Would I Lie to You?

Questioned Annie Lennox as the Eurythmics clambered up the charts in 1985, her dulcet Scottish timbre roaring like the motorbike featured in the video. I gather that her coquettish  line of query was intended for her sceptical lover, the lyric doused with heavy sarcasm.

I certainly don't think she was questioning her associate's citizenship.

Unlike the administrator in my local MRI clinic this week.
I was asked to have a MRI scan of my lower limbs to ascertain the cause of some leg ache during walking. The letter duly arrived in the post and I opened it to check the date.
Now, letters from our District Health Board always state that you must be eligible to receive state funded treatment, and that you may be asked to provide some form of proof of that eligibility.

Presumably this is in an effort to restrict services to NZ residents and citizens, whilst charging citizens from other nations for accessing the free services here.
As a Brit living abroad I have already provided my passport and visa and this has been kept on record by my health board.
Fast forward to last week and contained within the DHB's Missive was the usual proof of eligibility clause, but it had been highlighted in yellow.

I thought nothing more of it.

Until of course until the receptionist at the MRI scan asked to see proof of my entitlement.
How galling, I mused. It must be my exclusively UK accent, my Surrey tones entwined with flecks of Northampton. A marvellous vocal brew, in case you haven't heard it, a blend of BBC English and the odd tone from the shires, "me old ducks". All of which could conceivably allow some people to assume I am not normally resident here.
Piffle and a nonsense, or should I say "Would i lie to you"

I explained my long history here, and my transplant in 2011, asking her to check my history on the system.

She appeared peeved and disappointed as she registered me in for my scan, managing to get in that if I had not been eligible I would have been the recipient of a very heft bill in the post.

Of course no demand appeared, and my leg scans were fine.

 In May I shall be eligible to become a New Zealand citizen, should I so desire, but hopefully without any noticeable change to my diction or slang, but will be asked no doubt to provide evidence of my new nationhood.

Annie might have said about the whole episode:

Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a MRI