…a take, alright. I’ll note one of their writers on outer space related topics is Eric Berger, who also runs [Spacecityweather.com](http://Spacecityweather.com) and [theeyewall.com](http://theeyewall.com) - both fantastic, hype-free websites covering Houston-area weather and general hurricane information/news, respectively. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-2/1005634.md?page=26)