A man was left in hysterics when he failed to recognize his face on his cruise ship identification card.
Cyrus Steele, 45, was asked to smile for the camera at the start of a cruise that he was working on as an entertainer. However, he was shocked by the results.
He told Newsweek: “I found it humorous (and ironic) that the picture was so dark. I couldn’t see myself—it looked like a Pokémon character that had yet to be unlocked.”
Steele, from Savannah, Georgia, made light of the situation and shared a video of himself and a close-up of the card on TikTok.
Two screenshots from a viral video show Cyrus Steele and the ID he was issued with for a cruise. Steele was asked to smile for the camera at the start of a voyage but was… Two screenshots from a viral video show Cyrus Steele and the ID he was issued with for a cruise. Steele was asked to smile for the camera at the start of a voyage but was shocked by the results. More Cyrus Steele/TikTok/@comediancyrussteele
The text layered over the video says: “Apparently if I go missing this is the photo ID they will use to find me.”
The clip, posted on March 19, has racked up 10.8 million views.
Steele, who was working as a comedian on the ship, told Newsweek: “I felt inspired to joke about it and observe the fact that in a real emergency if I went missing, no one would be able to find me!
“I could hear the police dispatchers, ‘Guys, we’re looking for a shadowy figure with a lazy eye!'”
Steele takes selfies with the cruise ship behind him. The ID was one of the ship’s requirements. Steele takes selfies with the cruise ship behind him. The ID was one of the ship’s requirements. Cyrus Steele/TikTok/@comediancyrussteele
Steele clarified that the identification card served as a crucial tool for passenger identification, particularly during stops in Mexico, the Bahamas, and Baja, ensuring staff could properly recognize individuals.
At the time of writing, the popular clip has amassed 1.8 million likes and over 7,000 comments.
Steele added: “Sharing the video allowed me ironically to touch on one of the cornerstones of my comedy, which is racial reconciliation. I enjoy finding the commonalities between cultures and providing a way of healing and understanding through humor.
“I’ve enjoyed even hearing from white people that they’ve had photos where they’re unrecognizable because of bad lighting as well.”
Indeed, other users have certainly seen the funny side of the situation and many have written what they believe authorities would say in the event of an emergency.
One person said: “Be in the look out of a silhouette”
“Whoever took that photo is trying to NOT get you found,” said another user.
A third commenter said: “You had better install a tracker just incase.”
Fortunately, the ID card was just for temporary use while on the ship and the dad-of-two had another form of identification available. But this isn’t the case for everyone, according to a study conducted by the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE) and VoteRiders, an organization dedicated to ID education and assistance, which delved into the American National Election Studies’ 2020 Time-Series Study data.
The results found more than 11 million people ages 18-29 did not have a current driver’s license, and more than 3 million did not have any unexpired government issued photo ID.
If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on Newsweek’s “What Should I Do? section.
Cruise Ship Entertainer Unprepared For What Emergency ID Photo Looks Like
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