Re: DL in exchange for fingerprint

[Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>]

On Thu, 19 Sep 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> At 9:13 PM 9/19/96, Gary Howland wrote:
> >Timothy C. May wrote:
> >>
> >> (Yes, I disliked being thumb-printed, but I could see no viable
> >> alternative. I'm sure Duncan has some scheme to declare himself a Botswanan
> >> exchange student, but I decided being thumb-printed was the lesser hassle.)
> >
> >Sure, it's always less hassle doing what they want.  Privacy doesn't
> >come for free.  It's easier to let the police search you in the street
> >than it is to make them arrest you so that you can make a formal
> >complaint.
> 
> So, just what it is _your_ method of dealing with this? While it is noble
> to talk about fighting the system, just how do you go about doing it
> yourself?

Forum shopping.

Not that I would encourage you to break the law, but this method appears
to work quite well.

Get P.O. Box in state which issues DL's on the spot w/o fingerprinting.
Write yourself a letter in very light pencil to this P.O. box.
Get postmarked letter and erase the address.
Replace address with address of local sports stadium or empty lot in pen
complete with return address.

This letter is often accepted as proof of address and residence.
Use the rest of your documents as normal to obtain driver's license in the
state of your choice.

> Do you simply drive without a valid driver's license? I know some folks who
> do, of course, but it's not something that's "worth it" to me.

Some jurisdictions (D.C. is a good example) are such a joke it's not
funny.  An associate of mine literally MADE his own Italian Driver's
license and turned it in, took an eye test, and walked out with a nice new
D.C. license.

Who the hell knows what an italian license looks like?

> (This space reserved for your lecture about how I need to be prepared to go
> to jail to defend my right not to be thumbprinted, etc. On second thought,
> why don't you be the one to go to jail, and then you can let us know your
> experiences.)

I was once standing in line at a DMV where some schmuck was clearly trying
to work his way past the "guardian" with bogus documents.
They just shook their head, despite his repeated protests.  No one has the
time to muck around with cops in there.

Even if they did, you are just getting a license with a bogus address, not
a bogus name or anything.  It's a pretty hard case to make.

Point being that it does require effort, but it also pays off.  (For seven
years in the right jurisdictions).

[...]

> --Tim May
> 
> We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
> ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
> Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
> tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
> W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
> Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
> "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

--
I hate lightning - finger for public key - Vote Monarchist
unicorn@schloss.li