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My wife and I are finally flight legal. We now have a Real ID. To replace all the other government identification and credit card statements and other documents that must have fallen under the Faux ID category. Now, the necessity to get one wasn’t a necessity. We rarely fly anywhere. But in case of emergencies or when we eventually retire, we might want to visit destinations outside a two-day drive. And since the requirement to obtain one was extended so many times that it had been 10 years since the Real ID was enacted, we figured the upcoming May 7 deadline was really, really, really the deadline. So, we decided to take the time to meet the qualifications. We chose to go to Oakland, which may seem a bit crazy to head to Fayette County. Actually, it is only about five miles farther and 10 minutes longer than heading downtown from the Memphis-Germantown border. Even closer for those in Bartlett, Lakeland and Arlington, I suppose. So, see, boss, on my venture to get my Real ID, I was working, passing through the suburbs of Bartlett, Lakeland and skirting the edge of Arlington. Anyway, now that I justified disappearing from work for an extended period this week, let’s get back to obtaining a Real ID. First, Oakland used to be the default location for those thinking they could take care of this quickly. And stealthily. It was supposed to be the secret for those willing to drive out yonder. Kind of like the days when Millington was the place to go for teens getting their license. But as my son noted, the beauty of the distant destinations may have flipped; more people are taking that advice, leaving the outlying places crowded and the places Shelby Countians avoid may not be as busy. There is a list of valid documents for identification on the state website to prove you are the person trying to get the Real ID. And my wife is one of those people — rightfully so — who wants to make sure we have everything we need to prove who we are. So, there were separate 10x13 manila envelopes for each of us. We had driver’s licenses. Social Security cards. Social Security correspondence. Utility bills. Voter registration cards. Insurance cards. Cards saying we had our knees replaced (separately). Income tax forms from employers. Birth certificates, a marriage certificate and I think there may have been a fill-in-the-blanks draft of my death certificate. There was no doubt we were who we claimed to be. And, I get it. She was not only being thorough; but we didn’t want to have to drive back to Oakland because we forgot our blood type. We laid out the documents, the attendant picked enough of them for us to qualify, and we cleared that requirement. Before I forget, the biggest piece of advice I will bestow on those going to get their Real ID — MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!!! We had back-to-back times soon after the lunch hour. And while we probably drew some stares after legally cutting the line, it was better than sitting in there unsure when they would ever even get to you. There was a lot of book reading, phone looking and sleeping for those without an appointment. The frustration of waiting all day, getting close to your turn and it reaches closing time, would be frustrating. I don’t know if they would shoo you out. I hope not, but I didn’t hang around to find out. The process once we arrived in Oakland with our appointments and paperwork took right at an hour, part of the time spent packing all of our documents back in the manila envelopes. In a month or two we will have the proper identification to show we are who we say we are and fly to whatever destination we desire. I just wonder if some of those people in the waiting room without an appointment that day are still sitting there. — Suburbs editor, Clay Bailey
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The individuals are collectively accused of defrauding the government of approximately $131,000 in food stamp benefits by allegedly failing to disclose changes in circumstances and omitting income to qualify for assistance.
By Brandon LaGrone II
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