The Case of Concerned Coach

By: williamjones
March 1, 2010

By: Jonathan Hermann

Spring was in the air, along with enough pollen to choke a horse. With Aunt Edna’s Christmas fruitcake still sitting heavy in my gut, I decided to go to the nearby middle school to run around the track.

Many would not guess by looking at me, but I was quite the sprinter back in high school. Not only did I run through the minds of many gals in class, but I placed second in the 200 meter hurdles at state, bested only by a boy who was half Jamaican, half kangaroo.

Unfortunately, my middle-aged legs could not relive my teenage dominance—they turned into string cheese after just one lap. While doubled over, catching my breath, I noticed a man acting strangely in the school parking lot.

He paced back and forth in front of a bus that was packed to the gills with rowdy kids in baseball uniforms. Maybe he was locked out; maybe the engine failed; maybe the kids forced him to listen to their modern music. Since I knew a thing or two about buses—including all 112 unofficial versus to “Wheels on the Bus”—I limped over to help.

“Hey,” I said. “Do you work here?”

“Yep. Joe Hansen’s the name, but everyone calls me Coach.”

“Ace Insura, but everyone calls me DragonRider73…at least everyone online. What’s the matter, Coach?”

“What isn’t the matter? My starting pitcher would rather post Facebook updates than strikeouts. My catcher is upset that his chest protector wrinkles his Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt. And half the kids’ parents have threatened to sue me if their little darlings don’t get enough playing time. But all of that won’t matter if I can’t figure out this insurance quandary.”

“Coach, I know insurance like Nolan Ryan knew Ben-Gay. Lay it on me.”

“As you probably have figured out, I’m the Little League baseball coach. The school board told me that I’m now required to drive my team in the school’s mini-bus to our games. They say I’m covered by my personal auto policy in case of an accident, but I don’t buy it. I have a 1994 version of the ISO PAP, if that helps. So, what do you say? Do I have the right coverage under my PAP while transporting students to and from athletic events?”

“This mini-bus here, is it something that you would use privately as a passenger vehicle?”

“Not likely,” he said.

“Well, “not likely” also explains your coverage.”

Why was Ace’s advice not likely to make the coach happy?

For help solving this mystery and to check your solution against Ace’s, click here.

Jonathan Hermann (hermannism@gmail.com) is an IA contributing editor.