From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 11:14:34 +0800
To: cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: The Joys of Being Canadian
In-Reply-To: <v04002e0ab0bb69fb26c1@[141.142.103.240]>
Message-ID: <v03102807b0bce37b6de7@[207.167.93.63]>
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At 8:54 PM -0700 12/15/97, Lynne L. Harrison wrote:

>When my cable company asked for my SSN, I told them that I was not going to
>disclose it.  Of course, the refusal sent the lame-brain into a brain-dead
>state. I finally volunteered that they could use my middle name for
>verification purposes.  I could actually hear the "Thank you for solving
>this problem!" in the employee's voice....

When I told the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California that I
would not be providnig my SS number, either from the tattoo on my forarm or
from the card which reads "Not to be used for identification," the droid
said, "Fine, then you won't get a driver's license."


(Not actually. In reality, I capitulated and gave my SS number, despite the
inappropriateness of the SS number as any kind of identifier. Someday there
will be a major court challenge to this practice of using the SS number as
a universal identifier, but I didn't feel like committing a couple of
hundred thousand dollars to fighting this for several years.)

As to Duncan's frequent "I'm a Canadian" point, the foreigners I've known
over the years have had to a) get an SS number, even if working for short
periods, or b) have had to produce their foreign-country passport.

So, Duncan, does this "But I'm Canadian, and I don't need to show you no
steenking cards!" shtick really, actually, work, or is this just a nice
theory?

(If it _really_ works, I'll tell a friend of mine from Denmark that she can
just tell all the SS number requesters that she's from Denmark.)


--Tim May

The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^2,976,221   | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."