On the road again: Nonagenarian gets driver’s license renewed

Published 7:46 pm Friday, March 1, 2024

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At age 92, Sweetie Mae Siler, a nonagenarian, has renewed her driver’s license.

Being a legal driver, she can get behind the wheel go anywhere she wants.

However, Miss Sweetie Mae as she is affectionately known, has little desire and no plans to “get behind the wheel.”

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“Where would I go?” she asked laughing. “I wouldn’t want to meet me on the road.”

Siler said she wanted, needed, to get her have driver’s license renewed “just in case.”

“You never know what’s going to happen and something could happen where I needed to get out on the highway,” Siler said. “I don’t know what it might be but it could be something.”

Siler has held an Alabama driver’s license for about all her life. And, in all that time, she has not gotten a ticket but she has had one opportunity.

“One time, I got stopped out on the highway but I don’t know why,” Siler said. “I was driving straight on the road and I was not going too fast. I guess the young highway patrolman drove up by me and just thought I looked too old to be out driving on the highway.”

He asked for my driver’s license and, when he saw how old I really was, he said, ‘Mam’ where are you going?”  “‘I said right on up this little road to my house and he said, ‘Well go on home.’ And, I went.”

Siler said all the people at the courthouse were very nice and helpful. Probate Judge (Michael) Bunn even took her picture.

“I was glad for him to take my picture and I’m glad to be driving legal, even it’s just around in the yard,” Siler said, smiling … sweetly.