These tales of American Petty Officials seem the norm.
I'm currently working in Afghanistan, and the American imposed rules are usually pretty petty. I was in the PX (a shop about the size of a Tesco express but more military themed and diverse in products) and a woman who worked there stopped me.
her: "Sir, I'd like you to leave."
me: "why?"
her: "because you're wearing shorts"
me: "but I'm in uniform"
her: "that's not the point sir, they're still shorts and still prohibited."
me: "so exactly what sort of freedom has been brought to this patch of desert if you can't wear shorts in it? What sort of freedom have American lives been sacrificed for?"
her: "do you need me to call the MP's?"
me: "yes please, someone's stopping me from doing my shopping in peace!"

She walked off and I hurried up. The MP's we're just coming into the car park, lights and sirens going as I was just leaving.

They've put a sign up since. This applies to civilians, military and of course, the locals - who have worn sandals for centuries.

(sunray18, Sun 30 Mar 2014, 5:10, 12 replies)

See now, this is basically just a 'don't turn up to work like a fucking scruff and carry your staff ID' dress code like, well, pretty much every employer ever.
Only someone utterly insulated from real life, by say, working all their life in the armed forces, would think this is in anyway unreasonable.
( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Sun 30 Mar 2014, 15:36, closed)

I agree with you, though this applies to locals and civilians in their own time using shops, coffee shops, dining facilities etc. Non of this on the British side.
(sunray18, Sun 30 Mar 2014, 19:50, closed)

"But we gave you freedom. We illegally invaded your country, killed civilians and stole your natural resources, you're totally free to bow down to the sister-fucking inbred religious nutters that are the USA now."

( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Sun 30 Mar 2014, 17:45, closed)

So,
it's like a big Norfolk?
( social hand grenade I was a lurker before you were a lurker, Sun 30 Mar 2014, 21:33, closed)

So, you're a squaddie that's too thick to FOLLOW FUCKING ORDERS?
No wonder you cunts are losing.
( stuj (^(^;;^)^) GO TEAM SPIDERS!(^(^;;^)^), Mon 31 Mar 2014, 5:41, closed)

erm
a) Not a squaddie
b) was in my work uniform
c) orders given after the fact
d) argument made that these rules shouldn't apply to civilians - particularly local ones.
e) feel the love - too much hatred in this world
(sunray18, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 7:59, closed)

I can't believe somebody forced you at gunpoint to work in a military occupation profiting from the misery of war victims
and then wouldn't let you go to work dressed like a chav.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 8:30, closed)

Seriously? It's a PX. Bunch of numpties.

(SpangoTheWonderBadger is brewing beer, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 9:24, closed)

Pizza Xpress?

( drimble he'd been white, he'd been black, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 9:33, closed)

PX is an American version of our NAAFI
It sells all sorts of stuff, plus Ally kit so you can look like something out of film and not a shit tired ordinary trooper.
(SpangoTheWonderBadger is brewing beer, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:22, closed)

And cheap Levis
Don't forget the cheap Levis.

Used to love the Post Exchange as a kid.
( shitkicker, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 15:33, closed)

We were always picking up silly gadgets, I got do-it-all gerber for fuck all.

(SpangoTheWonderBadger is brewing beer, Mon 31 Mar 2014, 16:54, closed)