There was one passport photo I got that was truly horrific. I had lost my passport and was leaving the country in three days, so I had to schlep over to Glasgow and pay £150 for a passport on the spot. Stressed out of my mind, I was not looking my best. My flatmate told me I looked like Charlize Theron... when she played a serial killer in Monster.
But that pales in comparison to Charles Wade-Palmer's problem. The photo on his driving licence is him... as an 11-year-old.
How on Earth did this happen?
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And of course your driver's licence is usually your ID when you're buying alcohol in an off-licence or to get into a club... so people have been laughing at him for ages.
He had used the photo on his provisional licence and the image had rolled over, which he hadn't realised. I think the most amazing part of this story is that you're allowed to use a photo of you aged 11 in a provisional licence!
Anyway, the DVLA kept the photo and he's been trying to change it... but some sort of systems error has given him the same photo again and again.
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He lost his licence and when he was ordering a new one online, chose the option of using his passport photo.
But even that didn't work! It's still baby face Charles on the ID until 2021.
It's a real McLovin situation.
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"It has always been a bit of a joke for me and my mates whenever we go out or just to the supermarket to buy drinks because the reactions I get are priceless.
"I can't count how many times I've explained how old I was to cashiers and bouncers and that's after they've burst out laughing.
"When I lost my licence in January I was looking forward to a new lease of life with a photo that actually looks like me so I couldn't believe it when my old one was issued again."
I would be more worried about getting stopped in the car with this licence than being laughed at by shopkeepers. You can always use your passport to buy booze, but if you're pulled over with a driving licence with a kid on it... I'd be prepared to answer some very serious questions.
Credit: Caters News Agency
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Charles said: "It's ridiculous - people have said I look as young as five and they're stunned when I show them what I've been using as ID for the last four, nearly five years.
"Shop assistants will generally see the funny side of it but it's fair to say bouncers less so as they will often demand a second form of ID which I've even used my library card for."
Again, use your bloody passport, not a library card. Honestly, Charles.
Words Laura Hamilton
Featured Image Credit: Caters News Agency