Folinskyinla

Hi:

I think not. One of my undergraduate young professors went through World War II as a "minschen" living in a small town outside of Berlin. His father was Jewish and his mother was Christian. It seems that the Gestapo determined he could better serve the Reich in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. The Wehrmacht refused to conscript him because he was Jewish. It seems the Wehrmacht and the Gestapo never communicated with each other.

I spoke to him at a "Blast To The Past" meeting of the history department recently [the shcool is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary -- I'm amazed at the shrubbery that have been replaced by huge trees -- but I digress].

Not only did he note the lack of efficiency, it seems that his town was quite close-knit and neighbors took care of each other. Even the local Nazi official left him alone -- why bother a neighbor.

fatbrit

I think Folinsky invoked a variation of Godwin's law on ya!

karlcowling

Thanks for all those who posted advice. I am not daft enough to think that the streets are paved with gold or that everything works as it should. May be my comment of " most organised etc" was not what I meant. It is just that passed experience showed me that the USA would appear to have many government sponsored depts etc which are supposed to assist and guide the population. I did not say that they all do what they are supposed to do and I am well aware that bureaucracy reigns. But anything is better than UK. Where do I bin the passport?????

hobbes79

Organized? Hang out at the DMV for an afternoon sometime...

We've recently moved to Mass, and went to change our TX licenses for Mass ones. I handed over my tenancy agreement only to be told "this doesn't prove you live here, it's only a month-to-month lease, so you could leave at anytime". She said utility bill would be ok (why, cos I can't ever turn off my electric??) but our bills are included in rent, so no luck there. I had a cell phone bill, but that didn't count since I could move with that. Luckily I had the bill of sale of a car I just bought, showed that in desperation, and that was accepted as proof.

My car seems rather more mobile than the apt I'm living in, but there you go.

So my wife calmly walks up, bill of sale in hand, which also has her name on it. "We can't accept this ma'm". She asks why... "because you don't have a loan on the car, you paid cash, we only accept this if you have a loan since that ties you here". She explained I had just gotten my license just fine... "well, he shouldn't have"

I'm now in the process of ordering new cheques (should have done anyway) which will have her name and address on them.

I'm actually bemused... I'm so used to being the foreign paperwork nightmare, it makes a change to see my US wife struggle!

scrubbedexpat099

If you get here with that attitude, well let's say you are in for a very nasty shock.

ian-mstm

True story...

After being in the US for about 1.5 weeks (and still on a K-1 visa... not yet married), I went to the local DMV in Kentucky with my valid Canadian D/L, and they issued me a new Kentucky D/L with no paperwork, written test, or road test. They even let me keep my old CDN license.

When my wife moved from Michigan to Kentucky a number of years ago, she had to take an eye test, a written test, and a road test and, after being issued a Kentucky license, they kept her Michigan license!

Sometimes, you just have to laugh at the way things are done!

Ian

chicagojlo

Isn't one of the things so many Brits say is wrong with the UK is the nanny state? That's what you are describing here. I'm not sure what kind of depts you are trying to describe here. Perhaps you can elaborate?

Sally Redux

I am not aware of any such government departments. It is completely at odds with my experience of being here, which is 'sink or swim'.

snowbunny

When the "govt depts" who assist you are not held liable for their advice -- meaning they can steer you wrong and land you in a tax or immigration pickle -- are they really worth anything?

dbj1000

WTF?!?

This has got to be a wind-up.

fatbrit

There was a story on here a long while back linked to a newspaper article -- I can't be bothered to go and find the thread. Some guy had decided to emigrate with the family to the US. Packed up their jobs, shipped over the furniture, sold the house, bought a ticket and off they came. Of course, the nice man at the POE rather put the dampers on it because they'd decided to sort the "visa and paperwork stuff" out after they'd settled in. Yep -- there are people who try to do it this way.

snowbunny

Please don't tell me they were headed to Florida.

AlanR

[QUOTE=hobbes79;5899669]

I'm now in the process of ordering new cheques (should have done anyway) which will have her name and address on them.

QUOTE]

Aren't they checks here? Like checks and safeguards?
Agree with all you say about Mass. DMV - took me 9 trips to get plates for a car bought in Maine. First question: "You didn't buy your car out of state did you sir?" (At least I think they called me sir, but that must be an illusion!).
However, the driving test was easy! (They do allow Swiss and German drivers to transfer their licenses (Am.) but not Brits....

Tracym

Well I'm a yank, always lived here. Government effeciency does not sound to me like a good reason to come here . I have had more difficulty when I've dealt with offical stuff in the UK, but to be fair I'm doing that long distance.

Effecient - well the customer service in stores tends to be good, I've heard that it's better - stores are pretty effecient on checking if they have something for you, ordering things, easy returns.

Sometimes things go smoothly with governmental offices - but I wouldn't count on it. My view is that private industry is much more effecient than the government here. We make jokes about the government being slow and ineffecient (or moan in seriousness at time). I suspect it might be similar to the UK, but I am guessing.

The country has a lot to offer imo, but I wouldn't come here just for "effeciency" - there Germany comes to mind.

tonrob

Yes, and the beer's better!