9.03.2006

geography

So my roomate and I were granted a conditional approval of our lease application because she'll be a full time MBA on a student loan, ie no income, and my income will not be 3x our total rent. Leasing manager 1 promised that this problem would be solved simply by paying first and last month's rent up front. However she only works weekends so we've have to deal with leasing manager 2 on the weekdays. #2 has demanded that we find a cosigner for the lease, someone who meets all the requirements of making more than 3x rent. Pain in the ass I tell you. I hate managed properties but we have no choice at this point. So anyways, my conversation with her went like this:

Vanessa: My cosigner is my dad who is in Vancouver BC. Can I have you fax him the form and I'll pay the application fee by check which I'll pop in the mail?

#2: Vancouver BC. That's in Canada right?

Vanessa: Uh yes (I'm thinking at this point, how the hell can you NOT know this if you live 2 hours from the border???)

#2: Is Canada part of the United States? 'Cause we can't verify information unless they're in the United States

Vanessa: [long pause and stifled laughter] Did you just ask.... Um, no [more stifled giggling] Canada is not part of the United States.

#2: Oh yeah (trying to sound smart) I didn't think so. He can't be a co-signer then.

So I've heard stories like this from other people about Americans really uh... not all there when it comes to geography. I had another friend tell a DMV agent that he had driver's license in Ontario, Canada. The agent asked him, "Is Canada in the US?". My friend responded no. The agent didn't believe him so she turned around to ask her manager for verification. The manager didn't even flinch. It was as if that were a pretty typical question to ask over at the DMV. How does one graduate from high school without knowing which large masses of land are part of your country, and which are not? I don't get it. I guess that's why the Talking to Americans segment of This Hour has 22 Minutes is such a huge hit.

Anyways, out of boredom I decided to learn a little bit more about the area I'll be moving to. This is what my search turned up. Perverts breaking into women's homes and climbing into their beds naked before escaping with bags of their underwear. Awesome. I can't wait.

6 comments:

Oliver said...

is canada in the united states? wtf? i watched a video once where they took a world map and labelled australia "France" and went around getting americans to find france so they could invade them. many of them pointed to australia without question.

Cyber Chapina said...

on behalf of those dumb with geography, I apologize...I might be going to a conference in Canada for the Latin American Studies association. It was going to be in the US but since the US has denied visas to the cuban academics for the last few years they decided to change countries. You guys are so cool. I think it might be in Toronto...
Yeah so about that geography thing. See I had this great history teacher in jr. high for 2 years. I learned all the capitals of all the countries in the world and capitals of all the states in the us. lots of good stuff...sorry though I think we concentrated more on other parts of the world than any of the americas...I dont ever remember talking about canada or any other country in the americas other than the US. I'm about to go look at a canadian map.

egan said...

Every college campus has its share of perverts stalking young college girls. This is nothing new Vanessa.

Fumbling said...

That wasn't on campus, that was a home in Lake City. And it wasn't stalking, the man was naked in her bed. I thought that was pretty ballsy (excuse the pun)

egan said...

Well, that shit happens in every major city. Lake City is within the Seattle city limits and it quite frankly doesn't surprise me. There are a few crazies in that neighborhood. Hell it's Seattle.

Not all Americans are bad with geography by the way. That's a stereotype that has played itself out all too often.

Anonymous said...

Ya, that DMV thing happened to me too when I moved to L.A. a few years ago. They're pretty dumb down there.