# No, you bloody well can't se my Green Card, you doddering old fool. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134 "2010-09-09T02:48:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/21 "2010-09-09T11:30:25Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Wait, are you saying _foreigners_ live in America?!?! It’s worse than that. [The production of Americans is often outsourced overseas these days.](http://www.theonion.com/articles/buchanan-reveals-thousands-of-americans-made-in-ch,4372/) ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/22 "2010-09-09T12:08:41Z")
Remarkably wrong, cold but correct, doddering old fool? This is your pit rant? Politeness and the Queen’s English? Time to turn in your bloody green card! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/23 "2010-09-09T13:29:36Z")
I’m sorry, but my first reaction is hilarity. I can just imagine her thought process… \*what can I say to get out of this? hmmm… he stopped too suddenly… nah, i’m still supposed to be able to stop without hitting him… he backed up into me? that might work in a parking lot, but they’ll never believe it on the road… think, think… wait, is that an ACCENT i hear? … score!!! \* ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/24 "2010-09-09T13:41:14Z")
> [@Spiny\_Norman](#): > > Turns out she doesn’t want to make small talk, she _wants to inspect my Green Card_. :eek: I would have strangled the old bitch. Edit - One more thing (and don’t ask me what this has to do with anything): Are you white? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/25 "2010-09-09T13:50:47Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > WAIT…wait…people with accents are FURRENERS? > Does this mean that anyone from the south need to produce a Green Card ? Shit, going to a Truck Pull could now be even MORE entertaining! No, no, no. People from the South speak normally. It’s all the rest a y’all that talk funny. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/26 "2010-09-09T13:59:50Z")
She was a stupid old biddy. If I had heard an accent, I’d probably start flirting with you. So where are you from originally and how you doin’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/27 "2010-09-09T14:37:14Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Wait, are you saying _foreigners_ live in America?!?! It’s worse than that – **aliens** live in America. I know, because I am one. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/28 "2010-09-09T15:03:45Z")
You know it’s actually generally incorrect to exchange insurance information. You’re supposed to call the police so they can file an accident report, you should never personally exchange or agree to take insurance information from the other party. I’ve not been in many car accidents but every time I’ve let the police handle it. You can actually end up getting screwed over big time if you just write down someone’s insurance info and drive off hoping to resolve it with a few phone calls. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/29 "2010-09-09T15:24:43Z")
Presumably they were waiting for the police to show up. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/30 "2010-09-09T15:28:30Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Presumably they were waiting for the police to show up. Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t, I found nothing in the OP that would make me presume that. But that’s irrelevant, you don’t really need to talk to or exchange information with the other driver. When the police arrive everything will be handled. The problem with exchanging information and having an extensive dialogue with the other driver is that you may accept blame for an accident improperly. Maybe you’re slightly in shock and think the accident is your fault, but the police report would have found different. There are other good reasons not to talk to the other driver, of course, but that’s the one that is most apparent to me. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/31 "2010-09-09T15:43:13Z")
That’s not a reason not to talk to the other driver. That’s a reason not to accept blame. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/32 "2010-09-09T15:46:22Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > Presumably they were waiting for the police to show up. > > Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t, I found nothing in the OP that would make me presume that. But that’s irrelevant, you don’t really need to talk to or exchange information with the other driver. When the police arrive everything will be handled. The problem with exchanging information and having an extensive dialogue with the other driver is that you may accept blame for an accident improperly. Maybe you’re slightly in shock and think the accident is your fault, but the police report would have found different. There are other good reasons not to talk to the other driver, of course, but that’s the one that is most apparent to me. Oh God I hate this. I think the tendency to do it one way or another is a local thing. In PA you would generally handle it without the police unless one vehicle couldn’t drive away or someone was hurt. Here in Virginia you call the police if your car is so much as scratched. The slows traffic down every day on my commute. If I am very luck it is from rubber neckers, but far more often it is because they decide to just park in the middle of the road to wait for the police. They don’t even pull off to the side. Drives me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/33 "2010-09-09T15:46:23Z")
I’m not saying you shouldn’t say a word to the other driver. You should check to see if there are any injuries and et cetera, but you need to immediately call the authorities and mostly limit your communication with the other driver. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/34 "2010-09-09T15:47:36Z")
> [@flight](#): > > > [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > > > Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t, I found nothing in the OP that would make me presume that. But that’s irrelevant, you don’t really need to talk to or exchange information with the other driver. When the police arrive everything will be handled. The problem with exchanging information and having an extensive dialogue with the other driver is that you may accept blame for an accident improperly. Maybe you’re slightly in shock and think the accident is your fault, but the police report would have found different. There are other good reasons not to talk to the other driver, of course, but that’s the one that is most apparent to me. > > Oh God I hate this. I think the tendency to do it one way or another is a local thing. In PA you would generally handle it without the police unless one vehicle couldn’t drive away or someone was hurt. Here in Virginia you call the police if your car is so much as scratched. The slows traffic down every day on my commute. If I am very luck it is from rubber neckers, but far more often it is because they decide to just park in the middle of the road to wait for the police. They don’t even pull off to the side. Drives me nuts. Most of the time you need to get off the roadway if you can (i.e., cars are not disabled/are not unsafe to move / there are no injuries.) It’s actually dangerous to stay on the roadway as it can lead to other cars hitting your car which can lead to injuries and etc. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/35 "2010-09-09T15:48:37Z")
Not to mention angry commuters killing you. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/36 "2010-09-09T15:53:06Z")
Why would the OP have called the police? What and risk his six friends in the back seat getting ticketted for sitting too close to the hydrolics tank? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/37 "2010-09-09T16:00:29Z")
Wow, everyone is so quick to judge. Maybe she was just, you know, curious, as in “Not an American? Wow, that’s so cool! Which country are you from? Really? I always wanted to go there? So what are you doing in our fine country? Do you have a green card? Can I see it? I’ve never seen one before? Did you come here on one of those aeroplanes I was reading about in the Post?” Clearly shhe was just a bit flustered from the accident. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/38 "2010-09-09T16:29:42Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > You should ask her to show hers next time you talk to her. When she says she is an American say you don’t believe her, how can she prove it? She’ll show you her DL, but that doesn’t show citizenship. Just keep on her, asking her to prove it. When she shows her Birth Certificate say it’s just a copy and if she doesn’t have an original you won’t accept it. This could be fun. The trick is to do it all with a straight face. “I’d like to see a notarized copy of your birth certificate, otherwise I’m calling La Migra on your ass, puta.” > [@MeanOldLady](#): > > > [@Spiny\_Norman](#): > > > > Turns out she doesn’t want to make small talk, she _wants to inspect my Green Card_. > > :eek: I would have strangled the old bitch. I wouldn’t have strangled her, but I probably would have just started hysterically laughing in her face. You know that laugh- the “Jesus Christ, are you that dumb? I can’t believe you’re that dumb. . . no no, omg, you are!” laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/39 "2010-09-09T16:30:13Z")
**Spiny** , are you/do you look white? ---
**Author:** ![UTejas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UTejas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UTejas)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134/40 "2010-09-09T16:59:51Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **Spiny** , are you/do you look white? If I recall correctly, **Spiny Norman** is Australian. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-bloody-well-cant-se-my-green-card-you-doddering-old-fool/553134.md?page=3)