what color is your card?

Paul:
The first week I was in France at the beginning of April, I tried to buy a car. The first salesman I talked to said the absolute best discount you can get is 10% and you have to order the car with 10 weeks for delivery. My reaction was... I can't wait 10 weeks to get a car... so I went to the Purchasing Manager at work who said he "knew somebody". So he connected me with the sales manager who was very nice and found what I wanted - as long as the color was grey. And on top of that, he gave me a 12% discount (not too surprising though, since the company has a "brother-in-law" relationship with Renault). So... I signed the contract and he said, "OK, I need your 'carte de sejour'. " Gulp..... What's that?? "That's the equivalent of an American green card." He needed my carte de sejour so he could then get a "grey card" from city hall before he could sell me the car.

OK, so the people in Paris blamed the French government.... I think maybe they forgot to apply for it. So in June (after 2 months - almost 10 weeks) I got my Visa. So I then sent my passport to Paris and they got my carte de sejour. I then gave that to the car guy (along with my water bill and third grade report card) . He used that to get a carte gris (grey card) so he could sell me the car.

Today the insurance guy told me I need a "green card" (something to do with insurance) before they will give me the car. Now the company people in Paris said I have to go to the French Embassy in Geneva on July 5th to get my permanent OMI visa.

And I still haven't bought the car.