Identification, Please

It's possible that I'm overreacting.

Homeland Security, or the TSA, or someone or other, recently passed the edict that henceforth, all airlines tickets must show exactly the same name that is shown on the holder's legal, government identification. And therein lies the problem. (Or, if you're normal, no problem at all.)

When we bought our tickets for the Disney World trip, the travel agent booked us with our names, just our plain names. Oldersib Chai and Youngersib Chai (or the reasonable facsimiles thereof.) The new edict had already been talked about, but didn't go into effect until a couple of weeks later. Even so, I asked the travel agent up front if the names on our tickets needed to match the names on our ID, and she said not to worry about it.

My sister has the middle name she was born with, as well as a maiden name and two previous married names, as well as her current married name, so she pretty much goes with her basic current married name in all circumstances, which is as simple and sweet a name as Sue Smith. (That's not her real name, of course, but it's a name a lot like that.) Mine is not so simple.

First, I never had a given middle name. So my birth name, first and last, was something along the lines of Rozmari Mxyzptlk. This was fun growing up, let me tell you. I got my first passport when I was in college, so that was the name on it, and the name on my driver's license; it was my name, and the only one I had. I got married when I was 24 and acquired a lovely, simple Italian last name, and I kept the initial of my maiden name as my middle initial, becoming, in effect, Rozmari M. Chai. (Chai is not an Italian name, however, it's a Jewish good luck symbol.) This is the name I have used ever since. It's on my license, my tax returns, my paychecks. It's my name. It's my signature, it's my monogram. It's my name.

But when I renewed my passport, years after I was married, they just tacked on my last name to what I already had. The name on my passport is Rozmari Mxyzptlk Chai. And I signed it Rozmari M. Chai.

So, really, who the hell am I?

My plane ticket says Rozmari Chai, although I have absolutely no ID in that name. After searching for weeks on the Internet, I finally found something that says this won't be a big deal for the first few months. Henceforth, I shall buy any and all airline tickets as Rozmari M. Chai.

I cannot find anything anywhere about my passport. Is it okay? Do I need to change it? If so, how? What about the fact that I signed it differently than it's printed? (Let me also point out that I flew to Europe and back with this four years ago, and no one batted an eye. No doubt because there is no Rozmari Mxyzptlk Chai on the terrorist watch list.)

I'm going to try and call the feds one day this week, and if I ever get through, I will ask my question.

And now I think I'm going to take a pill.



watching FRIENDS :: ENTRY #2070
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