Do we need IDs?

[spartak]

In any multicultural society the absence of Ids will be an automatic arrest warrent for black people. There is no evidence at all that Ids prevent terrorism or crime - criminals and terrorists after all have access to counterfeit documents and there are very few documents impervious to decent enough forgery that a flatfoot wouldn't be fooled. All that happens is that ordinary citizens get bothered when you introduce Id cards and generally the burden falls on the poorest and most ethnic sections of society.

ID cards suck.

[ZoboZeWarrior]

Sadly right ! Be non common is always suspicious for the average of policmen. They don't like the right to the difference, these is lefties thing for them...

[connorkimbro]

i've got just my military ID and a drivers liscense for photo ID's. both of those i've got no problem with. as for a national ID system . . . . ehhhh, blah.

[Seeker]

ID in Canada is usually 'valid photo ID' (i.e. Driver's License) + SIN (social 'insurance' number)

The driver's license is supposed to be more difficult to forge, but where there's a will there's a way...my grandfather has been living under an assumed identity for the last 25 years to avoid income taxes.

My father doesn't seem to officially exist (although he has a Canadian passport under a different name).

I have no plans to make money from alcohol, cigarettes, or grass, so I don't have any need to disguise my identity from Revenue Canada. That's why I'm the first from my family to 'make it' into university.

[Mihai]

I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t access Apolyton during the week-end. Everything else was OK.

Snapcase –

What's wrong with a non-compulsory ID card that the police can not demand to see but that nevertheless can be used for all the functions described above? In the UK there isn't one- it's a drivers' licence (which non-drivers don't have), a passport (bulky to lug around) or nothing.

So, if you don’t drive a car nor travel outside your country you have nothing to prouve who you are.

Sprayber –

I would be in favor of a National Id if it woud take the place of all the other forms of id we have to haul with us when dealing with the government. But it wouldn't. It would merely add another id to my growing collection in my wallet.

The national ID show that you are a citizen of this country and actually it the only truly indentification card. All the other so-called IDs are actually permits : driver license show your right to drive a car; colleges IDs show your right to enter in the campus and borow books from college library; military IDs show your right of acces in military instalations etc.

He should just take my word for it.

Why? Did he knew you personally?

El Awrence
Documento Nacional de Identidad – It’s seems like the spanish for National Indentification Card
Cedula de Identidad – your passport for Mercosur
Driver's License – it’s just for drivers
Libreta de Enrolamiento – this is your “free from draft”? (I used the spanish-romanian resemblance to get at that conclusion)

paiktis22 –

I have never been stopped by cops in my life. And I walk after 4 o'clock in the night for big distances all the time in central Athens.

As you said, police don’t stop everybody all the time.

Seeker –

My father doesn't seem to officially exist.

In Romania first 8 years of school are free and mandatory. But you can go to a school if you don’t have a birth certificate and you can’t obtain a birth certificate if your parents don’t have IDs. There are more thoushands of gypsies in this situation.
Also when you are hired in certain jobs or in your first one, you have to bring to the firm a copy of your criminal record (“cazier” in romanian), elibarated by police.

[spartak]

The fact is Mihai that your mindset is conditioned by the effects of years of communist dictatorship. In the UK you don't need ID in normal life. You don't need to provide anything other then educational certificates to get a job and unless you are planning to travel you don't need a passport or other evidence of citizenship.

Now in the ex-communist world you need to be registered with the Police/Uvir where you live. You need to carry an ID Card/Internal passport; you can't legally move to certain towns without a propiska and why on god's earth do you need to show a birth certificate to go to school? As for a certificate from the police to get a job - that's plain stupid. Police can easily be bribed and any such certificate would have no probitive value whatsoever.

I know which world I would prefer to be in.

[Mihai]

Originally posted by Gasmaske
The fact is Mihai that your mindset is conditioned by the effects of years of communist dictatorship.

I thought at that too. If I would need ID only in my relationship with the police I might have other opinions.
But when you want to sold your house or ger some cash from your account, how do you prove that is your house/account?

[spartak]

Most of us don't own our houses outright but have mortages. The building society hold deeds for the property and these prove your ownership. As for getting cash from my bank - I just put my cash card into a cash machine. Thats all the ID you need. Alternatively I can write a cheque and get cash for that.

If I need a lot of money I can ring the bank and arrange to withdraw the money from my bank. To do this I do need ID but thats just to protect me from being fleeced.

[steelehc]

"Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

I have no problem with carrying around a National ID card. I already carry an Alaska State ID and Driver's License, and how much does a 1mm thick, 2x3 card weigh?

Steele

[spartak]

Originally posted by steelehc
"Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

I have no problem with carrying around a National ID card. I already carry an Alaska State ID and Driver's License, and how much does a 1mm thick, 2x3 card weigh?

Steele

Did you read the thread or just go foir akneejerk reaction. I'll repeat my earlier post for you.

In any multicultural society the absence of Ids will be an automatic arrest warrent for black people. There is no evidence at all that Ids prevent terrorism or crime - criminals and terrorists after all have access to counterfeit documents and there are very few documents impervious to decent enough forgery that a flatfoot wouldn't be fooled. All that happens is that ordinary citizens get bothered when you introduce ID cards and generally the burden falls on the poorest and most ethnic sections of society.

Does this help to explain why ID Cards are a bad idea?

[Mihai]

Originally posted by Gasmaske
If I need a lot of money I can ring the bank and arrange to withdraw the money from my bank. To do this I do need ID but thats just to protect me from being fleeced.

So, there are situations when you need an ID.

[MikeH]

Yes, but you don't need to carry it at all times and it's voluntary to get it. I don't have to open a bank account or get a passport or get a driving license if I don't want to.

Mostly I don't need any ID only on a very few occasions.

[Mihai]

What I mean is that our national ID is a good for everything ID. There are enough scams anyway, I just have the filing that there will be much more without an ID.

I am in lack of ideas, but I have one : when you cash a cheque how do you prove that you are the owner of the account. A signature is much easier to conterfit than an ID.

[spartak]

You have a cheque card that authorises transactions up to £100. If you need to spend more than that, most places take it on trust or you give them your address and they can chase you if the cheque bounces.

[Mihai]

Originally posted by Gasmaske
You have a cheque card that authorises transactions up to £100. If you need to spend more than that, most places take it on trust or you give them your address and they can chase you if the cheque bounces.

I want to cash a $10,000 cheque. I am a nice well dressed guy and my adress is Nowhere street no. 1