Major trouble?

so, my friends and i are taking a roadtrip this summer, but we have to rent a car. however, we are only 20 and barely any companies with cheap rates will go for this, especially since we won't be returning it to the same location. my question is: do you think it would be too risky to use a fake id to rent the car? I would get it made with all my real info, j=same license number and all, just change the birthdate to a year earlier. Could I get caught? I wouldn't do this if I was desperate, but I want to go so bad! Route 66 baby!

[Mark Sedenquist]

One word: fraud. I would not suggest entering into a illegal action for any reason.

SARA: IF YOU MISREPRESENT YOURSELF IT WOULD VOID ALL INSURANCE YOU THINK YOU HAVE. IF YOU LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS YOU WOULD BE EXPOSING THIER ASSETS,AND YOUR OWN IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. IN NEW YORK STATE DRIVING WITH OUT INSURANCE IS AN AUTOMATIC REVOCATION OF YOUR LICENCE. THE COST HERE IS WAY TO GREAT TO SAVE A COUPLE OF BUCKS. THINK HARD THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR TRIP. GEO.F

Yeah, go ahead, get a fake ID, rent a car and drive across country. You're only young once, you're allowed to make stupid mistakes. When you get stopped by the cops and thrown in jail for fraud, it'll just be another great story to tell the other inmates. And if you get in an accident and kill someone, just imagine how exciting it will be to tell your parents that you've just lost their entire life savings and their house, but YOU saved a few hundred dollars on a car rental. In case you don't get my sarcasm, it's a very bad idea. A lot of state law enforcements have central computer systems, so it doesn't really matter what's written on the actual license, they punch in the number to pull up all your info anyway. Don't want to discourage you, but pay the extra money, and pay for the insurance. It's a lot cheaper in the long run.

[laydownthelaw]

Liability is one thing. Criminality is another. The mere possession of fraudulent identification is, at a minimum, a misdemeanor in all fifty states. A friend of mine even got thrown out of Canada for possessing a fake Connecticut Driver's License.

When I worked for Enterprise Rent-a-Car in the summer of '95, the assistant manager of our office called in a report of a fake ID offered by a walk-in customer and stalled her until the police arrived.

Perhaps you should consider developing some common sense and a better appreciation of the consequences relating to certain actions before you expose yourself to the laws outside of your locality. Seriously.

Good luck and safe driving, especially if you're going to break the law in order to do this trip. You will need all the luck you can get.


ab

[Don Woodmancy]

Sara _ I'm retired now but for many years, I was a street law enforcement officer. Let me tell you what will happen to you if you are stopped or have an accident with fake ID.
1. YOU WILL BE CAUGHT!
2. You will be arrested, handcuffed, and transported to jail in the caged back seat of a patrol car.
3. As Angus said, you have committed a crime and will be charged with that crime.
4. Because you are over 18, you will not go to juvenile hall (some of which are snake pits, themselves). Instead, you will be taken to a county jail. In most cases, you will be booked, photographed, strip searched, and placed in a holding tank, often with felons and misdeamants of all kinds.
5. If you cannot make bond, you will be placed in the general jail population until your court date. You cannot imagine (literally) how much fun that will be.
6. You will get to hire someone like Angus (attorney) to defend you. The last time I checked, that's not particularly cheap.
7. Maybe, with any kind of luck, your attorney will be able to work out a deal where you will not have a criminal record. Maybe not.
If you get caught with alcohol or have an accident, especially one with injuries, the situation I outlined above will be the least of your worries. How much are you going to save on the rental with fake ID?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Sarah,

Every one the respondents to your query is an expert road tripper. I hope you will take our collective advice. Nothing is worth starting a criminal career at the tender age of 20!

Mark

[laydownthelaw]

I did not include this in my original message, and I feel a moral (if not professional) obligation to do so:

I am specifically advising you against taking your planned course of action.


ab

[Mark Sedenquist]

Now we all know!

Thank you for the information, I didn't realize it was that ridiculous, or dangerous for that matter. So since that is no longer an option, what do you suggest I do in order to rent a car? I haven;t found any companies that allow drop offs on the other side of the country AND under 21 drivers, I have only been able to find one or the other. I have good intentions, and I will not violate the law, I'm just extremely curios and feel that I need to see the world and at least my country. If anyone has any suggestions as to my current dilemna, please let me know. Thanks for the kick in the ass!