In the 1976 movie Network, Peter Finch throws open a window and screams out: ``I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore.''

He starts a chain reaction as his fellow New Yorkers rail against personal injustices.

Today, all over South Florida, many consumers -- overwhelmed by soaring insurance rates -- would love to repeat Finch's performance.

Take Ivan Saldana in Pembroke Pines. His annual premium jumped more than 500 percent from the $1,160 he used to pay Atlantic Preferred, which folded earlier this year. Now with Citizens Property Insurance, the state-run insurer of last resort, he's stuck with the policy the company offers. He would like to reduce or drop his wind coverage, because he no longer has a mortgage on his home. But state law doesn't allow this where he lives.

''Never in my life have I witnessed such absurdity. Where can I go, where can I turn, to wrestle this insanity?'' asks Saldana.

For Saldana and others, venting at the top of their lungs from their front yards may be cathartic, but it's not the most effective way to demand change.

There are lessons to be learned from others who have stepped up to challenge insurers and regulators on rate increases and call for action from elected officials.

Here's some advice from the consumer activist trenches:

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Robert Hunter, a former insurance regulator and now director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America, is an expert in agitating for change and bringing consumers to the table. He says:

• Get organized. Start a local activist group. Even a few neighbors can be effective.

Hunter recalls that after hail storms hit part of Maryland in 1985, several insurers including State Farm hassled policyholders on paying claims. A consumer group formed, called HAIL -- Homeowners Against Insurance Loopholes. It negotiated with insurers and eventually resolved most claims issues.

Hunter truly believes there is power in numbers. And having a clever name for your group doesn't hurt.

• Extend your reach. Link up with regional, state or national consumer groups such as the Florida Consumer Action Network, Americans for Insurance Reform or the Consumer Federation.

• Master the Web. Having a website is a good way to collect names, addresses and e-mails of consumers in your region who share the same problem with their insurers.

The Internet is also an excellent vehicle to share information about recent developments, progress on key issues and upcoming meetings and fundraisers.

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Tommy and Kim Mack of Key West know firsthand that being involved makes a difference. They're members of Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe, a consumer group that helped persuade regulators to roll back rates set by Citizens Property Insurance for Monroe County. Their advice:

• Get angry, then get involved. Nearly two years ago, Tommy Mack was more than upset when he opened his insurance renewal notice. He began asking friends, neighbors, just about anyone he met, how much their insurance bill had shot up. He put all the information into a spreadsheet.

''When we saw all these incredible rate increases with no rhyme or reason, that was a motivating factor. To get active, you have to get angry,'' says Tommy Mack.

Today, FIRM (www.fairin suranceratesinmonroe.com) has more than 3,000 members.

• Get political. Even before FIRM was organized in the Keys, the Macks were in action. They put the insurance issue in front of Morgan McPherson, who was running for mayor of Key West in late 2005. The Macks told the candidate, who won the election, that unless there was some solution to runaway insurance costs, the county's woes with affordable housing would continue.