Got a factual question for the Teeming Millions (and possibly Cecil) to consider? Post it here.
I have a radical idea. If there is a factual question, either post a factual answer or shut the fuck up. The Straightdope has been fighting ignorance since 1973, but doesn’t seem to making much progress.
In this thread, the OP posted a factual question - do I need a birth certificate to cross the US/Canadian border? It’s only an example.
This is a factual question, and can be answered factually.
So far, four posters have answered with factually incorrect information, and there is a joke response advocating breaking the law. I’m not pitting any individual posters, but come on guys - are you lazy that you couldn’t be bothered to find out the facts? Are you so ego-centric that you’re convinced that your personal anecdotes have precedent of the laws of sovereign nations?
It took me less than 5 minutes to come up with facts - is the Straightdope worth that little that you can’t be bothered to spend 5 minutes answering a factual question?
I’ve been guilty of this in past, but I try my hardest to answer factual questions with factual answer. If you want to share your opinions, we have a forum for that. If you want to share something humorous, we have a forum for that. If you want to debate a subject for that.
But please, can we have General Questions left for factual questions and factual answers?
I hate starting threads in the Pit, but didn’t know where else to put this
My guess is that some of the straight lines (straight out of Mad magazines ‘snappy answers to stupid questions’) are just too good to pass up for the smart asses.
which countries have a military national service?
Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea…i think…
One of the Scandinavian countries does. Finland, I think.
AFAIK, there’s still a mandatory military service in Italy.
Tapioca Dextrin you are ranting against wrong answers in a GQ thread where your first answer was the wrong one (assuming the OP was US citizen, when the OP had indicated he/she was Canadian).
Secondly actual experience can be valid as opposed to offical rules in the government web site. No official site will tell you if the following is possible. For instance, if the penalty for not having sufficent ID is being turned back at the border, and the chance of being asked for ID is 10% then in an emergency one can be pretty safe in trying to cross, and if that fails trying again later or at a different border post. But someone with experience of trying this may well have the answer.
As for the answers to Which Countries have Military service, if no one has been able to provide an authorative cite, then reports from memory especially when propperly accredited with words like ‘AFAK’ and "I think’ may be useful to the OP, or others interested in the OP. Since these prove starting points for latter confirmation by research.
I’m all for funny comments, but too many responses in GQ are smart-arse replies that aren’t funny and just muddy the waters. Particularly ones from those who think they are being obviously amusing, but only to those who already know the answer!!! Rather defeats the whole purpose doesn’t it? That includes those who think that contradicting the right answer afterwards is ok, because everyone knows which is the correct answer and which is the follow-on joke bollocks, don’t they??
What ever happened to the factual forum?
I too would be interested in hearing a GQ Mod’s thoughts on ChefGuy’s interpretation. What is your motto, Chefguy? I’d like to keep it in mind for all your future GQ posts.
(And before you go a searching, I’m not making any claims about all my GQ posts. But I certainly try to stick to the factual and offer no defense when I’ve been guilty.)
Yes. I’ll happily admit that I got the direction of travel wrong. I answered the wrong question, but I answered it correctly. I was composing the correct answer to the OP when my stupidity was being pointed out to me.
Posting “you just need your driving licence” or “just take you SIN” is a different category. This information is simply wrong.
If the OP travels with just his driving licence, there are two possibilities.
90% probability, he will get through the border with out problem
10% probability, he will be turned back.
If 2) then whatever the urgent reason was for making the journey, he’s screwed.
If the OP travels with just his driving licence but is aware of possibility 2) then arrangements he says he can make in advance can actually be made in advance and whatever he needs sorting out can easily be taken care of.
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