I just found out my driver license has been suspended due to something that happened over 37 years ago.

I had a learner's permit and wanted to practice a bit so I went to the deserted parking lot of the nearby shopping center at 8am.  I came around the corner at the end and saw a cop eating breakfast in the movie theater parking lot.  I got scared and took off.  Next thing I know I've got three cops all with guns drawn pointed at me.

had to go to court. had to pay a fine.  had to go to traffic school and I did all of that.

I then moved to another state (still a young teen) and never thought much of it because I got a new learners permit and then driver license and went on from there.

But now that original state has decided to suspend my license because they have no record that I completed the driver school.

over 37 years ago.

what a concept.

35 minutes ago, sightseer said:

I just found out my driver license has been suspended due to something that happened over 37 years ago.

I had a learner's permit and wanted to practice a bit so I went to the deserted parking lot of the nearby shopping center at 8am.  I came around the corner at the end and saw a cop eating breakfast in the movie theater parking lot.  I got scared and took off.  Next thing I know I've got three cops all with guns drawn pointed at me.

had to go to court. had to pay a fine.  had to go to traffic school and I did all of that.

I then moved to another state (still a young teen) and never thought much of it because I got a new learners permit and then driver license and went on from there.

But now that original state has decided to suspend my license because they have no record that I completed the driver school.

over 37 years ago.

what a concept.

I am sure any half-decent lawyer could sort that one out in pretty short order. Not having a record of you completing something only proves they don't have a record of it, not that you didn't complete it. Be difficult to prove you did complete it, however, any savvy lawyer would simply ask them to produce ten sample records of people who completed it at the same time, i.e. 37 years ago, because I bet you they don't have any of those records either, which tends to indicate they didn't store their records beyond a certain time, and that would make their case fall apart. Then he'd simply have to suggest he was going to sue them for compensation for having deprived you of your right to drive and was considering making it a class action for anyone else affected, and I bet you'd have your licence back the next day. You could even do this yourself and I bet you'd get a result.

Edited July 23, 20214 yr by Chock

The idea of a lawyer has entered my mind but I have talked to them (the states DMV) and they are sending me some form to fill out.  I'll just see how it goes for now.  Theres a grace period for my current license.  It just can't be renewed.  and if thats not how it works Im pleading ignorance because DANG!  offensive initials not allowed over??

1 hour ago, sightseer said:

I just found out my driver license has been suspended due to something that happened over 37 years ago.

 

That's bonkers. UK is nuts sometimes but that is unbelievable. And guns drawn at the time! 

36 minutes ago, martin-w said:

And guns drawn at the time! 

In their defense, I was wearing a helmet and I looked older than I was by a number of years.  But, yes, I thought the guns were overkill.  At least they didn't shoot me.

The main cop who arrested me didn't even believe I was the age I said I was.  I had no ID at the time.

Edited July 23, 20214 yr by sightseer

Excuse me sir, may see your license?  I see your license is suspended, put your hands behind your back and you are under arrest! 👮‍♂️

How much fun could that be?? 🤔

12 minutes ago, charliearon said:

How much fun could that be??

Please don't even jest.  I'm a bit at my wits end with all thats going on.

How am I supposed to be the sole caretaker of my dying 80 year old mother without a way to drive in case of emergency -- like there have been many.

and please - no one say 'taxi' -- its a $50 one way trip to the hospital. which makes a trip to the hospital and back by taxi about 14% of my monthly income.

Edited July 23, 20214 yr by sightseer

2 hours ago, sightseer said:

 

How am I supposed to be the sole caretaker of my dying 80 year old mother without a way to drive in case of emergency -- like there have been many

 

Might be an idea to put pressure on them with that fact. And point out they would be culpable if something bad happened.

21 hours ago, sightseer said:

I then moved to another state (still a young teen) and never thought much of it because I got a new learners permit and then driver license and went on from there.

But now that original state has decided to suspend my license because they have no record that I completed the driver school.

Since you repeated the driver's school requirements and were issued a permit in another state, I don't think the first state has any control over your license.  This might be a case of mistaken identity.  Keep in mind that I am not an attorney nor a spokesperson for an attorney, but you may have to hire an attorney for this mess.

Wouldn't the statuette of limitations have run out by now?

4 hours ago, Stratocruiser1 said:

Wouldn't the statuette of limitations have run out by now?

One would think that.  I've also been trying to figure out how 'points' kept accumulating on an expired learners permit.

I moved to another state and did everything that state legally required of me and I got my license and figured all was good.

On 7/26/2021 at 5:01 AM, Stratocruiser1 said:

Wouldn't the statuette of limitations have run out by now?

Just an adminstrative action. Would be an oddball case for a lawyer to take. Probably you could handle it with a computer, phone, and a fifth of Jack Daniels, Man, what a mess, Never heard that one. Good luck.

Here's a fun one I had with my UK Driving Licence once:

I had to go training people up in Aberdeen, and that's a very long train ride from Manchester (previously I had done it for some other training, and it took about eight hours to get there), so I opted to go by plane - a FlyBe Dash 8, which was only about four quid dearer than the train and saved many hours. So being a Domestic flight, I needed no passport, but I did need some ID at the gate, thus I tipped up at the airport, and at the gate I showed my Driving Licence. No problem, on you get sir. Same deal on the return flight three days later.

Two days after that, I was renewing an Adobe ACE training exam certification for Illustrator, and for that you need photo ID so that you cannot have someone do the test for you. So I tip up at the test centre, again I flash my Driving Licence, and that's when I found out it had expired two weeks earlier. 'Oh well' I said to them, 'it's still an official document which is difficult to fake, and if you did fake it, you wouldn't fake it out of date would you? And I used it to board a plane a couple of days ago and they were fine with it, so I'm sure you can accept it'. But nope, they wouldn't, and would not let me take the exam, so I lost the 119 quid exam fee, had to renew my licence and pay for the Adobe exam again two weeks later. 

I bet you didn't know the UK ID requirements to take an Adobe Certified Expert Trainer exam were more stringent than the ID requirements to get on an airliner, did you?!! And yes, this was after the 9-11 and 7-7 terrorist attacks too. 

On 7/23/2021 at 5:07 PM, sightseer said:

But now that original state has decided to suspend my license because they have no record that I completed the driver school.

over 37 years ago.

what a concept.

I am just amazed that some "jobsworth" ( a UK phrase) has the time and inclination to trawl through 37 year old records (or lack of them) searching for alleged minor offenders. Surely there are more productive tasks to get involved in which might actually benefit the community? 

16 hours ago, Espana Pete said:

I am just amazed that some "jobsworth" ( a UK phrase) has the time and inclination to trawl through 37 year old records (or lack of them) searching for alleged minor offenders. Surely there are more productive tasks to get involved in which might actually benefit the community? 

You would think so, but it is government.