# So , I Wrote a Note to the King **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008 "2006-08-02T11:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/41 "2006-08-22T01:51:30Z")
Apparently [alice\_in\_wonderland wants to travel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384962), and a pretty face is sure to open doors… They’re changing guard at Riyadh Palace - Paul in Saudi went down with Alice. They wanted to see King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. “The job of King is terrible hard,” Says Alice. They’re changing guard at Riyadh Palace - Paul in Saudi went down with Alice. We saw a guard in a sentry-box. “One of the sergeants looks after their Glocks,” Says Alice. They’re changing guard at Riyadh Palace - Paul in Saudi went down with Alice. We looked for King, but he never came. “Well, God take care of him, all the same,” Says Alice. They’re changing guard at Riyadh Palace - Paul in Saudi went down with Alice. They’ve great big parties inside the grounds. “I wouldn’t be King for a hundred pounds,” Says Alice. They’re changing guard at Riyadh Palace - Paul in Saudi went down with Alice. A face looked out, but it wasn’t the King’s. “He’s much too busy a-signing things,” Says Alice. They’re changing guard at Riyadh Palace - Paul in Saudi went down with Alice. “Do you think the King knows all about me?” “Sure to, dear, but it’s time for tea,” Says Alice. [sub]With apologies to AA Milne[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/42 "2006-08-22T02:26:34Z")
Most excellent **Astro**! An FN P90 it was! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/43 "2006-08-22T11:35:21Z")
I took off early and drove quickly across town to get to the Reception Office of the Court Ministry before prayer. I made it. Very helpful staff. The office is just inside the wall of the Royal Palace, so I am making progress. The gate into the compound must be at least 10CM thick, it is mounted on railway wheels. Very impressive. They told me to head over to the Council of Ministers Building (just outside the walls) to present my petition. This was obviously the Right Place. Full of Saudis in their Friday-go-to-meeting clothes. I stood out like a sore thumb. The staff works behind bulletproof glass like bank tellers. As they accept each petition, they give the citizen a very nice receipt with a file number. A most-excellent souvenir I think. They passed my petition from one to another for a couple of minutes and the supervisor came out to ask a few questions. He told me I had to translate my document into Arabic and then they would be pleased to accept it. I tried to hid my disappointment that my chance to see The Big Cheese seems to be slipping away. So back I go on Saturday or Sunday depending how soon the translator can get to it. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/44 "2006-08-22T11:38:09Z")
Bummer. But at least there does really appear to be a process. GT ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/45 "2006-08-28T18:47:05Z")
Any news, **Paul**? ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/46 "2006-10-27T21:54:19Z")
Paul, I bookmarked this. Any news or did you respond in another thread? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/47 "2006-10-28T00:14:15Z")
Has… anyone heard from Paul recently? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/48 "2006-10-28T00:16:30Z")
As a matter of fact, he started a LiveJournal account today and posted a thread to this forum asking about it. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/49 "2012-02-15T12:56:32Z")
As Paul is still around, how did the Petition turn out? Its been six years! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/50 "2012-02-15T13:25:08Z")
…and he still hasn’t been paid… ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/51 "2012-02-15T13:39:10Z")
Wow, talk about a worthy resurrection… ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/52 "2012-02-15T14:47:09Z")
Well, the fact that **Paul in Saudi** (2006) is now **Paul in Qatar** may provide a clue… Si ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/53 "2012-02-15T14:57:45Z")
With only one name change allowed he better not get a new job. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/54 "2012-02-20T19:29:35Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > With only one name change allowed he better not get a new job. Actually, last I heard, he _was_ back in Saudi. So the king must not have been _too_ pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/55 "2012-02-20T19:49:18Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > With only one name change allowed he better not get a new job. I think the mods would provide a bit of leeway if he needed to change his name to **Paul in a Windowless Van.** ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008/56 "2012-02-20T20:09:23Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Actually, last I heard, he _was_ back in Saudi. So the king must not have been _too_ pissed. Well, he changed his identity. **Paul in Qatar** is completely different to **Paul in Saudi**. They will never recognize him. 😉 Si [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-wrote-a-note-to-the-king/367008.md?page=2)