Okay, so this isn't in the news, but it still pissed me off today...
I went to get my Florida driver's license...trying to be responsible and not drive illegally on my NY license.
I trotted up to the counter with my pile of paperwork....2 proofs of identity, 2 proofs of address, etc. I had my original birth certificate, social security card, proof of car insurance, voter registration card, car registration and my cable bill....more than enough.
The woman behind the counter looks at it all and says "okay, but we need to prove the name trail from *birth name* to *current last name* and they have to be certified copies from the court house, not the church." I looked at her
....and said, "my birth name was 3 marriages and divorces ago, and one of those happened in Australia....how am I supposed to accomplish that when you give me 10 days before I'm driving illegally?"
She shrugged.
Okay....this pisses me off. Our culture strongly encourages women to take their husband's name when they marry. I've been married 3 times. A man who was married 3 times would have *surprise* still the same name he was born with....and not this insane documentation burden that women are being subjected to.
It just feels like unfair bullshit to me.