No Excuse for Online Excuses

School kids are not the only ones faking excuses and doctors' notes with the help of the web. The Star-Ledger in New Jersey tells the story of a woman who learned that three wrongs will never make a right. After failing to pay a speeding ticket and show up to traffic court, she tried to convince Hanover Township, N.J. court officials that she was too infirm to come to the court or drive a car anytime soon.

Judy Peet reports that the scofflaw went online to myexcusedabsence.com and bought doctor's note and letterhead template for $24.95, then affixed a real chiropractor's name to the letter. Only she'd never been to see him. Anyway, it all caught up with her, and she's facing a lot more trouble than the original $190 speeding ticket.

Tempting as I guess it is for many to try to trick a teacher, employer, or law enforcement official (!) with a web-generated excuse, this story shows it's a foolish move. Teachers and managers worth their salaries (and even many who are not) are onto these online services. The ethics of the whole thing aside, any site that shouts, "Absence notes for any occassion" as does myexcusedabsence.com, misspelling included, screams, buy this ridiculously too-good-to-be-true lie if you dare! The fact that anyone above the age of 18 would try this amazes me.

 LINK: To whom it may concern: I got caught [Star-Ledger]