How do they issue a warrant for a random guy without ID? I guess if you are really distinctive (only black guy in town) or the cop personally knows you or something you’d be out of luck. But if you just lied about your name and address what are they going to do?
The only time I saw it in action, they went to the address where the car was registered and dragged the guy away in handcuffs.
I imagine that if you don’t have any ID at all, they’ll do a John Doe warrant for the person who was driving such-and-such a car at such-and-such a time. Then they’ll just go to the address where the car is registered, see if that’s where you live, and if not they’ll ask the car’s actual owner where to find you… and if the owner doesn’t help them, they’ll confiscate the car since it was used in the commission of a crime… and if nobody’s home then I’d assume they’d put out a five-state bulletin on the car, since that’s what they normally do if you run from the law and the cops have your car’s license plate. But keep in mind I’m just speculating… I never had the urge to test the system!
I missed the part where they explain why it matters who I am once they’ve gotten done scanning & groping & searching me.
Why should I need ID at the airport at all?
2 Likes
I lost my license in Hurricane Sandy and successfully flew from New York to San Francisco and back using my birth certificate and debit card as ID. For the record, the TSA at SFO was much stricter than JFK (SFO took me about a half hour and talking to two levels of supervisors before I was allowed through security. At JFK, the guy who checks ID looked at my birth certificate and said “Eh, ok.”).
Link please? I need this because of reasons. 
Not a complaint but Chicago is in Illinois though I do admit that there may be a Chicago in Indiana also. Also, I believe that particular interpretation of the law is pretty much in place most places in the U.S. so the “correction” doesn’t necessarily change the material facts.
1 Like
You also can’t fly if you refuse to show ID, or don’t offer an explanation of why you don’t have it. See the John Gilmore case.
What puzzles me is that the ID has to be ‘valid’ - which includes being within its expiration date. A driver’s license that’s a day out of date is no longer a ‘valid’ ID - do you suddenly become a nonperson when it’s out of date?
What perturbs me is that the government can revoke all the identifying documents at will. It’s possible to be summoned to appear in court and be able to appear only in shackles once arrested, because the government has seen fit to revoke your identity, so you can’t get in the front door. (This has happened in states that revoke all state-issued ID when an accusation is brought of nonpayment of child support.) Of course, this does not violate either due process guarantees nor the freedom to petiton, because you can still get due process when haled into court in irons.
It is shameful that being Black is considered ‘really distinctive’. This is an example of the subtle, seemingly benign, yet powerfully effective conceptualization process used to perpetuate the reinforcement of systemic racism that permeates united states society via institutional indoctrination of us as citizens.
As a non-driver (my poor vision actually makes it illegal to drive although I can see well enough up close) I have an id card that appears like a driver’s license other than it doesn’t work for legally driving. I guess I actually have an advantage over you drivers in that my license can’t be taken away.
I guess you’re not in New York, then. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in New York has the power to regulate under what circumstances a state non-driver ID may be revoked. From the Vehicle and Traffic Law, Article 17A:
S 493. Revocation of identification card. The commissioner may by regulation prescribe when and under what circumstances an identification card shall be revoked or otherwise terminated and be surrendered by the holder thereof.
I flew without an ID, after having lost my wallet the night before my flight from SFO to JFK. All I had was a health insurance card. They assigned a TSA guard to me, escorted me through security, bypassing all lines, and onto the plane. He waited until I was seated and buckled in and left. Like they do when deporting people.
I forgot my wallet once at home and didn’t realize it until I was checking in my luggage. They put me in a special security line that was shorter and moved faster then the standard line. It went so smoothly I felt like I should always leave my wallet at home.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
