The case against ID cards

I believe every single person should have an I.D card, why not. We live in a very fast changing place and I always believe if you have nothing to hide, why not. However everybody is entitled to their opinion. I respect that.

I'd be quite happy to have an ID card too

betts

I suspect what rankles 'no card' people is not the card itself or even the information that is on it but the fact that someone has the power to make you have it. "Don't tell ME what to do" even if it is something that is good for me.

The start of this reflects quite well what I think.

I don't object to a card with my name on it, and I don't object to a card that accesses all sorts of information about me.

But I do object to being told by someone else that they know what's good for me.

Dorset

I believe every single person should have an I.D card, why not. We live in a very fast changing place and I always believe if you have nothing to hide, why not. However everybody is entitled to their opinion. I respect that.

I'm going to start keeping count of the "if you have nothing to hide" comments. 😒

betts

I suspect what rankles 'no card' people is not the card itself or even the information that is on it but the fact that someone has the power to make you have it. "Don't tell ME what to do" even if it is something that is good for me.

My thoughts exactly. Why cut your own nose off to spite your face....just because you can.

In which case then, what is the purpose of an actual birth being registered and being given a certifcate.

I only see a problem if you've something to hide quite frankly.

Please don't forget Volver to make a note of my comment "being something to hide etc" will you.

If you don't like the answer
DONT ask the question.
But then you do love to provoke don't you

betts

I suspect what rankles 'no card' people is not the card itself or even the information that is on it but the fact that someone has the power to make you have it. "Don't tell ME what to do" even if it is something that is good for me.

Probably.
I asked for suggestions that would help those who don’t have ID rather than just saying I don’t want one (because I’m all right Jack)
I suggested an optional one for those who need it but that was met with a curt,
“Get one if you want.”
No further help for those needing ID was forthcoming.

Oh just stop it.

The fact that people say you must have something to hide if you don't want an ID card is partially why I don't want an ID card.

By not submitting to something you think is perfectly fine, but that I disagree with, the only reason must be that I'm somehow a suspicious character, a bad'un. As I've said before on this thread, in this country we are innocent until proven guilty. It would be worth trying to really understand what that means.

So have you got a helpful suggestion for those in need Volver?

I suppose people like my brother would go for an ID card. He has never had a passport, no longer has a driving licence and is not on the internet. Not sure what he's supposed to do if asked for ID. Maybe his Freedom pass?

Well if he's got nothing to hide a free ID card would be perfect

Administration for ID cards could be complicated and some people could be excluded in error - or on purpose by a government wanting to keep some voters away from the ballot box. Voter fraud matters but I don't know of evidence that it is widespread.

I carried one when my husband was posted to Germany in the 80s. I really don’t have an issue with them. Prehaps it’s the people who have something to hide are the ones who don’t want them .

I still have my ID card from the war and shortly after! 😳😂

I don’t know if this still exists in Belgium but I remember everyone had an ID card which they legally had to be with them when going out, whether this occurred because of WW2 when they were occupied by Germany I am unsure. It didn’t cause anyone a problem, I think it would be a good thing.

Would not bother me if we had ID cards. Had one during the war and for some time afterwards. When we had French students in the 1960s they wouldn’t go out the door without one and I believe many countries have them still.

In Italy you have to carry ID and the police will scan it to check it - the terrorists who shot people in Paris in 2015 were arrested in Italy as the police checked their ID and they showed up as fake.

I am not bothered by ID cards at all and would happily carry one if required. If stopped by a police officer (unlikely scenario) I would show it. It wouldn't tell them what I was "up to," of course, just prove who I was. I object to insisting on photo idea in order to vote because it disadvantages those who are already disadvantaged enough. But an ID card would level the playing field. It should be free, of course!

I’d carry one.

When my mum was walking to the hospital in labour ( I am talking over ten decades ago), my dad and mum were stopped by two policemen as there had been a spate of burglaries in that area and they thought she was hiding something under her coat. More recently my son and a couple of his friends had been to a concert and wandered down some streets thinking it was a shortcut to the station. A police car stopped and asked them what they were doing there and gave them a lift to the station saying the area wasn't very safe. If you've ever watched things like Murder Caught on CCTV etc you will know we can be traced by camera and phone signals quite easily when they need to be. With the right controls over who has access to what I don't think I'd be totally against them. Only way to totally avoid being traced is to go off grid.

During the war everyone carried an ID. I was born in 1945 and my baby ID number was ARCJ19. In 1948 at the birth of the NHS it was used as my NHS number and only changed in 1996. We all have them. We also have passports, birth certificates, bank cards, bus passes, library cards, car registration numbers. If anyone wants to check you out they can, it might take a bit more effort, but somewhere you have a number against your name. Stop being so precious.

Stop being so rude.

My problem would be remembering to make sure I had the blooming thing with me, would end up with it in the wrong coat pocket!!!!!

Volver, I am opposed to you going off grid lol