# I'm 40-So WHY Does The AARP keep Sending me Applications? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724 "2004-01-09T21:47:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/1 "2004-01-09T21:47:46Z")
Let’s face it…Im possibly 40 years away from retirement, but the AARP keeps BOMBARDING me with sign-up stuff? Can I qualify for senior citizen discounts at my local K-Mart? Or are there other benefits? Such as a “disabled” license plate? Should I join the AARP as a “junior” member? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![sultana\_of\_slash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sultana\_of\_slash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sultana_of_slash)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/2 "2004-01-09T22:12:06Z")
They are after TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION. They figure you have leadership potential. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/3 "2004-01-09T22:15:36Z")
I got my first invitation to join at 17. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/4 "2004-01-09T22:19:54Z")
I’m going to be 50 in 2 weeks and they haven’t been courting me. I think I got an application 2 months ago, but I don’t know if I saved it, and now that I am almost eligible… \ I did get stuff from them when I was in my 30s - I assumed someone put me on their mailing list as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/5 "2004-01-09T22:59:51Z")
It must have something to do with that phony ID you cooked up when you were 12. They think you’re now 49. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/6 "2004-01-09T23:11:43Z")
Why? Because you’re _40_, that’s why! You practically have one foot in the grave! Said he who is 39 and looking at a birthday in August … ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/7 "2004-01-10T01:08:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\*Can I qualify for senior citizen discounts at my local K-Mart? \*\* Probably not; but, since they can’t discriminate, you can join and use an AARP discount at any business that has one. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/8 "2004-01-10T01:26:49Z")
I’m 22. I’ve already gotten two of them. I get all kinds of random junk mail asking me to join organizations for which I am obviously unsuited. The most bizarre was an Army brochure urging me to talk to my _kids_ about the opportunities available to them in the Army. In Spanish. Although, in terms of entertainment value alone, that easily validated the four years of Spanish I took in high school, so on the whole it was a satisfying experience. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/9 "2004-01-10T02:42:50Z")
I’m hoping that this means that people are finally starting to take one of my frequent pieces of advice. Whenever a website demands that you register, use your throwaway email address (obviously), but then, when it comes to all the personal, demographic type information, _just make it up_. Tell them you’re an 88-year-old woman from Tuvalu, whose interests include curling and martial arts. Tell them your annual income exceeds $12 million. Tell them you subscribe to _The Shotgun News_. Anyone who’s ever maintained a database will tell you that the only thing worse than missing data, is _bad_ data, since it can be tough to ferret out. Let your imagination run wild. But, of course, be prepared to receive some weird offers! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/10 "2004-01-10T03:04:38Z")
That’s not the AARP. That’s the Cub AARP. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/11 "2004-01-10T12:32:06Z")
I’ve gotten a few of these over the last couple of years, and I’ll be 40 in March. At first, I thought they had me confused with my mom, who has the same name, but she’s over 60 and has been an AARP member for years. Now, I just say “contact me in 10 years,” and throw them out. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/12 "2004-01-10T16:02:44Z")
I’m flooded with AARP insurance offers for my dad… Yeah he’s been dead two years now. ---
**Author:** ![Waddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bb73d2/32.png) [@Waddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waddle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/13 "2004-01-10T17:24:06Z")
I had a friend, who at 16, was a card carrying member of the AARP. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/14 "2004-01-10T17:29:04Z")
I turned 50 a couple months ago, I have never received a thing from AARP. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/15 "2004-01-10T17:50:21Z")
I’m 28 and get AARP applications quarterly. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/16 "2004-01-10T18:27:08Z")
My husband joined the AARP when he was in his twenties. He had cashed out a retirement account from a former job, so they sent him an application, and he joined. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/17 "2004-01-10T19:25:32Z")
I started getting mail from the AARP when I was 26. Something to do with car insurance, I think. I still get letters every so often. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/18 "2004-01-11T00:41:38Z")
I’m an official, card-carrying _Geezer_™ at 42 by virtue of my lovely wife being a few years older. Don’t knock it, I’m paying about the same for insurance on both our trucks than I paid for just mine before. I figured I should stop fighting it and just practice phrases like “you kids get off my lawn!” ---
**Author:** ![Palewriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@Palewriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palewriter)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/19 "2004-01-11T05:06:58Z")
I’m with you, Padeye. For about $6 a year (I forget exactly, but then that’s a qualifying characteristic, right?) I get 10% off most hotel stays, a discount on my auto insurance. Hell, I can even take a cruise and get bucks off. Who gives a shit? That sucker has paid for itself many times over. If you’re going to practice the “you kids…” thing, you’ll need an official AARP shaking stick. Just $39.95 + $5.95 shipping and handling. - PW ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-40-so-why-does-the-aarp-keep-sending-me-applications/223724/20 "2004-01-11T08:07:00Z")
My girlfriend is 21 and has been getting them for quite awhile. I always thought it was because 95% of the people that share her first name are over 70.