The Patriot act does it again.

United States
January 26, 2008 3:07pm CST
Some people view the Patriot Act as making the country better, and some view it as making it worse. Personaly, I used to think that over all it made us more safe, but had a few elements that went over the line with invading our privacy. Recently I just discoverd another downside to the Patriot act. I am trying to start an online business, and I needed to get a seperate P.O box address and a seperate bank account. I first went to my local post office to get a P.O. box. The clerk asked for two forms of identification. Now, I have been carrying my social security card right behind my license in the same sleeve in my wallet for years because of all the places that ask for two forms of ID nowadays; too many, in my opinion; and it has always been accepted. But after the clerk asked for the ID, she said a license would be accepted, but the second form cannot be a social security card, or even a birth certificate. So I had to go home and get my latest mortgege statement to show her in order to get the box. I just chalked this up to the post office being stupid; and quite frankly, jerks; for not accepting a social security card; to make people schlep around and get documents which, really, are less identifying and secure than a social security card. But then I went to my bank to get a second account, and the same thing happend, the clerk there told me that she needed two forms of ID, and would not accept a social security card as the second form. She would not even accept a mortgage statement, so I had to go home and get my paycheck stub. Now, really, how can you possibly accept a check stub as a way of identifying someone over a social security card? Then she told me this was because of the Patriot Act. So now, whenever I have to show two forms of ID for something, instead of just whipping out my license and SS card like I always have, I have to schlep home to look for god knows what to show them. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this recently.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
27 Jan 08
My latest problem with "increased security measures" is the post office's "13 ounce rule". Anything you want to mail that is more than 13 ounces HAS to be handed to post office personnel. I was selling things on ebay and printing the postage on my computer at home then dropping the package off in the drop box in the lobby on my way to work before th epost office opened. However, if I mail a package now and it weighs more than 13 ounces I HAVE to wait till my day off and go stand in line to hand them a package that alreasy has the proper postage on it OR they will "return the package" to MY address and I will have to pay for the postage all over again!
2 people like this
• United States
27 Jan 08
Reading your comment I just thought to myself, "Wow, it must really suck to live in a city or very populated area!" I guess I'm lucky, there's rarely any waiting at my local post office, and we only have one person working in there, the postmaster, Kathy. I live out on a farm, my mail carrier, Threse, lives just around the corner of the section from me..... If I need stamps or anything like that, All I have to do is give her a ring at home and tell her and she'll bring some out for me on the route. Also, if I have a package to ship, if it won't fit in my box out on the road, I just put a note in my box, telling her where to find it, she'll pull on in, grab it, and the next day she'll put a note in telling me the postage. Man it sure is nice to live in the country!!!!
2 people like this
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
27 Jan 08
I do live out in the country; but not on a farm. I live in a tiny subdivision 15 miles outside of city limits and we have a row of locking mailboxes at the entrance to our subdivision. The out-going mail box only has a small slit for letters and other envelopes. The mail carrier will NOT come to our individual homes. PO Hours are 8:30 am - 5: pm. My current work hours are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; but by the time I actually get to my car and drive to the PO they are locking the doors. I am set up to print both stamps and other postage directly on my home computer; but, it has to be dated for the day it is actually mailed. It used to be simple to just print a label before I went to work and drop it off in the lobby in their bin on my way to work. But, with this new rule, I can only mail packages on Saturdays. It is such a pain, especially, since I have already weighed it and applied the correct postage. I do all the work and I still have to wait in line.
2 people like this
@FireHorse (293)
• United States
26 Jan 08
In most instances the second "identification" most corporations and government agencies are looking for is a credit card. Obviously a credit card can be fictitious and few have photographs on them so it's not really a secure form of ID. Technically no one was EVER suppose to ask for your SS number except the social security department but the government has always felt free to break their own laws at will. They just want to make sure you are thoroughly embedded in the system for security reason, not YOUR security, their security. This has absolutely nothing to do with "protecting" us from the terrorists. It has to do with the terrorists in control of the corporations and governments protecting themselves from the masses and maintaining power over us.
1 person likes this