20 April 2008

Sir - you need a visa if you are going to tell Americans what to do!

On my way into the US I joined the queue for passport control. Got to a desk with what looked like a nice little old lady behind the desk. When it was my turn she asked why I was here?
An abbreviated version of the conversation goes something like...
Marg Simpson lookalike "Sir why are you here?"
Me "work"
(I come here about 8 times a year and that normally keeps them happy)
Marg "what work"
Me "I work in the oil business"
(They normally love that)
Marg "What work, what are you doing?"
Me "Geology"
Now at this stage she is getting more and more agitated and I am trying very very hard to be pleasant, polite and defiantly not sarcastic. Its too easy and just not worth it…
Marg "But what are you doing"
Me "correlating well logs, building models, planning wells, interpreting seismic etc"
Marg "but why are you here doing it"
Me "Well my company has an office and I come over from time to time"
Marg "got a business card"
I produce one
Marg" it says that you're are VP Production on here"
Me "yes mam that is correct"

Marg "Well I think you need a visa if you are gonna tell Americans what to do"

And yes the last line is a word for word quote!
It would seem that in the land of the free the government has got to vet you before they let you tell any of their citizens what to do...
What a country! What a people!
At least she let me in...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Can beat that US visa story. Friend worked for Vauxhall (US owned subsidary of GM). Flys to Detroit and asked by McJobsworth why she is visiting the Land of the Free. The exchange went something like this:
"Business - attending a General Motors conference."
"Why?"
"I work for their UK subsidary and I've been sent to attend their World Conference"
"Why?"
"What why am I attending? Because this is about how we interact with Government and I'm the head of Govt liaison in the UK".
"No. Why do you work for GM?"

Words failed at this point...