Client:
Individual
Assignment: Ghost-write a book from client's notes, supplemented with phone interviews to clarify details (During an interview, we got the distinct impression that this man had lived most of his life on the wrong side of the law. We took copious notes as he elaborated on his experiences. Fortunately, those notes filled in a lot of missing information in his written account.)
BEFORE:
As I'm driving home I'm stopped by a police man he says it's routine check and takes my license then comes back and says it's suspended I tell him that's a mistake he says computers don't lie and he leaves I go to the drivers license office and ask for a new one the woman say she can't give me one because I didn't pay a ticket in Deland I explain I never got a ticket in Deland she says there is nothing she can do I must see a judge I go to the judge's office and he sees me and goes on his computer then says this is ridiculous because while there is a man with my exact name who got the ticket, he is 20 years older than me he then calls the drivers license office fixes the problem then remarks, how could the police not see this?
AFTER:
One night when I was driving in Daytona, a policeman stopped me on what he called "a routine check." He takes my license, and disappears into his cruiser. Ten minutes later, he comes back all red-faced and angry. "Your driver's license is suspended! You'll have to call a friend to pick you up, because you can't drive anymore."
Well, for once I was actually innocent, and it really ticked me off. "That's got to be some kind of mistake," I screamed at the cop...not a good idea, considering my record. I got lucky. He decided not to bust me for being stupid. He just said, "Computers don't lie, young man. You're not going anywhere."
Naturally, no one was home when I called for a ride, so I had to walk. I thought about doubling back and getting my truck, but I figured small town cops would like nothing better than to nail me while I was thumbing my nose at his direct order.
Next day, I bit the bullet and walked over to the DMV. Right after I pulled number 65, I heard them calling 20! Two and a half hours later, I finally got to a clerk and requested a new license. She tapped on her keyboard for what seemed like ten minutes before she said, "You have an outstanding ticket from a traffic stop in Deland. We can't issue you a new license until you pay it."
Now...I've been to Deland once in my life. Believe me I'd remember getting a ticket, because there's not much else to remember and I told her so. "Sorry. There's nothing I can do from here. You'll have to see a judge."
After a week and a half of walking everywhere, I finally got to see a judge. Naturally, I was expecting the worst, since my prior experience with judges had always been a disaster. In the waiting room, the judge's secretary asked me why I was there. When I told her the whole stupid story, she started tapping on her keyboard. In thirty seconds she found out that there was another man with my exact name who actually got the ticket. She checks his birth date, and it turns out he was 20 years older than me!
The secretary disappears into the judge's chambers for a couple of minutes. "The problem is fixed," she says as she emerges from the other room, "It was a simple case of mistaken identity. The judge can't understand how the police officer missed it."
Back to What We Do
