He came to the ford in the village. The smart gent asks a local standing on the footbridge alongside the ford:

"I say, my good man. Is the stream shallow enough for me to drive across?"

"Yurse, likely." Replies the local yokel.

The man promptly drives his shiny new car into the middle of the stream, whereupon it immediately stalls. What with water flooding over the top of its engine.

"You idiot! You said it was shallow!" Screams the city type at our hero.