OK, buddy, wipe that grin off your face, and I mean right now:
Don't say cheese at your next driver's license photo.
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is restricting glasses, hats, scarves, and even smiles in driver's license photographs.
BMV officials told The Times of Northwest Indiana that the new rules imposed last month are needed so that facial recognition software can spot fraudulent license applications.
Even without the facial-recognition-software excuse, I can understand the no-smile rule. We want police to be able to recognize people from their license photos, and nobody smiles when they're stopped by police.
The story says BMV customers can petition to leave headdresses in photographs for religious reasons. Well, what if my religion makes me happy, or even requires to to smile?
On a happier note, I got my license renewed before the new rules went in, so I at least got to wear my glasses for the photo. Without glasses on the license, no cop would ever believe it was really me sitting in front of him. Maybe we should let them carry Magic Markers so they can draw the glasses on to be sure.
