Man Says He Got Runaround From Illinois Over Fighting Out-Of-State Ticket Involving Rental Car, Another Driver
BERWYN, Ill. (CBS) -- The next time you rent a car, be careful about whom you let drive it.
Your driver's license could get dinged for any tickets – even if you're not behind the wheel.
On Tuesday morning, CBS 2's Vince Gerasole looked into the case of a man who lost a paycheck thanks to that very issue and the trouble he had clearing his record.
Marquis Griffith can drive now, but he can no longer drive for Uber.
"It's cut that stream of revenue completely off," Griffith said.
The rideshare service blocked him from their platforms after an Illinois ticket mix-up on his record that wasn't his fault.
"I definitely believe it's human error that no one wants to admit to," Griffith said.
Last fall, Griffith and his friend rented a car and traveled to Missouri, where his friend drove through a red light. Captured on a red-light camera, the ticket includes a picture not of Griffith, but of Griffith's buddy behind the wheel.
But because Griffith's name was the first listed on the rental agreement, his license was the one that was penalized with several points for the violation. Griffith only learned of the mix-up when an Uber background check flagged his driver status.
"It was a red-light violation," Griffith said.
Working with an attorney, Griffith had the situation resolved by a judge in Missouri. If only things were that easy in Illinois.
"I want someone to not only tell me what to do, but to actually be consistent with the information," he said.
Somehow the Missouri ticket number was incorrectly entered into the Illinois database. So verifying the now-voided violation has proved troublesome.
"It would be different if I was wrong," Griffith said.
Griffith has spoken for over a month to various departments at the Illinois Secretary of State's office, providing them not only with the ticket, but the ticket number – and even a letter from the Missouri Department of Revenue explaining a judge has removed the violation.
Missouri has also provided the Secretary of State with a copy of the same letter. Still, Griffith has been told it's not enough
"I have provided a number of different documents as proof that I'm innocent, and given them to you upon your request, and then being told: 'No, this isn't what we asked for. This isn't what we need,'" Griffith said. "It's confusing."
When asked if he thought he was getting the runaround, Griffith said, "Pretty much."
For the short term, Griffith just wanted a get a straight answer and get back to work.
"I haven't exactly lost faith, but I am frustrated," he said.
After CBS 2 got involved, the Secretary of State's office quickly wiped the points off Griffith's driving record.
He is now back on the road, and told us Tuesday night that he will be driving for Uber and Lyft again.
