Ways single or unmarried people are shortchanged in our culture:

• Unmarried couples can in fact pay more taxes than married couples. For instance, Randy Herrera, a computer components buyer from San Jose, says his income tax bill increased from $1,200 to $3,000 after his divorce in 2002.

• Unmarried workers also pay the same taxes for Social Security as married workers, but their partners won't receive the survivor benefits given to the spouse of a deceased employee. If there is no partner, no one receives that benefit.

• Insurance companies often penalize single or unmarried customers as higher risk. Most states allow marital status as a rating criterion for setting premiums for auto insurance, which usually results in lower rates for married drivers. With renters insurance, some companies issue a joint policy with a family discount to a married couple; an unmarried couple must pay two separate premiums.

• In the scramble for seating at large family functions, unmarried adults are more likely to get stuck sitting at the children's table while their hitched brothers and sisters dine with adults. No stats, just anecdotal evidence.

• When booking a hotel room or a cabin on a cruise, a couple will get a cheaper per-person rate than those traveling alone unless they find a travel partner.

• Single adults, unlike their married siblings, are often expected to become caregivers to elderly or disabled family members, especially among certain cultures.

• Unlike married workers, single employees are sometimes asked to work more hours or on weekends and holidays because of the perception that they have fewer obligations outside of the job.

• Unmarried people who get health, dental, vision and other benefits through an employer are often not eligible for joint or family health coverage for their partners or families.

• Single people must endure the gauntlet of friends and relatives repeatedly asking ``When are you going to get married?'' And for the unfortunate few, there's a well-intentioned, but often misguided Aunt Bessie playing matchmaker.

• When a married person dies without a will, the estate automatically goes to the spouse. If that person is unmarried, even if they bequeath their estate to their unmarried partner, relatives of the deceased can challenge the will. This sometimes forces the surviving unmarried partner to settle the case outside of court to avoid litigation costs.

• A surviving spouse can sue someone, such as a drunk driver, for wrongful death to collect damages for loss of a relationship or loss of the deceased person's income. When someone unmarried dies in a similar situation, the surviving partner is not allowed to sue, even if he or she suffers financial loss.

-- Mark de la Vina