Informative Encounter at work.

[57Coastie]

Could be worse. Try having name like mine: James Brown. When I buy or sell a house the title company comes up with pages and pages of liens and warrants. In the service I had security clearances as high as you can go, one of which I cannot discuss to this day. The FBI earned their pay doing my background checks, and they dug deep.

Jim

[5thGenTexan]

Hmmmm only 114 with same last name in the whole country. Only one with my first since I'm an honest law abiding citizen I shouldn't have any mistaken identity issues nor should my son also unique combo. Step-son is screwed though 544,000 + same combo.

[Keith B]

Step-son though 544,000 + same combo.

Actually, this may not be as big a problem as you think. Many LEO's recognize those names like Jim Smith or Mike Jones are so common that they need to look at more than just name or birthday to validate they have the right one. An uncommon name may not trigger them to check deeper.

[CompVest]

Somebody posted this site somewhere. Check it out, it's kinda' interesting.

http://ww2.howmanyofme.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Too bad it doesn't allow the addition of the middle name option.

[STI Shooter]

Well I am surprised. Only 20 of me in the entire US.

[Fangs]

I met a guy once while tubing the river whose son was named Liberty. He said he picked that name because he'd been wrongly arrested several times due to having a common name, and he himself was a LEO.

[stumpjumper_steve]

There are 51 of "me" in the US.

After finding this site, I Googled my name and apparently some fellow up North and his wife were busted for child abuse. They were charged with two counts of cruelty and injury to a child. This genius has had previous complaints of domestic abuse. He was arrested in 1999 when his first wife reported that her husband had bound her hands and feet with tape, spit on her and held her down.

Real "quality" individual if you know what I mean.

[ES4Me]

I have a very uncommon last name and was surprised there are 1,148 people in the U.S. with the same. Very surprised there are 5 of "me", 15 of my husband, but our 3 kids are very lucky - only 1 of each of them to go around.

So now I will quit complaining (after 25 years of marriage!) about having to spell my last name to everyone using the "alpha, bravo, charlie" method. Ran my maiden name and I would be one of 824.

[jordanmills]

Somebody posted this site somewhere. Check it out, it's kinda' interesting.

http://ww2.howmanyofme.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I ran my name there and it found fifty-seven people matching. Fair enough. Then I got curious and ran my name through a criminal records db.

Turns out there's a guy with my first and last name, and the same middle initial in Pasadena (eg next door, where my parents live, where I go all the time) who has an unfortunate habit of being caught with stolen firearms and drugs. Even better is that he has a very similar description to me. I forsee great fun potential... for various definitions of "fun".

[fickman]

Very uncommon last name here.

1 of me in the US.
4 of my wife.
1 or fewer of each of my three kids.

It's funny. . . most of us that do have this last name (me + wife + kids, my brother + wife, my uncle +wife, my cousin + wife and kid) all live within 5 miles of each other. . . so the local pharmacist and dry cleaners probably think we're like the Smiths in this area!

[thorkyl]

I am Unique...

If I where you I would get back with the LEO that ran your credentials and ask him if he could get you a copy of the report finding on you.

If you carry that you my be able to convince a LEO to dig a bit deeper.

[rthillusa]

I have a very common anglo name. There is almost always at least one more of me in any city I have ever lived in. I am on (I should say, my name is on) the TSA watch list. I cannot e-ticket, I cannot check luggage at the curb. The first time I flew after the TSA got up and running, I spent an extra half hour at the ticket counter while they tried to determine if I was a terrorist or not. When I tried to buy my ticket, you could see the ticket agent's pupils dialate as my name came up on his screen. I was immediately handed off to his supervisor, who also became visibly agitated as he said he would need to take my ID. Later on, after they became used to common name issues, the check became much quicker and no excitement is detectable - more of a "not this again" sensation. But I still cannot e-ticket.

I should also say that I have no trouble buying firearms and had no trouble getting my CHL.

My Dad had the same name. In the 30s he was picked up and held overnight while they confirmed that he was not a member of a well known gang who had the same name.

About 15 years ago, some guy with the same last name as mine, who lived on the same street as I but about two block away, decided he would start using my first name as well, essentially becoming "me". I began to suspect something was up when I started getting letters from lawyers offering to represent me. I called one of them and the clerk said they bought arrest record lists in order to solicit business. "Oh, this is not good" I'm thinking. Then I start getting doctor bills, and all sort of other bills, in the mail that were not mine. I called the city police department to tell them "hey this ain't me". Did they care? What do you think? I reckon they have heard that before. I said, look, just please don't come in shooting, my kids and wife are here too. About a week later, 5:30 AM, I am in my jammies making oatmeal for breakfast and I hear BAM, BAM, BAM on the front door, loud enough to wake the dead. I know who it is - nobody else comes by at 5:30 AM. I open the door and two plain clothes flashing badges are there. I think they must have figured out pretty quick what was going on. The first words out of my mouth were, "I've been expecting you and I ain't him". I must have not been any where close to the description because after a few very basic questions, the thanked me for my time and left. That was the end of the incident, the bogus mail stopped and I never heard anything more of the matter. I suppose sometimes the system does work.

R***** ****

(I need to get a cool tag line, but the bar is really high on this forum :)

[KD5NRH]

http://ww2.howmanyofme.com/

4 of me. Fortunately, last I checked, the one most likely to cause trouble isn't likely to be out of prison for a while. (blindingly obviously different race helps with that one, too)

[92f-fan]

I was married a few years ago to a woman with a pretty uncommon first name and my last name is also not common.

When buying our first house we found out there was another Mr and Mrs in Texas with the same EXACT names. As luck would have it they lived in a trailer and had bad credit - world class bad credit.

the web link above says there are 18 people in US with my name - and 1 or fewer with her first and my last - we know thats not true since there are 2 in texas ...

Ive debated driving to Paris Texas to meet my doppleganger of sorts ... Wondering in the back of my mind if the names are legit

[cbunt1]

...Part of the process involves running the ID of the complainant...

Glad you found out about this now...

And I ran my name on the site, and there are 2 of me with my common name, and 8 with my full name....

That being said, am I a little off base in being concerned that we now accept the "running and checking the complainant" as part of making a police report??

On one hand, I understand the logistical reasons for doing so--making sure you're legit, verifying all your info for the report etc.

On the other hand, doesn't this send a message that "you better be clean if you're gonna call us"...I thought we *all* had equal protection. Granted you shouldn't be running around on the street with warrants, but just because you do, you shouldn't be left on your own, or in a position that you're afraid to call law enforcement because that traffic ticket 5 years ago may not have been cleared up...

Sorry to hijack the thread, but for some reason this concept just made the hairs stand up on my neck.

I'm prolly off-base anyway. It's Monday, and I'd rather be playing than working!

--Chris