IN THE movie Superbad, the character Fogell (aka McLovin) claims to be 27 years old, a resident of Hawaii, 5-foot-10, and 150 pounds, not an ounce of which is true. While Superbad is a hilarious take on teenage life, actually using a fake ID is no laughing matter. ?With Spring Break nearly five weeks away, and the constant siren call of Corner bars, fake ID usage will almost certainly increase during the next few months. Considering the stiff administrative and legal problems involved, using a fake ID isn't worth the risk.
Fake IDs come from several different sources. Here in Charlottesville, at least one ID mill is in operation. For a fee -- purportedly $100 in the case of this operation -- students can get their own ID, complete with picture and personal statistics. Other students acquire their fakes at home.
One first-year male, who wishes to remain anonymous, was inspired to get a fake ID after attending the University's summer orientation. "During the candid session with orientation leaders," he said, "we (incoming students) were told that it'd be helpful to have a fake ID if we wanted to buy beer." Upon returning home, he sent an e-mail to bartenders he knew, and offered $30 for an ID left by a patron that looked like him.
He put the ID -- a New York driver's license -- to use on his first night in Charlottesville as a University student. A local store accepted the ID without any problems. Such episodes involving University students regularly occur in Corner bars and at local gas stations.
The legal repercussions associated with fake IDs are very real. Under the Code of Virginia, making, selling or using a fake ID is a Class 1 misdemeanor. According to Kristy Marshall, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, punishment for such an offense includes up to a year in jail and maximum fine of $2,500. One of these components, or both, could be levied, depending on the judge's decision.
When applying for jobs, arguably the most important component of the application is our academic record. However, if caught, charged and convicted with using a fake ID, you will be required to report your criminal record along with you academic record. No company or graduate school wants someone who has blatantly lied, broken the law and acted unethically. Likewise, on-Grounds repercussions potentially await those caught using fake IDs. Fake ID usage technically qualifies as an honor offense and falls under Section 7 of the Standards of Conduct. While Honor does not pursue fake ID usage - presumably because it's so prevalent -- a breach of trust and one's honor has occurred when a student uses a fake.Don't think you won't be caught using a fake, either. ABC agents are constantly raiding bars. Marshall explains that in "Fiscal Year 2007, ABC special agents conducted 8,344 routine inspections of licensed establishments," throughout the Commonwealth. Agents perform "random licensed establishment checks monthly." Such sobering statistics reveal the severity of fake ID offenses.
There is no reason worth going to jail for that University students should possess or use fake IDs. In addition to betraying the community of trust, we are placing ourselves at great legal peril. It doesn't take an MBA to see that this risk-reward trade-off is very unfavorable. Rather than circumventing the law, we must show maturity and responsibility by acting like adults and not using fake IDs.
James Rogers's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jrogers@cavalierdaily.com.
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