# American Community Survey **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438 "2006-09-28T00:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/1 "2006-09-28T00:00:19Z")
The census bureau select any other Dopers to participate in this? What an intrusive PITA! I know the gov’t knows everything about me, but I really resent having to give them all of this private info in one document like this. They are definite about the penalties of noncompliance, tho. I’ve barely finshed my own info (page 6 or so of 26) and my hand is tired. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/2 "2006-09-28T00:28:36Z")
Never heard of it. You sure you’re not being set up for an identity theft? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/3 "2006-09-28T00:48:18Z")
It’s real. Very real. And you can get fined if you don’t fill it out. It’s kind of like a mandatory census. When I get mine I think I’m gonna go live in a cave or something, cuz it freaks me out. It asks stuff like when you left for work last week. Creepy shit. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/4 "2006-09-28T00:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] Never heard of it. You sure you’re not being set up for an identity theft? 😉 [/QUOTE] [Here](http://www.census.gov/acs/www/) is a page from the Census Bureau. It is INCREDIBLY intrusive. 24 pages long. Asks income, ethnicity, house price, house size, fuel bills, time you leave for work, commute time, work address, etc. ad infinitum about every member of your household! As best I can suss, if you refuse, they begin a process of hassling you with phone calls and personal visits, tho I have not uncovered any instance of anyone actually being fined as yet. Not sure how I’m going to respond. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/5 "2006-09-28T06:48:35Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] It is INCREDIBLY intrusive. 24 pages long. Asks income, ethnicity, house price, house size, fuel bills, time you leave for work, commute time, work address, etc. ad infinitum about every member of your household! [/QUOTE] I remember being selected for this last go-round; and remember being annoyed; and remember coming up with a plan… I just don’t remember what the plan was. I know I didn’t answer the questions (none of their beeswax!), but I also don’t recall being hounded. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/6 "2006-09-28T08:35:51Z")
You can be fined for flipping of the census? Really? I did not know that! ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/7 "2006-09-28T12:32:19Z")
Okay, I’ll be the weird one here–I’ve never participated (or been asked to participate) in the Census. Can one volunteer? Is it available online, or is paper form the only way to participate? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/8 "2006-09-28T12:50:14Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] You can be fined for flipping of the census? Really? I did not know that! [/QUOTE] I used to be a Census Employee, & yes, you can be fined, and theoretically (sp?) even jailed. But only if you are a total jackass about it. Or combine it with an assault on a Census employee. False & misleading info on a form can also get this, in theory. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/9 "2006-09-28T13:15:42Z")
My on-line searching failed to identify any instances in the past 50 years where folks were actually fined for failing to participate. The fines are in the statute - I believe it is $100 for not complying, and $500 for providing inaccurate info. This survey is supposed to replace the “long-form” census a few lucky folk got every decade, and it is done continually instead of just every decade. I know we effectively have no privacy these days, but it kinda bugs me to be required to put all this info together in a single form, identifiable to me and my family members by name and address. I don’t think I could have filled this out in less than 1/2 hour, and I would have needed to consult my tax returns and utility bills if I wished to be accurate. My wife and I haven’t been civilly disobedient in some while, so this might be an opportunity to revive old habits! I wrote both my senators. As of now we intend to simply provide our names and send it back, and deal with any subsequent harrassment that comes our way. I guess we just don’t love our country and freedom enough! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/10 "2006-09-28T14:18:52Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] This survey is supposed to replace the “long-form” census a few lucky folk got every decade, and it is done continually instead of just every decade. [/QUOTE] I got one of the “long form” census forms in 1990. Almost every question had an interpretation that admitted a technically true, but highly misleading, answer. I presume the same is the case for this version. Not suggesting anything, just saying… ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/11 "2006-09-28T22:23:50Z")
**Dinsdale** , my family got it too. It was a PITA. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/12 "2006-09-29T14:24:44Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] I used to be a Census Employee, & yes, you can be fined, and theoretically (sp?) even jailed. But only if you are a total jackass about it. Or combine it with an assault on a Census employee. False & misleading info on a form can also get this, in theory. [/QUOTE] How about eating his liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/13 "2006-09-29T16:20:58Z")
I got a phone call that sounds like the same thing. The woman came to my door but I didn’t feel like answering so she scheduled a time to call. For some reason she couldn’t give me a paper copy to fill out. Commute time, utility costs, etc., yep, same deal. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/14 "2006-09-29T16:49:52Z")
For those of you who got “selected” - are my wife and I the only ones who found this objectionable? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-community-survey/374438/15 "2006-09-29T16:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=phall0106] Okay, I’ll be the weird one here–I’ve never participated (or been asked to participate) in the Census. Can one volunteer? Is it available online, or is paper form the only way to participate? [/QUOTE] I know, I want to participate too. How come I never get into the census? I’ve lived in the States since 1979, I’m a citizen.