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."
ps@celerity.UUCP (Pat Shanahan) (08/12/84)
I had a very similar impression. I originally came to California on a
temporary visa, so my british drivers' license was accepted for purposes of
proving I could drive for the first year, although I actually decided to
take some lessons in a dual control car before trying to drive on the right
by myself.. However, I had great difficulty using checks. Even armed with
passport, british drivers' license, and an employee's I.D. card with
photograph issued by a major american corporation I always had to talk to a
manager to pay by check.
The idea seemed to be that I should go the the California Department of
Motor Vehicles and get a sort of non-drivers licence, paying them a fee for
the privilege. This is a type of goverment supplied I.D. that I had never
even imagined before. As it was I depended largely on cashing checks at the
credit union until I decided to take the California driving test.
--
ps
(Pat Shanahan)
uucp : {decvax!ucbvax || ihnp4 || philabs}!sdcsvax!celerity!ps
arpa : sdcsvax!celerity!ps@nosc