It is not the first time that this has been the crux of a plot line or the key to a chain of events that subsequently play out on the big screen.
The film "Brazil"(1985) by Terry Gilliam has a character called Tuttle who single-handedly sets out to disrupt and usurp the huge and unwielding State Machine that rules the very Dystopian Society of a future time but very much in retrospective images and styles. The powers that be put out an order through the clunky and crude information channels to seek out and eliminate the elusive Tuttle, a maverick repair and maintenance man, but unfortunately through a typographical mishap a completely innocent and inoffensive citizen by the name of Buttle is sought out, abducted and murdered.
On this premise the whole film revolves and it is a cinematic masterpiece.
Such is the fictionalised nature of the mistaken identity that I was totally shocked when the same scenario played out in real life just yesterday.
My work diary on that day had a couple of entries as part of my afternoon schedule.
One was a small and rather non-descript modern house in a suburb of the city where I am based and the other, in direct contrast, a character flat on the two upper floors of an historic and landmark building in an attractive commuter towns just a short drive away.
I had spoken personally to the respective clients a week or so prior to the appointment day to get some final instructions on what they required from me.
The modern house was being bought and the flat was already owned but both had to be inspected and reported on for the purposes and intentions of the clients.
The prospective buyer of the house was, in the politest terms, a bit awkward and it had taken my utmost patience and professionalism to explain the process and what would be the best approach to give him all the information he needed in order to buy with confidence. There were a lot of communications by e mail to finally get him to agree to my proposals on how to best proceed. All of us in the office cheered when he accepted the terms of business.
The owner of the flat was much easier to deal with and it was just a case of setting a time and he would be there.
Both jobs were to be done on the same day. I relaxed a bit at the thought of a well organised diary.
That was too hasty and the prospective house buyer telephoned me within a few days of the scheduled visit whilst I was out on the road to say that due to some legal complications I would have to postpone doing the inspection. I passed this message to my office confirming his name as the source of this update.
Come the day that had originally been allocated for both jobs I suddenly found that I in fact had almost a full day in the office. Two addresses in my diary had been scribbled or Tippex'd out. There is always something to catch up with in the office and so desk time was welcome.
Again, I relaxed at my peril. Head Office rang and asked if I was close to the midday appointment as the applicant was waiting for me. Thinking that the awkward client had revived the job and not told me I gave my side of the story that I had been placed on hold.
I said I would look into it and get back to them.
The case of mistaken identity then came to light.
There was only the difference of the initial letter in both surnames. If spoken over a slightly dodgy line from a car based mobile there was no real differentiation between the two. The fact that both surnames were distinctive and very rare had only made an error on our part that more inevitable and unavoidable.
Of course I set off immediately for the picturesque market town and got there only 25 minutes later than the arranged time. I am still on hold for the other.
Fortunately there were no real implications for the two protagonists..........unlike the poor Mr Tuttle.
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