Your cheatin’ heart (or your E-ZPass) will tell on you

It seems that modern technology is thwarting extramarital affairs - and involving the law - in all sorts of new ways.

Thanks to the Above the Law blog, one of our editors came across a case brought against 1-800-FLOWERS by a man whose purchase led to what I can only assume will be a pungent divorce.

The online florist allegedly agreed to conceal the man's purchase (roses and a stuffed animal) for his mistress and did not send him a receipt. Months later, in an attempt to encourage future business, the vendor sent a thank-you card to the man's home, which his wife intercepted.

When she called the florist, demanding proof of an order (after all, she knew nothing was delivered to her...) the business faxed the receipt to the soon-to-be ex.

It's not only sloppily concealed gifts that are fuel for the family-practice fires. Simply traveling on a toll road en route to a lover's home might be enough to tip the scales in the inevitable divorce proceedings.

Our sister blogs in Virginia and Long Island helped to turn us on to this story: the Associated Press reports that E-ZPass has become an (admissible) source of evidence in civil and criminal cases to prove the whereabouts of a straying heart. Agencies in seven states (including the Old Line State) will provide electronic toll information in response to court orders for civil cases, including divorces.

According to the AP, the E-ZPass network accounts for about 2 billion charges each year. Now think: how many of those charges would the drivers prefer no one know about?

-JACKIE SAUTER, Daily Record Multimedia Editor