Shannon Niggins must have ghost writer credits for this one.

So, seconds after breaking out the tripod, a policeman pulled up and demanded that we show him our permit.

I wonder if L.A. enforces this because they make $$$ on the permits, and there's a large film inductry there.

At least we can own televisions without a permit or fear of the government patrolling neighborhoods scanning for unlicenced sets.


The next day I was moved on in Las Vegas too because the permit I had didn't cover the part of the pavement I was standing on. Eight inches away was fine.

Was the idiot filming in the street or something? If he's attracting this much attention you've got to wonder...


You even need a passport to buy a drink. But interestingly you don't need one if you wish to rent some guns and some bullets.

Uhm, the guy might not have checked but I'm fairly certain that selling firearms to someone under 18 is illegal.


Also, you do not need a permit if you want - as I did - to transport a dead cow on the roof of your car through the Florida panhandle. That's because this is banned by a state law.

WTF? Is this guy out to expose every strange little law in the US? As if there are not a zillion similar weird restrictions in Europe and (especially) the EU.

I wouldn't be surprised if the law has reasonable roots, like preventing unsanitary distribution of commercial meat.


People way down the food chain are given the power to say yes or no to elaborately prepared plans, just so their bosses can't be sued.

Cry me a river.

Stupid little Brit wanker who secretly wishes he was an American too, but is too afraid his equally snaggle-toothe girlfriend with the horse face will track him down.

You can rent bullets?

that link is funny cos it's true.

/being living in the US ~3 years

The article is pretty spot-on. How did we let so many stupid people into positions of authority?

Father Jack Hacket: that link is funny cos it's true.

The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

I've always wondered why people from other countries who think that America is stupid and sucky still tend to stay here, instead of where it isn't so stupid and sucky - perhaps....back home?

It's like sitting in your host's living room at a party and telling him how ugly his wife is and that he has no taste in decor, all the while still eating his food and drinking his liquor.

Either way, it's just fecking rude as shiate.

the guy's an idiot. I've lived 90% of my life in america and I've yet to get a permit for anything.

I needed a 50 cal (very big) machinegun. "No problem," said the man at the shop. "But could you just sign this assuring us that the movie you're making is not anti-Bush or anti-war."

That's odd. Does this shop just have those forms laying around or something?

British food is so bad that the national dish in the UK is curry. Indian curry.
Seriously.
It overtook fish and chips years ago.
And no one likes those nasty pies...

Sure the US has stupid laws. But the EU has more than we could ever imagine.

And the author may have issues taping in America.
But in the Queens England, the state videotapes you!

darkhorse23: I've always wondered why people from other countries who think that America is stupid and sucky still tend to stay here

I'm thinking along the lines of Father Jack Hacket here. Not that I think "America is stupid"--I don't--but I do think that stupidity is a major problem in America.

"but I do think that stupidity is a major problem in America"

I think its more a common sense problem. Political correctness and lawsuits have removed the common sense portion of the human brain.

And based on the article I'd say its effecting the Brits as well.

Shut........UP: I think its more a common sense problem.

*shrug* Yeah, sounds about right.

And based on the article I'd say its effecting the Brits as well.

That too.

Gun grabbing propaganda. Im sick of the gun communism here. Its the last right and it is severly infringed.

Gun control = totalitarian authoritarian genocidal regime.

Enjoy the genocide, gun controllers!

WHY DOES HE HATE FREEDOM?

But interestingly you don't need one if you wish to rent some guns and some bullets. I needed a 50 cal (very big) machinegun. "No problem," said the man at the shop. "But could you just sign this assuring us that the movie you're making is not anti-Bush or anti-war."

The sad part is I'm no longer really sure if this is an exaggeration or not.

I work in a gas station and can turn on two pumps for two cars with no problem. Just prepay first please.

stiletto_the_wise

Most gummint employees aren't qualified to work at McDonalds. So the gummint hires them.

You just rent beer,too.

Gun control = totalitarian authoritarian genocidal regime.

idiot

i guess this article isnt really meant to offer a reasonable critique but mine humor text at america's expense. but man does it sound bitter.

"I'd like to rent some bullets, please."
"Okay, just be sure to return the bullets in their original cartidges within 48 hours."
"Sure thing."

You can rent bullets?

Did some yankee screw this guy's wife or something?

You don't "need" a passport to purchase alcohol, you only need photo identification if you're young enough to fall under mandatory carding laws.

The author sounds like an asshole.

Heh heh. Clarkson's great. I take it you don't get Top Gear (a car prog) in the US.

You guys do need to lighten up a little. Almost everything he ever says is tongue in cheek.

I'm always surprised at yanks saying Brit food is crap though. I found everything tasteless and unbearably sweet in the US (you seem to have have sugar in everything - even bread). You just don't seem to understand savoury (unless you count mexican food).

but if you pay for two pumps to be turned on to fill two cars, you can, if you stare carefully, see wisps of smoke coming from her fat, useless, war losing, acne-scarred, gormless turnip face.

And a very Happy 4th of July to you. Twice.

And you're welcome for Lend-Lease.

/I'm fine with the rest of the piece

A better question to ponder is why you should need a permit for so many things in America.

You want to fire an AK-47 or an MP-40 in Vegas, you can do it. It'll cost $25 to $40 bucks, you'll need a piece of picture I.D. and you need to fill out a form.

I do wonder if Jeremy Clarkson has ever not been a pompous ass. Given the bitterness of that article, I doubt so.

You can rent bullets?

You just can't get the security deposit back.

While reading this, I thought it sounded like something I'd see in Top Gear.
Lo and behold, who's the article written by? Jeremy Clarkson.

/Top Gear is, bar none, the best car mag out there.

What's the appropriate British analogue to "sand in your vagina"?

I mean seriously, America annoys me often, but it's still pretty good. This dude has issues far beyond permit problems.

LOL

2006-07-02 06:14:26 PM obesefrogs [TotalFark]
What's the appropriate British analogue to "sand in your vagina"?

Toothpaste in your mouth?

You know what? I really am starting to not like the British at all.

But if you pay for two pumps to be turned on to fill two cars, you can, if you stare carefully, see wisps of smoke coming from her fat, useless, war losing, acne-scarred, gormless turnip face.

That's nothing short of offensive. There are no fat people in Britian, I'll have you know. Not to mention "useless" which is possibly the worst adjective for a person I've ever heard, and War losing? What war did she fight in? Oh, you mean, as a nation? Wait, you guys lost to us. So in a way, you LOST to the country that LOST. How does that look on your little national resume?

fark the Queen.

Libtards: Please don't screw with the 2nd Amendment, it's what makes America America.

/..from my cold dead hands!

2006-07-02 06:14:21 PM Dr.Zoidberg
/Top Gear is, bar none, the best car mag out there.

I'm not even interested in cars, and I watch Top Gear.

What a dick.

My advice? Stay outta the USA, you dislike it so.

/I'm betting his passport is now very much flagged for cavity searches.
//One can hope.
///Although, really, who wants to dig in THIS guys ass?
////must be putrid in there.

I'm entirely in favor of gun control.
I've been controlling my guns for about 5 years now, and the groups keep getting smaller and smaller.

Front sight... press! ...follow through... front sight... reset... press! ...follow through...

But interestingly you don't need one if you wish to rent some guns and some bullets. I needed a 50 cal (very big) machinegun. "No problem," said the man at the shop. "But could you just sign this assuring us that the movie you're making is not anti-Bush or anti-war."

Thats pure Bullshiat. I stopped reading after that - its preposterous and untrue. It takes a couple weeks to get a gun legally in the states - if the guy was buying off a street corner he still ould have had more trouble than this.

/has bought guns legally and illegaly
//don't bother with this useless, made-up story

I do all kinds of crazy shiat and have never once needed a permit or been stopped by the cops and asked to move along or any such bs

either I'm some kind of street-wise genius or this guy is one of the biggest tools to visit america since [popular foreigner you dont like]

Just what the world needed - a Michael Moore doppelganger.

Quite funny watching all the Americans jumping up and down. I wonder if he can get them to do somersaults.

Yes, you can rent .50 caliber machine guns here, but you have to pay extra if you don't kill anyone. It's really not that big of a deal because most of us are too fat to stand up. Also, we eat babies.