I had to get my fingerprints taken at work today (hence the pink fingertips). The start of this process involved me filling out a form with identifying information. The person taking my fingerprints transferred that information on to three cards (for three sets of prints) then asked me to confirm all of the information, and that I had no aliases or tattoos/scars.
No aliases for me. No scars/tattoos.
We start taking the fingerprints, on my right hand, and we’re chatting about whatever… we get to my left hand and when she starts the prints for my middle finger, she looks over at my wedding bands and says “Wait! You’re married!” I say, “Yeah…” She tells me, “Well, you said you didn’t have any aliases!” Oh! So that is what the form meant by aliases.
Seriously, I was thinking, “Aliases! I’m not Batman! I don’t have any aliases!”
DUH.
So we re-did the forms and the whole process took me twice as long as it should have. Oops. She was cool about it.
What is interesting is that wikipedia describes alias the same way I was thinking about it – as a way to hide your identity. And dictionary.com does too – although the second description there sounds more like what they were looking for. So, I don’t feel too stupid about it all.
But I was thinking, “If I had an alias, why would I give it away?!”
Have you ever had to get your fingerprints taken? Or given away your alias?!
I have an alias! My legal first name is Theresa. All my life – literally since I was in utero – I’ve been called Tracy. My parents chose the family name of Theresa intending for me to go by Tracy, not realizing that the Theresa/Tracy thing isn’t a common nickname. I’ve had your same problem before, where I’ll completely forget that technically Tracy IS an alias – I’m not hiding anything! I’ve always been Tracy!
I never would have put those two names together – that is interesting!
I had to get my fingerprints taken in college to be allowed to access the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). But I really don’t have any aliases since I didn’t change my name when I got married!
I thought of you when I was getting it done. I told the lady how I didn’t change my name for over a year after I was married…
I have had my fingerprints taken before – how did they get the ink off your fingers?? I have been looking for a good way to get the ink off quick!!
They gave me some wipe that was supposed to work but it didn’t. I was going to try rubbing alcohol or witch’s hazel when I got home.
I never, ever would have thought of that. To me an alias is something shady – not married/maiden names.
I’m with you (and the others who have agreed with you). I never would have thought of that situation as an alias.
I haven’t been fingerprinted since I was a kid. 🙂
I probably would have thought to ask if they meant maiden name but only because whenever I give blood they always ask if you’ve ever given under a different name (i.e. maiden name) so I probably would have thought about the same thing for finger prints.
I was fingerprinted before I took the LSATs. I took a Crime Scene Investigation class in college and we learned how to take prints.
I had my fingerprints taken to get my license to sell insurance. I worked in a nuclear power plant for 6 years and I’m pretty sure they never fingerprinted me there. lol.
I’ve been fingerprinted twice, for the two counties I wanted to intern at for an elementary position. It was quite weird, really since most people there are NOT there to be fingerprinted to be a teacher, hehe. 🙂
HA! I would have thought the same thing. That’s so funny!