I have ever done so. I don’t recommend it
No. I live in a police state.
Birth certificate, national insurance number, utillity bills. that sort of thing. Most people do end up with either a passport or driver’s licence but even my DL doesn’t have a photo.
I can’t ever remember a situation in the UK where I’ve had to produce a photo ID ad-hoc. Even when I’ve gone for a job there have been options to use non photo ID to initiate the security checks.
The government did try to suggest mandated photo ID some years ago, it didn’t go down well.
The government doesn’t mandate photo ID. It’s just that you won’t be able to do a lot of things without it, such as write a check, sign up for membership at places, rent or borrow things, purchase alcohol or tobacco products, enter a bar, enter certain secured buildings, board an airplane, purchase prescribed or otherwise controlled medications, etc.
I was going to say no, or at least not on purpose, but then I read the responses about walking dogs. I haven’t had a dog for ages, but I walked her without ID all the time. And when coworkers and I go for walks on breaks, none of us carry ID. But I figure with the latter at least, if anything goes wrong we can ID each other.
The government doesn’t mandate photo ID. It’s just that you won’t be able to do a lot of things without it, such as write a check, sign up for membership at places, rent or borrow things, purchase alcohol or tobacco products, enter a bar, enter certain secured buildings, board an airplane, purchase prescribed or otherwise controlled medications, etc.
pretty sure some governements do
I’m comparing the situation in the U.S. to yours. “The Government” doesn’t mean “every government.”
I had to show my ID to pick up a $6 order at Joann Fabrics yesterday.
Then I’m not sure why you stated “The government doesn’t mandate photo ID” as if I’d claimed otherwise. I just stated what my own governmnet tried to do and didn’t refer to any other government at all.
Yeah, residency permits are different. Basically 'cos there wasn’t as much pushback about making non-citizens get an official ID, especially as anyone who legally entered the country had one anyway (maybe the odd refugee doesn’t, but that’s a different system anyway).
But, like I said previously, I had a 30 something year old housemate who owns no form of photo ID. It’s not a deliberate attempt to avoid attention or anything, it’s just never been needed. On the rare occasions he needs to prove address, usually 2 utility bills will be accepted, and the beard is usually an acceptable proof of age when it comes to buying stuff.
Cheques here are pretty much only used we have to post a payment (honestly I think they’re about 80% birthday presents from grandma at this point) and we use chip-and-pin on credit and debit cards when we’re not just waving cards in the general direction of the scanner. Police can look up your picture and details without needing to see a card (unless there’s a system glitch or something).
I’ve only had to show ID when flying, starting a new job with a background check requirement and when registering as a student, in the last decade. I did show it when I got a new doctor, but I think I could have brought several non-photo options instead.
The only thing in that list we’d need photo ID for in the UK is boarding a plane. Unless you’re under 25, then photo ID would be handy for buying alcohol.
Only other time I can remember recently was registering with a new solicitor, when I bought my house.
When I purchase prescription meds, all I’m asked for is a verbal confirmation of my address (which is printed on the prescription).
And ‘writing checks’? Do you still do that?
(One other thing - we don’t need any iD to vote either. We don’t even need to show our polling card. Just recite your address at the polling station).
Assuming we’re talking about the US government, then yes, in some cases it does. I gave the example upthread of permanent residents, who must carry their green card with them at all times.
Yes. I occasionally still do that. Checks are actually very useful.
If I’m paying a bill by mail, I write a check.
If I’m paying a service provider like my cleaning lady or lawn care guy I always write a check.
For the down payment in my house I write a check.
If I’m paying my neighbor for my share of the reee removal I write a check.
My parents send me my birthday present with a check.
You can float a check. You can’t do that with an electronic payment.
The last two times I had to show ID was at Michael’s for online yarn orders! Guess there’s a band of yarn thieves in my county. 
All my bills are paid for by electronic payment
Electronic bank transfer
Electronic bank transfer
Again, electronic bank transfer
THIS I will grant you. But then my parents are 92.
What do you mean by ‘float a check’?
Floating a check means writing one knowing you do not have the money in your account.
When I used to accept checks at my business, this was a big problem. Somebody would write a check that was not good yet. Sometimes I’d just happen to be going to the bank, so I’d deposit the check that same day. After it bounced, the check writer would be pissed off at me for depositing it “too soon”.
I’m so happy I decided to stop accepting checks ~10 years ago.
I don’t want to use electronic bank transfer with anyone who isn’t a major business or institution.
Electronic transfer means I have to have the money in my account right now. Writing a check allows me to avoid saying “can I pay you after payday?”
I don’t want to be part of a system which allows a friend or other casual relationship to demand I pay them right away.
That means I can give someone a check or mail it and get credit for payment even though there won’t be enough money in the account to cover it for several days.
I see where you’re coming from, but really that’s a bug, not a feature.
My bank allows me to specify a payment date for electronic payments that can be anywhere from immediate to many days away. So it’s possible to pay someone electronically, setting a date convenient for you, and tell them you have made the payment but it may take a few days to arrive in their account. Works for everyone just as well as, in fact better than, a cheque.
I think it’s a bit of an anomaly that the US is so far behind many other countries in terms of adopting newer payment technology (in general), chip and PIN cards being another example.
Which is useless for anyone who lives alone, or even anyone without a home phone. In Post #56, I suggested a RoadID, which lists whatever emergency contact info &/or allergies that you want to put on it. I have no affiliation with them other than the fact that I have one & was wearing it last night when I was out hiking with others who know me but not well enough to know my next of kin. Get one made by them or another company, I don’t care; just get one as there’s no guarantee that your phone will make it with you to the hospital or not be damaged beyond usability if it does. Just like what happened with the Medic-Alert bracelets* a few years ago, make sure to get one that is obvious what it is.
- People wearing them stated that didn’t want something that looked like a medic alert bracelet so they started making ones that were more ‘jewelry-like’; the problem is that they aren’t as noticeable & therefore, the people who needed to see them when you were in a bad way didn’t notice them as they just looked like jewelry. I’ve seen some IDs that attach to a (black) sports watch band, in black metal; very easy to overlook…until they do an autopsy in the coroners office a day or two later. :smack: