Oh Say, Can You See?

New York State drivers, did you know that the state Department of Motor Vehicles no longer requires us to take a vision test for license renewals? What do you think?

I think it’s terrible, especially now that the population is getting older. No offense to you senior citizens, but vision tests ensure that the folks behind the wheels can still see to drive! Vision does tend to deteriorate with age, and mandatory vision tests did provide the public with some assurance that all drivers on the roads had adequate vision. The DMV says they eliminated the tests because they wanted to make online license renewal easier. I think that is a very poor reason for eliminating the vision tests. The tests were a minor inconvenience compared to the assurance that every driver is fit. Oh well… we as drivers can each do our part to make sure that our loved ones are OK behind the wheel and that we all get regular exams at the optician’s office. Sometimes a nice, new pair of glasses is inspiration for a quick vision check. I’m going to go again soon because I want a new prescription for a new pair of eyeglasses at Zenni Optical. I purchased a pair several months ago and I absolutely LOVE them. Honestly, I can’t sing Zenni’s praises louder. I got exceptional service and the glasses are the best I have owned. I want another pair, now!

Zenni optical has a very large variety of eyeglasses for every style. Besides the “everyday” styles, Zenni sells novelty frames for the holidays. My favorites are the red and green Christmasy glasses. I am not sure what style I will get next, perhaps something pink or something very zany and colorful. If you or a loved one is in need of new glasses, check out Zenni’s selections– maybe you can even get a pair for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day or Easter. The glasses at Zenni’s are so inexpensive that you can have several pairs for the price of one retail-bought pair. Many frames are generally $6.95 to $9.95, but strong prescriptions may cost more. Because my prescription is so strong, my glasses were $71. But that prices was a fraction of the cost of retail-bought eyeglasses. So I could still buy two more pairs of glasses and still make out better than retail frames!

Seriously– if you are needing new glasses, try Zenni Optical. To buy glasses online, you do need your prescription and pupillary distance measurement. These measurements are obtained by an optometrist with a simple eye exam. And eye exams are good, especially if you drive!

Insurance Leaves Much to Be Desired

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the insurance coverage. But for some areas, the coverage in New York State is woefully, woefully lacking.

Just this week I went to my eyeglasses store. The frames I purchased six months ago (for a whopping $250!) have deteriorated. The bronze color coating is flaking off, the metal is rusting and the frames are causing my skin to react in blisters. The store told me that they were awfully sorry, but they can’t do anything. I could order a brand new pair of glasses and pay retail or they could locate another pair of frames exactly like the old and pop in the old lenses. But the insurance will not pay for a new pair, and there is only a 30-day guarantee on new pairs. Problem is, the replacement frames are $80!! I’m not paying $80 for another pair of defective frames that I will only have to replace in six months. :-p

The eyeglasses store told me that my new insurance only pays a total of $39 every 2 years for glasses. Oh my gosh. That is AWFUL. I was flabbergasted, especially when I see that the insurance company has tons of coverage for mental illness, alcoholism and family planning. For many people, glasses are a medical necessity. Because my prescription is currently so high, my glasses cost about $200 to $250. Why are glasses SO expensive?! And why are insurance companies so stingy about the coverage??

Well, thank God there’s another choice. Zenni Optical. What you see is what you get– quality frames, quality lenses, good service– and no middleman or insurance paperwork hassles to mess everything up. I’ve heard about Zenni for a while now, but have been balking about ordering new eyeglasses. I think I’m going to check into them. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’ll no doubt do a review about my experience in the near future!

UPDATE: Well, I just ordered a pair of glasses from Zenni! I did a little comparative shopping and Zenni was the only company that makes glasses stronger than -10 OD/OS! My prescription is -16 OD/OS so we’ll see how the glasses do for me. I can’t wait to get them!

Seeing is Believing

I had an eye exam recently. Thank God, as I have aged, my vision has become more stable (no drastic drops in vision like my younger years). Yet for the past two or three years, every optician I see warns me “You have to have 20/40 vision to drive in New York State.” Of course, 20/40 vision can be met with corrective lenses, but I think they are insinuating that my corrective vision is borderline? That, or they are kidding with me.

Eyeglasses are becoming more and more expensive. Is it the insurance companies surreptitiously driving up the prices? Not sure. But mine cost $250 and then the kids had to get some and that was another $650 dollars! Our insurance paid for a large chunk of it (about 80% of the cost) but then I realized that if we’d purchased discount eyeglasses from Zenni Optical, I’d have paid a lot less. I went with the insurance deal because I figured it would be less money, but I think not.

If you haven’t heard, Zenni Optical is an online discount prescription glasses manufacturer and retailer. CNN, FoxNews, Clark Howard and a number of other folks have mentioned and reviewed Zenni. Zenni has eliminated the expensive middle man to offer customers extremely low prices on glasses. Of course, you have to find an optician to give you an exam and give you your prescription details. You need that information to purchase online glasses. But the prices are SO low that Zenni is making a lot of news. Glasses for under $10?! How much does that expensive middle man at the retail eyeglasses store get paid, anyway?!

Check out the store, you may find something you like. And good luck with the New York State DMV eye exam.

San Francisco, 1906

This video is of a film taken in San Francisco in 1906, four days before the terrible earthquake that destroyed this part of the city. Apparently, no one knew exactly where the film was originally taken, but a group of historians, studying the film, discovered that this is Market Street in San Francisco, California. I found it amazing to watch. The traffic is totally chaotic! When were our modern highways invented, anyway?

Finding Auto Repair Help While Traveling

Ouch. It’s happened to us: you are far away from home, and something happens to the car. You’re in a strange town, you know absolutely no one and now you need a brake job (or, as was in our case, a totally new transmission)– what on earth do you do?? Here’s a tip: bookmark this webpage for future reference: RepairPal. I’ve checked out the website, and I like it! They are kind of like a “yellow pages” for car repair, and their lists cover every state in the U.S., from Rome to Miami to Dallas. I did some searches on the site, and was very pleased to see some local businesses in my area listed at Repair Pal.

Nowadays, we’re always bringing some kind of Internet-capable gadget with us when we travl (phone, netbook, etc); and libraries in cities all across the nation offer free Internet access, too. So if you can’t find a hotspot on the highway, get to a convenience store or library to connect. You can access the RepairPal website and search for a good mechanic. You can search the website by location, or by car make. So, if you’re looking for a local car deal for a Chevrolet Silverado, you can search and get some good results.

Repair Pal also had reviews of car repair shops, helpful articles on common problems with types of vehicles, and an area for you to submit a car repair question to an expert. It’s a really terrific site! I’ve got it bookmarked for whenever we go out. You just never know, and being stranded in a strange town has happened to us twice!

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. You can read more about my blog policy on my Sitewide Policies page.

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