Anecdote: The Tale of the Expired License

Computer conferences can be tough. You spend a long week in a unfamiliar city. There are sessions to attend, meetings that can’t be missed and strange city streets that you need to navigate. I’ve found that if you plan out the conference beforehand, that things will go much smoother because something is always bound to be a wrinkle in your trip.

My wrinkle for this conference came in the form of a birthday present. My birthday occurred about a week before the conference started and with my busy preparations, I forgot to notice that my driver’s license had expired. A fact that didn’t bother me until I arrived in California and tried to rent a car to drive to the conference. So, there I was stranded in the airport miles away from the conference that I had so carefully planned out. Luckily, with several taxis, a shuttle and the Amtrak train, I manage to find my way to the conference, but my carefully laid out plan was already out of whack.

For the rest of the week, I managed to learn the ins and outs of the San Diego mass transit system, which seemed to work out just fine. It dropped me off fairly close the conference center and I didn’t have to worry about parking. Everything seemed to be going along fine until I tried to book the final train ticket to the airport.

When trying to buy a train ticket to the airport, I was informed that I couldn’t purchase a ticket without a current ID. Luckily, I had a school ID that the ticket agent accepted or I’d still be in San Diego trying to thumb my way home. Actually, I think the ticket agent took pity on me after a desperate plea to just let me go home. Well, I made it to the airport okay.

But, then again at the airport, the ticket agent marked my boarding pass with a bright yellow highlighter. A mark that they immediately recognized at the security gate. In fact, it seemed to make everyone at the security check very uneasy and landed me in a special queue. I was flagged as someone that needed extra attention. I’m sure my full beard didn’t help my appearance, I knew I should have shaved for the conference.

Finally, after an exhaustive search that included being padded down, I was allowed to board and return home. Having learning my lesson, I cautiously and well within the speed limit drove home and renewed my license the next day. Now I don’t have to worry about this happening for another 7 years.