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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 7, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Oakville teen has signature moment writing driver's test By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF An Oakville teen is experiencing an identity crisis following a rebuffed attempt to write her driver's test. Despite having multiple pieces of government issued identification Brittany Owen-Turner, 16, was not permitted to take the test because officials at the examination centre refused to believe she was who she said she was. "I just thought it was crazy that they wouldn't believe that I'm actually who I am," said Owen-Turner. The trouble began last Thursday when Owen-Turner and her mother Kim went to the Drive Test: Driver Examination Centre on Cornwall Road in hopes of taking the G1 written test. When asked for identification Owen-Turner presented her birth certificate, but was told that identification bearing a signature was required. Owen-Turner and her mother made the trip home and got her passport, then returned to the examination centre where, they say, things took a turn for the surreal. After filling out a form and signing it, Owen-Turner presented the form with her passport to the examination centre official. "She looked at the signature and then looked at the passport and said BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER DOCUMENT PROBLEMS: Brittany Owen-Turner and her mother Kim went to take the G1 test and brought multiple pieces of government issued ID, but because Brittany's signature did not exactly match the signature on her passport, she was turned away and told to fill out a Declaration of Guarantor form. that she didn't think the signatures were close enough," said Kim Owen-Turner. Kim said Brittany had changed her signature since she had signed the passport three years ago from writing her full name to simply signing B Owen-Turner. In an effort to solve the problem Brittany signed her name again this time in full as she had on her passport. The official disappeared into the back only to return to tell Brittany and her mother that the signature was still not similar enough to the signature on the passport. Having no other piece of identification with her signature on it the examination centre instructed Kim and Brittany to get a Declaration of Guarantor form filled out. A Guarantor is a person who can certify that Brittany Owen-Turner is indeed Brittany Owen-Turner. Kim was outraged that they would not accept her as such a person. "I had her birth certificate, I had everything else. I'm her mother. They said, `No.'" Guarantors must be Canadian citizens, have known the person for at least two years and have a specific career like dentist or lawyer. Kim did not meet the last of the criteria. "They told me there was nothing more they could do," she said. What strikes Kim as particularly strange is that Brittany's signature was fine to get a new health card last Friday. "They just looked at the passport and said it was fine and she signed it the same way." Ministry of Transportation spokesmen, Bob Nichols stands by the actions taken at the examination centre. "The ministry needs to be sure the person applying for a license is who they say they are," said Nichols. "The new list of acceptable documents was implemented on Jan. 23, 2006, providing the ministry with a higher level of assurance that the applicant's identity is confirmed. An applicant applying for an Ontario driver's license must present acceptable identification to prove the three data elements: legal name, date of birth and signature." Nichols said preventing fraud is the purpose of the close scrutiny of the signature. "If the signature is questionable, the applicant is requested to furnish further proof," he said. Brittany has not picked a date to make another attempt at writing her G1 test, but when she does, hopefully her birth certificate, her new health card, her passport and her filled out Declaration of Guarantor form will be enough. www.oakvillebeaver.com OPEN SUNDAYS 12-5 140 Rebecca St. OAKVILLE 844-7728