Having Problem with getting an ID for Badge Pick up? Check here!

[Chewie]

Two things:

1. The original post links to "the CA DMV website" -- except it's not. dmv.org is not affiliated with the state of California or any other state. The link has ads, popups, and has in the past been linked to malware. The correct address would be at dmv.ca.gov. Because the dmv.org website is simply an adsite that posts information from state DMVs, it may or may not be accurate at any given time and should not be used as "the" source.

Simply an error from someone trying to help.

2. I've just had to have the "I don't think you will be able to go to Fanime" conversation with my daughter, because of the ID policy. There is no legal requirement in California for a 16 year old to have a state-issued ID or to show such a state issued ID. For employment, Federal law says employers can accept other kinds of identification to prove identity and citizenship. (She's not even required to have it when for air travel, because picture ID requirements don't apply to those under age 18.) My daughter does not drive, and will not work until she is older. But even if we wanted to go out and get her a state ID - solely for Fanime -- we could not. She's with me after an acrimonious custody dispute. Her father has her original birth certificate and social security card, and we have no way of getting them back from him, so I'll have to replace those. I had planned to do so in the coming months, because she has summer plans that need them. However, getting a new birth certificate copy will take 6-8 weeks. Without it, she cannot apply for a state ID, so she's unable to have one in time for Fanime.

I sent email to registration about this, but haven't gotten a response; my impression is that they have a high volume of email and I may not ever get a response. Because I'm not willing to pay for memberships and hotel rooms for a con she may be barred from attending, I've had to explain to her that if we don't hear from Reg, we will have to cancel her attendance. She's upset, in part because she's part of a cosplay group and this is late to be letting them know this. It turns out that the other group members also were not aware of this requirement and they probably don't have state ID's either, so they're probably not going to be able to attend anyway.

Fact of the matter is, this isn't a new "just happened" thing. They started telling us about this MONTHS ago. The argument/conversation got started in another thread in October of last year and was finalized shortly after the new year. Registration will get back to you promptly. My friends and I had several issues with pre-registering at the con last year that needed to be taken care of and they responded very quickly. They will get back to you.

Regarding my earlier statement about having to show ID when asked: you are correct. It is NOT a law in California, however a police officer can detain you until they find out who you are with reasonable suspicion etc. Either way, better to have the ID than not. Not going to argue the semantics of it.

The others not knowing is no fault of Fanime's either. It's on the registration page.

I've helped run cons on and off for over 20 years. I understand problems with registration and wanting to have valid ID's. I just wanted to point out that there are entirely reasonable situations that would make "just go get a state ID" not a viable solution. I haven't even touched on how this makes Fanime "for citizens only", because you can't get a state ID without a social security number.

There is no need for you to touch on it. Period.

They accept state IDs and Passports. Passports make it possible for anyone from outside of the US to go. State issued IDs are self explanatory. Unless you are defending an illegal's right to partake in Fanime (or anything else in this country, which is for a different time and definitely a different place), the entire sentence in bold is moot.

I for one am sorry she might not be able to go, but posting in your (her) defense with what is clearly a bitter attitude is going to get you nowhere.

[Chewie]

I've never heard of this being done at cons. Hm...Something to look into. Why would somebody go through all of that trouble tho? Probably because they can...but that's just strange to me. o_o It would take a lot to copy a school ID though....even if you could fake being the person...especially a sixteen year old male or female unless you have a baby face...o_o;;; -amused-

Or another student from the same school stealing the ID. Or a friend/exfriend . We've already gone over how easy it is to steal and forge High School IDs. Most of them are laminated paper made in bulk at Kinko's. There is NOTHING that a little photoshop or MS paint ingenuity can't do and you can be anyone you want to be with something like that.

As for IDs with SS#s on them, doesn't mean anything at all. Social Security cards are useless for identification purposes. They have no photo. And stealing/memorizing someone's info isn't all that hard. It's 9 numbers. Most of the time the last four are the only important ones.

Your lack of understanding is inconsequential. Telling people how to get around needing an ID isn't going to work either. Your specific situation is unique and while others have problems, if/when Fanime decides to cut you some slack, telling everyone that they did and how you got it done it only going to make Fanime's job that much more difficult.

It's less then a month away and people are coming out of the woodwork with reasons why they don't have proper ID. Fanime isn't going to be able to cater to ALL the lazies, the whiners, the "don't understanders" etc. Maybe 4 months ago. Not now.

[Moonblossom]

I've helped run cons on and off for over 20 years. I understand problems with registration and wanting to have valid ID's. I just wanted to point out that there are entirely reasonable situations that would make "just go get a state ID" not a viable solution. I haven't even touched on how this makes Fanime "for citizens only", because you can't get a state ID without a social security number.

...

Registration staff will randomly check for government ID for badge pickup at Con, you must have a government issued ID card for this process. Your passport, driver's license, state ID, or military ID are acceptable.

If you're going to rail against a policy, please be sure you have it right. Government ID does not have to equal California State ID. I have five pieces of Canadian government ID in my wallet on top of my passport. I have a Social Insurance (same as social security for you guys, I believe) card, a provincial government health insurance card, an ID card, my liscence, and my birth certificate. So please don't go around posting that I won't be able to attend, because that's patently false.

Honestly though, it baffles me how people over the age of ten can have no legal government-accepted identification on them. What if something were to happen and your child were to go missing? A goverment ID would be much easier for police to track should they find her than some generic school ID. I've had a small laminated copy of my goverment-issued birth certificate in my wallet from the time I was old enough go out on my own, just for that reason, as well as a social insurance card. I've had an up to date passport in the house at all times from the age of eight, just in case of emergencies. We've got family in Canada, the US, and Greece that we may have to visit at a moment's notice due to death in the family or whatever.

[phoenixphire24]

I have a feeling that in the next few weeks there's going to be a lot of posts from people who didn't realize they needed a valid ID for badge pick up. This is just a suggestion, but anyone who works in reg and has website access, or access to people who do, you may want to put a notice on the MAIN Fanime page with the ID info. I know it's on the registration page and all over the forums, but a lot of people just scroll through the reg page to the button at the bottom or don't check the forums. I'm not sure if people need state ID to register at Fanime, but if so, those people are probably not checking the registration page. This would give people a little heads up since we're getting close to Fanime and people need to get IDs very soon.

[KyraEnsui]

I have a feeling that in the next few weeks there's going to be a lot of posts from people who didn't realize they needed a valid ID for badge pick up. This is just a suggestion, but anyone who works in reg and has website access, or access to people who do, you may want to put a notice on the MAIN Fanime page with the ID info. I know it's on the registration page and all over the forums, but a lot of people just scroll through the reg page to the button at the bottom or don't check the forums. I'm not sure if people need state ID to register at Fanime, but if so, those people are probably not checking the registration page. This would give people a little heads up since we're getting close to Fanime and people need to get IDs very soon.

That is a good suggestion about having ID policy on the Main Page. It's the first thing they see. Not only that, I feel when the con is here, there will be issues about it too since not everyone has an internet access and will be registering at the door.

[Chewie]

I have a feeling that in the next few weeks there's going to be a lot of posts from people who didn't realize they needed a valid ID for badge pick up. This is just a suggestion, but anyone who works in reg and has website access, or access to people who do, you may want to put a notice on the MAIN Fanime page with the ID info. I know it's on the registration page and all over the forums, but a lot of people just scroll through the reg page to the button at the bottom or don't check the forums. I'm not sure if people need state ID to register at Fanime, but if so, those people are probably not checking the registration page. This would give people a little heads up since we're getting close to Fanime and people need to get IDs very soon.

It is on the registration page. A whole paragraph in bold. It's not Fanime's fault if someone overlooked it just trying to get to their registration quicker.

In fact I'll copy and paste it.

This page: http://www.fanime.com/reg

And the quote:

Registration staff will randomly check for government ID for badge pickup at Con, you must have a government issued ID card for this process. Your passport, driver's license, state ID, or military ID are acceptable and you must have the original documents (not a photocopy). We're sorry, school ID's are not acceptable.  It is not impossible to pickup your badge without a government ID, but the process is time consuming and will impact other members' wait in line.

But I guess since this IS going to be an epidemic in the coming weeks, they should post it in print somewhere people can't miss it.

[phoenixphire24]

I have a feeling that in the next few weeks there's going to be a lot of posts from people who didn't realize they needed a valid ID for badge pick up. This is just a suggestion, but anyone who works in reg and has website access, or access to people who do, you may want to put a notice on the MAIN Fanime page with the ID info. I know it's on the registration page and all over the forums, but a lot of people just scroll through the reg page to the button at the bottom or don't check the forums. I'm not sure if people need state ID to register at Fanime, but if so, those people are probably not checking the registration page. This would give people a little heads up since we're getting close to Fanime and people need to get IDs very soon.

It is on the registration page. A whole paragraph in bold. It's not Fanime's fault if someone overlooked it just trying to get to their registration quicker.

In fact I'll copy and paste it.

This page: http://www.fanime.com/reg

And the quote:

Registration staff will randomly check for government ID for badge pickup at Con, you must have a government issued ID card for this process. Your passport, driver's license, state ID, or military ID are acceptable and you must have the original documents (not a photocopy). We're sorry, school ID's are not acceptable.  It is not impossible to pickup your badge without a government ID, but the process is time consuming and will impact other members' wait in line.

But I guess since this IS going to be an epidemic in the coming weeks, they should post it in print somewhere people can't miss it.

Yeah, I know it's on the reg page, and people are going to make excuses either way, but there are lot of people who aren't reading the reg page because they assume it's not important or they're registering at con, so it doesn't apply to them. There are also lots of people that don't come the forums. If it's on the main page, where even casual con goers should be looking for times/dates/general info then it's really hard for people to say "I didn't know." They can even just cut and paste from the reg page. I do think it would tip off a fair number of people that they should be getting an ID NOW.

[Chewie]

Yeah, I know it's on the reg page, and people are going to make excuses either way, but there are lot of people who aren't reading the reg page because they assume it's not important or they're registering at con, so it doesn't apply to them. There are also lots of people that don't come the forums. If it's on the main page, where even casual con goers should be looking for times/dates/general info then it's really hard for people to say "I didn't know." They can even just cut and paste from the reg page. I do think it would tip off a fair number of people that they should be getting an ID NOW.

No no, I totally agree. Just saying it's not so hidden that people can't see it.

[phoenixphire24]

Yeah, I know it's on the reg page, and people are going to make excuses either way, but there are lot of people who aren't reading the reg page because they assume it's not important or they're registering at con, so it doesn't apply to them. There are also lots of people that don't come the forums. If it's on the main page, where even casual con goers should be looking for times/dates/general info then it's really hard for people to say "I didn't know." They can even just cut and paste from the reg page. I do think it would tip off a fair number of people that they should be getting an ID NOW.

No no, I totally agree. Just saying it's not so hidden that people can't see it.

Oh of course. Even if they put it on the main page, I can only begin to imagine the number of people that would still say "I didn't see it" among the tons of other lame excuses. Hehehe.

[Chewie]

Yeah, I know it's on the reg page, and people are going to make excuses either way, but there are lot of people who aren't reading the reg page because they assume it's not important or they're registering at con, so it doesn't apply to them. There are also lots of people that don't come the forums. If it's on the main page, where even casual con goers should be looking for times/dates/general info then it's really hard for people to say "I didn't know." They can even just cut and paste from the reg page. I do think it would tip off a fair number of people that they should be getting an ID NOW.

No no, I totally agree. Just saying it's not so hidden that people can't see it.

Oh of course. Even if they put it on the main page, I can only begin to imagine the number of people that would still say "I didn't see it" among the tons of other lame excuses. Hehehe.

Indeed. I blame public schools. Lol

[TrinSF]

I think my question has been answered elsewhere, but with regard to the suggestion that "this has been policy since October, and everyone has known about it". Our family does not attend Fanime; we attend another convention the same weekend and have for years, as presenters and voluneteers. Because I have friends who have family members who attend Fanime, we've been discussing as a family the idea of somehow managing both events this year. The decision possibly attending wasn't made until December (after first semester grades came out, to be honest). I did read information about the con in January online and discussed attending, but I did not find any reference to the ID situation at that time.

Since it *is* an unusual requirement, it might be helpful to put it in an prominent place on the home page in the future. I have spoken to several regular attendees of Fanime, and none of them were aware of the restriction either. Apparently, like me, they do not follow the forums; I imagine the majority of Fanime attendees probably do not regular read the Forums.

In closing, I've evidently been interpreted as being "bitter". I'm not the least bit bitter. I was trying to be a good parent and provide a reward to my daughter for working very hard in school and at home. It's disappointing to find there are restrictions like this. If you have to attribute an emotion to me, I am exactly that, disappointed. Not bitter, certainly.

[TrinSF]

Honestly though, it baffles me how people over the age of ten can have no legal government-accepted identification on them. What if something were to happen and your child were to go missing? A goverment ID would be much easier for police to track should they find her than some generic school ID. I've had a small laminated copy of my goverment-issued birth certificate in my wallet from the time I was old enough go out on my own, just for that reason, as well as a social insurance card. I've had an up to date passport in the house at all times from the age of eight, just in case of emergencies. We've got family in Canada, the US, and Greece that we may have to visit at a moment's notice due to death in the family or whatever.

I think that's great for you. In a better world, my daughter might have that, too. In a better situation, she would not have been abused in another household, would not have been part of an  unfortunately acrimonious custody modification to remove her from that abusive household, and would not have a parent who was holding her vital records and documents hostage to express unhappiness over being ruled against in court. It has taken us a while to rebuild all of the things she had confiscated from her, taken as punishment, or just withheld. It's a difficult situation, but that's just the way it's been.

It sounds like you have a really great family, and I'm glad for you about it. I wish my daughter had the support of both her parents; if she did, she probably wouldn't have awkward situations like this come up.

[Sen]

We do have a full blown badge policy (also includes pick up procedures) that we are working to put up on the website. It may not be possible to put it on the main page in its entirety, so hopefully we can get at least a link up there.

[Moonblossom]

Honestly though, it baffles me how people over the age of ten can have no legal government-accepted identification on them. What if something were to happen and your child were to go missing? A goverment ID would be much easier for police to track should they find her than some generic school ID. I've had a small laminated copy of my goverment-issued birth certificate in my wallet from the time I was old enough go out on my own, just for that reason, as well as a social insurance card. I've had an up to date passport in the house at all times from the age of eight, just in case of emergencies. We've got family in Canada, the US, and Greece that we may have to visit at a moment's notice due to death in the family or whatever.

I think that's great for you. In a better world, my daughter might have that, too. In a better situation, she would not have been abused in another household, would not have been part of an  unfortunately acrimonious custody modification to remove her from that abusive household, and would not have a parent who was holding her vital records and documents hostage to express unhappiness over being ruled against in court. It has taken us a while to rebuild all of the things she had confiscated from her, taken as punishment, or just withheld. It's a difficult situation, but that's just the way it's been.

It sounds like you have a really great family, and I'm glad for you about it. I wish my daughter had the support of both her parents; if she did, she probably wouldn't have awkward situations like this come up.

Wow, thank you for assuming your child's life is infinitely more fucked up than anyone else's and that simply because I'm obsessively organized and vaguely paranoid and have been for most of my life, that my parents took care of all this shit for me. I don't think I've ever seen such a thinly-veiled form of condescension on this forum, ever. Congrats.

:/

[Twistex]

I think that's great for you. In a better world, my daughter might have that, too. In a better situation, she would not have been abused in another household, would not have been part of an  unfortunately acrimonious custody modification to remove her from that abusive household, and would not have a parent who was holding her vital records and documents hostage to express unhappiness over being ruled against in court. It has taken us a while to rebuild all of the things she had confiscated from her, taken as punishment, or just withheld. It's a difficult situation, but that's just the way it's been.

It sounds like you have a really great family, and I'm glad for you about it. I wish my daughter had the support of both her parents; if she did, she probably wouldn't have awkward situations like this come up.

...?

Why are you putting this here? What does this really have to do with the problem? Playing a pity-card isn't going to resolve this problem, or make a resolution present itself. Not to mention that your daughter may not be exactly comfortable with you expounding upon the details of her broken childhood to an anonymous mass.

While you may indeed be feeling only depression or disappointment over the situation, and while many of us here lament the situation you're in,  that does not change the fact that in your *four* posts on the forum, two have been regarding your custody battle in detail that is completely unnecessary. Is it any wonder we think you sound bitter?

You said earlier that you had decided to attend in January. Why not get her replacement documents then? Why wait? If you needed them for summer activities, having them handled before summer would have helped to prevent this exact situation from occurring. As soon as this unpleasant situation occurred, requesting replacement documentation from the government should have been first priority. ID is useful for more than just attending cons, and her being without is bound to generate further problems.

My personal two cents; stop playing the pity card. Those of us who are also from abusive homes find it *quite* offensive. Don't blame the convention because you haven't been able to procure ID. Stop assuming that people who habitually have carried ID come from perfect homes with perfect parents. We're not all sheltered teens who live in a world where everything is perfect. Some of us are adults who just happen to have their lives, and documentation, in order.   

[ewu]

Basically we are working on putting together a policy that will prominently be posted on the the website. We will make a post on the forums to not that when the time comes. It looks like this thread is gonna get ugly so I'm gonna lock it. Feel free to e-mail registrationATfanmieDOTcom if you have any unaddressed concerns. thanks:)