December 21, 2006, - 10:07 am
Punking the Virginia DMV, Getting Licenses in Disguises: Maybe They Should Have Worn a Hijab
By Debbie Schlussel
My new heroes are William Carsola and Dave Stewart. They put on several different disguises that were quite obvious and went to the Virginia Dept. of Motor Vehicles to get driver’s licenses. They were never turned down, even though some DMV employees even recognized them from previous visits.
No matter how absurd the disguises, they were allowed to get licenses. This should be a wake-up call on how easy it is for anyone to get phony (costumed) driver’s licenses. And how easy it is to get multiple ones. These guys are heroes for exposing the absurd ease with which most states dole out driver’s licenses to anyone, including terrorists and criminals.
It’s all on these two videos from YouTube. Watch ’em. They’re Hilariiiiiiiious!!!!
Yet, now that it’s embarrassed by this, the VA DMV is demanding that the men take new license photos or lose their driving privileges. Huh? Well, maybe Carsola and Stewart should have donned hijabs or other Muslim garb. Then, they’d cow everyone in the State of Virginia or anywhere else. And be able to threaten a lawsuit. And scream, “Islamophobia.”
More from AP:
With their skin painted bright red, spray-on hair and oversized fake teeth, the Virginia men looked a little like teenagers from Pluto but the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles issued them driver’s licenses all the same.
But after videos of the prank gained notoriety on the Internet, it was the DMV’s turn to be red-faced, and has ordered the men to pose for new license photos or lose their driving privileges.
Posted on Youtube.com, the video features scenes of Will Carsola spray-painting his face and neck bright red and Dave Stewart painting the top of his head black and sticking a row of fake buckteeth in his mouth in an Asian caricature. They each enter the DMV office and return with real licenses with photos of their new likenesses.
In another video, a shaved-headed Carsola comes out of the DMV with a photo of his eyes crossed, and another friend obtains a license after spray-painting on a thick, black beard and monobrow.
“We were like, ‘There’s no way this is going to work,'” Stewart said. “Even when I did the kung-fu guy, it surprised me how little they laughed. Will had red skin and they didn’t even tell him to come back when it was normal.”
The independent filmmakers, both 27, did the pranks as part of a new movie, “and it escalated from there,” Stewart said. . . .
Stewart said it was obvious that the oversized plastic teeth and spray-painted face weren’t physical disfigurements, and speculated that apathetic DMV workers probably just didn’t feel like questioning their appearance.
They just didn’t feel like it. Maybe that’s how so many 9/11 hijackers got driver’s licenses so easily. Some things never change . . . until we’re dead.
Tags: Dave Stewart, Debbie Schlussel My, DMV, Virginia, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, William Carsola, YouTube
Hi Deb,
Happy Hannuka (sic?). Merry Christmas, too! OK, one of two things are bound to happen because of these guys (God bless them!): the VA DMV will reassess its policies and at least ONE state will be sfer because of it, or; 2, they will be vilified as hooligans and the status quo will continue because our public servants are just plain stupid. I’m praying for the former!!
FreeAmerican on December 21, 2006 at 12:15 pm