'I'm Going To Let You Go Because You Have the Obama Name'

Just having the same last name as Barack Obama now means no speeding tickets, comped lunches and easy dinner reservations. Who cares if you're not even related? When that mortgage statement comes, just send it back and say "Don't you realize I'm an Obama?" Don't want to wait in line to pay for groceries? Just stroll out, it's all free, baby!

Nicanor Obama began to realize he might be on to a good thing when he didn't get a speeding ticket not long ago. After stopping the 28-year-old for a little lead-footing near the Verizon Center, a District police officer looked at his driver's license and put the citation book away.

"He said, 'Well, I'm going to let you go because you have the Obama name' " is how the Arlington County resident recalled the encounter.

Since Election Day, his moniker has sparked goodwill, from nightclub freebies to hearty handshakes from fellow students at the University of the District of Columbia, where he studies political science. "I'm not related to the president, but I think Obama is a good name to have right now."

Their lives might not have changed as dramatically as a certain Chicago-based Obama family, but the area's non-Barack Obamas have been basking in a little low-watt glory of their own. Suddenly, having the most famous last name in the world means cashing a check, flashing an ID or making a dinner reservation might never be the same.

Half brother George Hussein Obama was unavailable for comment on the joys of being an Obama.