Urgent - ID query

[Harley Gerken]

I am bound for Eugene, OR from Auburn, CA.

Have an e-ticket.

Got robbed at knifepoint in Colfax, CA. Have barely anything. No wallet, ID, and a good once over.

How do I get on the train without id? I have a laptop with the PDF, etc etc

But I look beat up and my train leaves Monday the 25th

Please help, I have good work in Eugene

- Harley

 

[Bjartmarr]

I'm sorry to hear you got robbed.

Somebody here might be able to give you some tips, but if I were you I would call Amtrak customer service (800-USA-RAIL) and ask them what you should do.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I've never been asked for ID. They could, but I suspect the odds are in your favor they won't.

Do you have a copy of the police report? That might come in handy.

 

[StriderGDM]

I've only been asked to show ID with my ticket perhaps once in 200 trips. So odds are you'd be fine.

That said, I suggest contacting the local PD or a lawyer to see what sort of temporary ID might be available.

If there a form of ID elsewhere someone can fax you a copy of in the meantime?

 

[pennyk]

I have been asked for ID on a train a few times - the last time was last week.

 

[DooBdoo]

Your local PD will run you while filling out the incident report.

They will fill in all of your "ID" information.

Every state has an online form for lost/stolen licenses.

Stop wasting your time posting here. Get your butt in gear

and start working your laptop, if indeed what you posted

Is true.

Sounds like another anonymous lurker posting a "red herring"

Topic to generate replies.

 

[Ispolkom]

I've never been asked for ID. They could, but I suspect the odds are in your favor they won't.

Do you have a copy of the police report? That might come in handy.

This seems like a good idea. If the conductor asks for ID (and I never been asked for ID in 34 years riding Amtrak), tell your story and chances are it will be believed. On the other hand, if you are going to Eugene to a new job, you really ought to have your paperwork in order. Don't you have to prove identity or citizenship or something when you start a new job?

 

[MrFSS]

Stop wasting your time posting here. Get your butt in gear

and start working your laptop, if indeed what you posted

Is true.

Sounds like another anonymous lurker posting a "red herring"

Topic to generate replies.

We just don't need this type of input. This guest just signed up to be a member.

 

[Ryan]

Stop wasting your time posting here. Get your butt in gear

and start working your laptop, if indeed what you posted

Is true.

Sounds like another anonymous lurker posting a "red herring"

Topic to generate replies.

This is wildly inappropriate. The guy (gal?) came to us asking for help and there's no reason not to believe them. If you're not going to help, move along.

Harley, are you from CA or OR? If you're from CA, you should be able to get a replacement ID in time. If not, a copy of the police report would probably help you out until you can get home.

 

[user 1215]

It is best to be prepared. I'm asked for ID almost 100% of the time when boarding the Silvers out of Savannah. California may be completely different, but police report should be sufficient in a pinch.

 

[neroden]

A copy of the police report would be essential. You may have to get your California ID reissued in order to get a new Oregon ID (big pain in the neck), so start working the process. Also, if your new employer is reasonable, call 'em and tell 'em about the robbery and explain that it's going to be a little while before you have a standard ID.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

I have been asked for ID on a train a few times - the last time was last week.

I'm curious why they asked. What were the circumstances?

 

[pennyk]

Random ID check on silver star

 

[Harley Gerken]

I'm not lurking / trolling. People like him should not be mods.

And thank you everyone for your replies; the local PD is not friendly to my cause. I am California born, headed to Eugene.

I'm going to call their 1-800 number today and see what I can do; the only ID I have now is my food stamp card....

 

[fillyjonk]

I'm not lurking / trolling. People like him should not be mods.

And thank you everyone for your replies; the local PD is not friendly to my cause. I am California born, headed to Eugene.

I'm going to call their 1-800 number today and see what I can do; the only ID I have now is my food stamp card....

Does that have a photo on it?

I think I successfully used my faculty photo ID once when I couldn't quickly locate my driver's license in my purse....

I would expect a copy of the police report would suffice, if you can get a copy in time. Good luck.

 

[rickycourtney]

My suggestion is to go to your local DMV office. Make an appointment if you can, if not get there as early as you can.

They will be able to pull up the information from your previous ID and issue you a temporary (paper) ID on the spot. That temporary ID will be sufficient for travel purposes and the DMV will mail your permanent ID in a few weeks.

Here's a website that will help: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/dl/lostorstolen


There's really no way to avoid taking a trip to the DMV... especially if you're preparing to move. Speaking from experience here, you NEED a permanent California driver license IN HAND if you plan to get an Oregon driver license. If you don't have one, Oregon will make you apply for a new license. That means taking a new rules test, on-the-road driving exam, providing a birth certificate and all that other DMV fun.

Again, sorry to hear about what happened to you.

 

[SarahZ]

I'm not lurking / trolling. People like him should not be mods.

And thank you everyone for your replies; the local PD is not friendly to my cause. I am California born, headed to Eugene.

I'm going to call their 1-800 number today and see what I can do; the only ID I have now is my food stamp card....

DooBdoo is not a moderator.

I wish you luck in getting a new ID. I'm sorry this happened to you.

 

[Ryan]

Best advice here:

My suggestion is to go to your local DMV office. Make an appointment if you can, if not get there as early as you can.

They will be able to pull up the information from your previous ID and issue you a temporary (paper) ID on the spot. That temporary ID will be sufficient for travel purposes and the DMV will mail your permanent ID in a few weeks.

Here's a website that will help: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/dl/lostorstolen

There's really no way to avoid taking a trip to the DMV... especially if you're preparing to move. Speaking from experience here, you NEED a permanent California driver license IN HAND if you plan to get an Oregon driver license. If you don't have one, Oregon will make you apply for a new license. That means taking a new rules test, on-the-road driving exam, providing a birth certificate and all that other DMV fun.

Again, sorry to hear about what happened to you.

If you dig a little deeper, it explains the process in a little more detail:

How to apply for a duplicate (replace lost or stolen) driver license or identification (ID) card

To apply for a duplicate license or ID card, you will need to:

Make an Appointment(s) to visit a DMV office

Complete a Driver License or Identification Card Application form DL 44 or DL 44C. (An original DL 44 or 44C form must be submitted. Copies will not be accepted.) For a duplicate driver license, minors must have parents' or guardians' signatures on the DL 44

Pay the application fee

Regular ID card duplicate fee

Reduced fee ID card duplicate fee

Class C Driver License duplicate fee

Fire Fighter restricted noncommercial Class A or B duplicate fee

Commercial Class C duplicate fee

Commercial Class A or B duplicate fee

No fee for duplicate senior citizen ID card

Give a thumb print

Have your picture taken

To ensure your identity is secure, the DMV will validate your photograph, social security number, and your personal information.

You will be issued an interim license valid for 90 days and/or a receipt for your ID card until you receive your new photo license and/or photo ID card in the mail. Check your address before you leave DMV and tell the DMV representative if your address is incorrect. Your new license and/or ID card will be mailed to you within 60 days. If you have not received your license and/or ID card after 60 days, call 1-800-777-0133 to check the status. Have your interim license and/or ID card receipt with you to provide information when requested.

Best of luck, hopefully you can get an appointment and get this straight.

 

[user 1215]

...the local PD is not friendly to my cause. I am California born...

This just opens up a lot of questions for me. Why isn't the PD friendly to your cause? Friendly or not, unless the beating took place because of an illegal activity, they should be contacted and a report filed. This is for YOUR benefit.

What does being born in California have to do with the price of rice in China? If anything, it should make it perfectly simple for you to get a replacement ID - temporary or permanent. I'm really not trying to be rude at all, and I do welcome you to our forum. Please understand that we do get a lot of drive by postings because we allow for guest postings. Sometimes you may have the best of intentions in your post and it just doesn't come across when typed out. We want to help you help us understand how we can help you.

You have three days. It's not a lot of time, but as mentioned by everyone, the DMV can issue a temporary license immediately. Some states (like Georgia) offer a temporary PHOTO paper ID on the spot. Mine looked EXACTLY like the plastic one that came later. If, and I'm not saying this is your case, but if someone is in the same boat and their DL is suspended, the state is still obligated to provide a photo ID.

I empathize with your situation and hope for the best for you.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Do you have an explanation for why the local police department is unwilling or unable to file a report for a lost or stolen ID? Filing such a report is a routine formality from the perspective the police department. Both state and federal governments want information as quickly as possible for lost or stolen ID's so that they can prevent or punish their use in a current or future crime or fraud. In exchange for this information they're usually willing to issue temporary replacements immediately. A formal report included with a temporary ID should be enough to legally prove your right to travel. Although this remains largely unknown some commercial airlines in the US still allow domestic travel without any ID at all so long as you've indicated your situation and "volunteered" for additional screening and I'd be surprised if Amtrak doesn't have their own process for this.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Welcome to the forum, as you've seen there are mostly helpful people here and you've been given excellent advice!

Good luck with getting the ID you need and best of luck in Oregon, its a great place to live! Please keep us posted!

 

[Orangesaint]

I'm not lurking / trolling. People like him should not be mods.

And thank you everyone for your replies; the local PD is not friendly to my cause. I am California born, headed to Eugene.

I'm going to call their 1-800 number today and see what I can do; the only ID I have now is my food stamp card....

That should be adequate, actually, if it has a photo on it. Bring that and a copy of the police report, and you should be ok in the highly, highly unlikely event that you are asked for ID on a train. I still have never been asked. Ever!

 

[Ryan]

I'm not sure why people are leaping to the conclusion that the police are unwilling to take a report for this.

All he said was that they weren't friendly.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm not sure why people are leaping to the conclusion that the police are unwilling to take a report for this. All he said was that they weren't friendly.

If you had a valid ID then you should be able to file a report and receive a replacement. If you have a police report and a temporary ID the situation is already resolved. If you do not have either of those documents then we probably need to know more about why those items cannot be procured before we can offer additional information. I like oddball questions as much as the next guy but sometimes these questions rub me the wrong way and I wonder about the rest of the story. Standard deductive reasoning rather than leaping to conclusions.

 

[Eris]

I'm afraid it's pretty much true that the police don't rush to assist the grungy-looking poor guy who got rolled. :-/

Unfortunately, that also makes it more likely that he will be asked for ID when boarding, and also Auburn to Eugene is a bus connection to Sacramento, so while ID is rarely asked for on the Coast Starlight I have no experience with boarding on a bus, whether one appears well-to-do or not.

As far as I know, food stamp cards don't have a picture, but do have the holder's name (some states do not print names on them). This may be enough to comfort the driver and/or conductor that you are who you say you are (how many people would steal a laptop and food stamp card, discover there's an eTicket to oregon on the laptop, and try to use it this way?)

However, in this circumstance, I would absolutely try the wait at the DMV and see what they can do- current (10:20AM) wait time at the Auburn DMV is less than half an hour, but probably grows over the course of the day. A temporary ID plus your food stamp card will (almost) certainly suffice for a random ID check on the train. You will probably need to let the DMV mail your replacement ID to a California address so hopefully there is a place you can send it where it can be received by trustworthy people to forward on to you.

I hope you've got, or can get, the necessary documents for your job- if it is an above-the-table employment situation, you'll need both ID and proof of eligibility to work (social security card, birth certificate, etc), but that's not really relevant to your actual question here, and I know that lots of work does not... quite... require these things.

Good luck! It sounds like it's been a tough time and I hope your wounds heal quickly and your life turns around.