My Practice on the older SS Cards

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
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Cecil,

I believe the Social Security number is inseparable from its card. My receiving of a number came with and on my card all incorporated with the statement not to use for identification. There is no justifiable relevance to me to just give the number upon a corporation’s demand. Oh yes, they can try and deny me something. Sue their fascist asses for denying life, liberty and the pursuit of credit and cardinal needs. Surrendering the number to corporations demanding it for purchases and services is ‘economic extortion’ (my theory).

The old card is a covenant (clearly stated) which I signed like any modern day credit card.

I found it to be a violation from anyone or corporation demanding it for identification. I have been this way for nearly 50 years—long before identity theft came around every 4 seconds.

Over the decades, most have agreed with me upon my denial to consent to their demands of surrendering my SS#; i,e., CapitolOne, Discover, Walmart and many others have all given me credit cards over the decades without giving it. Further, the 3 major credit bureaus, being private entities, will not use mine for identification. Once in the 1990s, they got a hold of my SS#, placed it on file and I had it removed.

Cecil, it is the corporate right wing fascists that have generally caused the demanding for #SS numbers. Over the decades, I spoke with many of these Republican COTs (chief-of-tribe) and their in-house legals, No consent is given my me, and they agree. their card gets issued, the account is opened. In some instances, I made them sense fear that I am premature a bad debt. They would be sued for this also, so they just assumed the risk, and gave me a card, treatment other services and even cell phone service and purchase (before pre-paid ones).

The Garbage Patriot Act can be treated the same way for opening a new account. Get past the idiot customer rep., and offer other identification; i.e., address, utility bills, affidavits attesting to who you are. THEY DO WANT YOUR BUSINESS, and will generally comply.

I have issued my form/contract to many for signing for incurring liability in passing a SS# around. With this, all of this corporate welfare scum immediately dropped the issue–even stating I am right. Judges have also conceded when I refused to give it on/in ligation.

They thrive on CONSENT! Also, they wish individuals like myself would die off faster. This is so the current generation of fools always surrendering ANYTHING asked of them will blow it off as trivial compliance—acting civil and polite to these gangsters.

FYI, I have for decades even refused to allow Sam’s and Best Buy check off my receipt of items purchased at their door-- a ritual by them that implies me of stealing. Just walk out with your purchases. I never was arrested.

Cecil, as you know, fools complete surveys for this Republican scum FREE, or for a chance to enter a drawing. Corporations belch policy, sure, and my family’s policy has always been $100 to complete their surveys. Or to answer their asinine, irrelevant questions.

Decades ago, I have refused to answer stupid questions at any checkout; for example, requesting my zip or address, I do not even tolerate the going ‘down-the-menu’ asking if I want a cherry pie or fries with what I ordered. So why give a SS# to every Tom, Dick and Harry? At one time, idiots also displayed it under their addresses on checks they wrote.

I had wished to take this SS# issue to fed court decades ago. Problem is the judges are right-wing control freaks advocating corporate welfare.

I felt that their written decisions would only be that long tiring history diatribe provoking the low-law of custom, and further stating that the not-for-identification’ statement was some sort or ‘legend’. IT IS NOT!

Government long ago should have mandated different name strings to go with a last name. I advised many persons of changing their names–once a very cheap to do. A last name is a proud pursuit to acquire uniqueness.

Steve, counter-culture for nearly 50 years

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, Backwoods, we’re glad you found us. For future ref: when you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers if you provide a link to the column in question. Saves searching time, and helps to keep us on the same page, mostly. In this case, I presume: Why does my old social security card say it can’t be used as ID? - The Straight Dope

No biggie, you’ll know for next time, and, as I say, welcome!

PS - The column is 30-years ago, and times have definitely changed, since almost everything uses social security numbers for identification. I’ll see whether Cecil might not want to do an update.

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In my experience, almost everyone and everything USED to use SSN’s, but there has been a small but definite trend away from that over in the last 10 years. When I started college, the college used one’s SSN as the student ID number, but by the time I graduated, they had stopped that and issued their own in-house numbers for student ID’s.

Also, I’ve noticed, when a lot of businesses claim that they need an SSN, what they’re really saying is “We need a 9-digit number, but we’re too lazy to come up with our own system.”

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I second Flyer. When I first obtained a Driver’s License, the number on it was my SSN, but somewhere over a decade ago they changed that to a “Customer Number” that begins with a letter.

What gets me is the utter lack of standardization, even within the government, of what constitutes a valid ID.
If I am buying something online, the government has ruled that just using a credit card is proof I am over 18. But it is not valid ID for buying age-controlled products in person, or getting a job.
When getting a job (and filling out form I9 to prove my right to work in the US), my student ID is a valid ID, despite the fact it was issued over two decades ago. When buying cigarettes, it is not.
If you want to buy cigarettes, a valid ID must be issued by a state or national government, must show your name and birthdate, have a photo, and be unexpired. US passports count, foreign passports do not. If you are 27 or under and I (the cashier) do not ask for, and see, a valid ID, I have committed a federal crime.
But if you want to access porn online, simply providing a credit card number is sufficient proof of age.

Could we all get on the same page somehow? Just the Federal Government?

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Oh, I should add that when filling out form I9 (proof of right to work in the US), as well as when applying for a driver’s license, an original Social Security Card is one of the valid forms of ID.

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Good luck returning that defective blender…

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I guess some times you may read well. I am NOT returning anything. Just leaving out their door with my paid purchases, and not stopping in a line or no line for someone to mark off my receipt.

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Any change that may have come, was not from candyasses giving consent on every form and otherwise. And the SS# is NOT a valid form of ID. On the older cards, it’s not even identification as once mandated by Congress through a gov. agency. Only to the brainwashed who consent to have so! For your further information, the ‘custom’ you invoke as a practice becoming a law of the land, will never win over a contract, covenant or individual right. For decades, look at your ‘red light running’ (late for work, need a restroom). This rationalizing never changed a real law. Regarding SS#, problem remains with the polite compliance to the feudalistic demands from corporations. Yes, I have demanded and use separate accounts numbers with the right-wing nobility for decades. And yes, ‘economic extortion’ can be used against corporate scum demanding (and continuing to use) an SS# for other than tax related pursuits.

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I suspect what runningdude is getting at is buying a blender, leaving (without stopping to get your receipt marked off), and then later realizing that the blender is defective and wanting to return it.

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Perhaps I’m just a little slow this morning, but I don’t see how “leaving (without stopping to get your receipt marked off)” would inhibit or prevent the return of defective merchandise. :dubious:
Whether or not you let the guy at the exit door “mark off your receipt”, doesn’t have a thing to do with proving that you purchased the item.

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I think Sam’s will not let you return items on a receipt that wasn’t properly marked off- it’s probably something to do with their fraud and theft prevention.

So if you just walk on by, that’s fine, but when you try and return something that was defective, you may be SOL at worst, or have a big hassle at best.

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In a lawsuit, California has upheld the right of membership clubs to require receipt checks on your way out the door, as long as that rule is part of their terms and conditions. This does not apply to retail stores in general, but Sam’s is a membership club (along with Costco and BJs, etc). If Sam’s has a rule that you must let them check your receipt before leaving the store, then they can take away your membership if you do not comply.

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Okay, since it’s a ‘members’ thing I can understand that being enforceable.
I stand corrected (educated would be more correct, I guess.) :wink:

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There is nothing illegal about not getting your receipt checked as you so bragged; however the consequence is that you won’t be able to return defective merchandise…

The point of marking the receipt is to validate it; unvalidated, the club is less likely to accept returned merchandise for a refund.

ETA: apparently another consequence may be to loose your membership, too.

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nm