The Fourth Corner is in the process of moving its world headquarters from DC down to Alexandria, VA, and that requires setting up services, getting new driver's licenses, and discontinuing our service with Comcast, the cable monopoly we all know and love.
This started when we went to get our new driver's licenses. To get a state license now, your identity has to be verified by your (federal) social security number. And of course, the social security administration has my wife's birthday wrong, so we couldn't get that done in one trip (who can?).
And then there are the utilities. The water company wants my social security number. The sewage company wants it too. So does the power company, who also wanted to run a credit check.
Why?
Are there that many people setting up water services under a false name? And if so, why should the water company give two rips if it's getting its monthly bill anyway? Besides, you all know where I'm living, so it's not like I'm trying to sneak one past you. If I don't pay, stop giving me water. It's really that easy.
Now the driver's license is a whole other issue. I've surfed around the web and there's all sorts of hubaloo about the implementation of social security verification at DMVs because it is, in effect, a national ID system that's being created. Whatever, make a national ID system. What I don't like is how, regardless of what documents my wife and I bring in to verify our existence--military records, insurance forms, passports, actual social security cards, old driver's licenses--the folks at the DMV won't believe I am who I say I am. But they will believe an obscure voice or computer printout from someone they've never met who isn't standing right in front of them.
This sounds stupid, but part of why I like being American is because, when you're under 21 you can have a fake ID. It's easy in this world to pretend you're someone else. If I really intended to swindle the government and go to the DMV to get a fake license, now I know that I'll have to first get a fake social security card, which is probably pretty easy. At some point, getting an ID comes down to believing that the person in front of you is who they say they are. At some point, you've just got to trust people, and for the most part, I think Americans do okay with that.
Will verifying my water service with my SSN prevent terrorism? Will verifying my ID through the flawed social security administration prevent it? During 9/11 did they find a lot of fake passports or something? Because as I recall, those dudes had legit passports and weren't running under false names.
What the fuck, Patriot Act?
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