msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) (08/10/84)
From Bill Mitchell (whuxl!wjm) > I realize that Europeans accept the concept of a government issued > ID, but this is the USA, and Americans have a long tradition (thank > goodness) of opposing such police state tactics. I find this statement rather ironic. I am from Britain of Europe) and one of my earliest impressions of the U.S. was that it is much more of a police state than Britain due to the constant requests to see my ID. The British Government does not issue any kind of citizen ID. They assign a national insurance number (similar to social security) but they don't even send you a little card with it on. A British drivers licence does not have a photograph on it. What is more you do not have to carry it when driving. If you are stopped you have 3 days to report to a police station convenient to *you* to show them your licence. Other than making sure I took my cheque guarantee card when going shopping, I never ever carried any form of ID in Britain. My drivers licence sat in a drawer at home for years. On reflection, I realise I did have ONE piece of ID with my photograph on it -- my student union card. Now I walk around with my resident alien card (in fear of surprise raids by the INS gestapo), my drivers licence (so I won't get an extra ticket if I get stopped), and a major credit card (for the second piece of ID requested by merchants -- they don't consider a green card good ID even though it is by far the toughest item to acquire). -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@qubix.UUCP, qubix!msc@decwrl.ARPA ...{decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{amd,ihnp4,ittvax}!qubix!msc "Nothing shocks me. I'm an Engineer."