Ya Gotta Love Bureacrats

So, my wife and I are planning a trip to Niagara Falls this Summer. That means dusting off ye olde passports. This if course, reminds of the last time I got my passport and driver's license.

You see my legal name is Kenneth Ira Stern, I like going by Ken- no offence to my parents as that is what they call me.

The problem? most of my documents, bills; credit cards; etc, are under Ken Stern. So, my birth certificate says Kenneth Ira Stern, how can I get my passport to say Ken? Well I have to bring A LOT of proof that my name really is Ken, therefore my passport expired a few months after Kerri's despite the fact that we tried renewing at the same time. I had to bring additional proof that I am who I say I am. In the end the State Department issued me a passport in the name of Ken I stern...

Now how do I get my driver's license to say Ken Stern? I CAN'T. In addition since my passport, which I brought in as one of my proofs that I am who I say I am says Ken, I can not even renew my license. I had to come back with A LOT more proof that I am who I say I am. In the end the State of New Jersey did NOT let me put Ken on my license, so it still says Kenneth.

There is only one reason I can think of for all the hoops a person has to go through to get a name change- to make sure everyone is who they say they are. In today's day and age, unfortunately that is important and I am not totally against it.

However what criminal or terrorist is going to try to cover their tracks by changing their name from Kenneth to Ken? It would have to be the world's dumbest criminal or terrorist in the history of the world and there have been some real winners in that category. What's really funny is the State Department let me change my name and the State of New Jersey did not.