Soap Box

Did you know that if you get stopped by a cop all you have to do is give your name and birthdate? Or anyone's name and birthdate? Yep. I know this because my sister has given MY name and MY birthdate several times to get her out of a pickle. And me right into one. I was stopped for speeding a couple of years ago and the trooper almost didn't let me drive myself home. Nope. He was supposed to take me to jail and have someone else come pick me up. Because my license had been suspended. My what had been what?! He told me it was due to a traffic ticket earlier that year. Nope...not me.

I spent the next few days at the DPS in Jenks, the Tulsa County Courthouse, and the Tulsa Municipal Courts. My sister had been stopped for speeding, told them she didn't have her license, gave them my name and birthdate and I was issued two tickets...one for speeding and one for driving without a license. Which turned into a supsended license when "I" didn't pay it. So I had to request an ID hearing to have my record cleared. When I got there I found out I also had a petty larceny charge on my record. A what?! Yep. "I" had shoplifted at a grocery store. We added that to the docket and I got everything cleared. My sis wasn't really hanging with the fam much in those days but I got a hold of her and told her if it ever happened again I would absolutely press charges.

All that to say I recently found out that I have a seat belt violation on my driving record now. I immediately called my sister (recently in everyone's good graces) and asked her if she knew anything about it. "No way, sis, not this time. I haven't done that in years." Later that day I received a text. She fessed to it but said she had been drunk and didn't remember...her boyfriend reminded her of it. Upon further investigation, I learned that this ticket was actually paid a couple of weeks after the ticket was issued. So she didn't remember getting the ticket or paying it later. Hmmm....interesting. So it's back to the courts for another ID hearing. Unfortunately I cannot transfer any of these things to her record; they can only be dropped from mine. Because this one has been paid and the last ones were erased. Well crap. How is she supposed to learn she can't do stuff like this and get away with it when she does and can?!

Doesn't it seem wrong that all you have to do is know the name and birthdate of someone who has the same color hair and eyes as you? How is that acceptable? A lady I spoke with said that unfortunately this happens a lot with relatives. Grr...