Kristin and I went out to try and rent a video. We first went to "blockbuster", where there was nothing apparently very exciting. We left, and went down the street to a smaller place. We found something that looked ok. We got to the counter, and asked what we needed to rent a video. "A bank card with your signature, and two bills to you at your current address." Of course, we didn't have two bills. How about this official UK Immigration Registration Certificate, with our current address recorded in it by the Lothian/Borders Police? "No, how do I know that you didn't just write your address in there?" "Well, it *is* stamped by the police!" "But how do I know that you didn't just write the address in yourself? and besides, we need *two* things with your address, not just one." "What if we don't have two bills with our address?" "Can't rent to you, it's company policy. You have to look at it from our perspective, what happens if you don't return the video?" "Ok, if you don't want our money, we'll take our business somewhere that will."
We went back to blockbuster, where Kristin had already got an account (they believed the UK immigration thing was legit), and found the movie we had settled on in the other store.
ARGH!
Well, at least we were quickly put in place as potential video tape thieves. Goodness knows they couldn't have asked for a rental deposit or anything like that.