I'm curious...

[conuly]

Because I never understood this.

What's the big deal about national id card = evil? Why do people think that? How is it different from combining a state ID and a social security card? Don't many countries in Europe have a national ID (I don't know, actually...)?

Comments

[conuly]

A state ID is either a driver's license or a non-driver's license (they both come from the DMV). A social security number is what you need to get a job, and the card proves you have a number.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I see. Our National Insurance cards (social security equivalent) state explicitly on them that they cannot be used as ID.

*Grabs her wallet* I am currently carrying...

ID that proves I live in this flat/room
National Insurance Card
*Railcard for UK
*Rail Staff Travel Identity Card for UK (and the pass to go with it)
*Finnish bus pass (not my travelcard for general Helsinki travel, this is for further afield)
Helsinki studentcard (just a paper one - there is an additional card I would have were I here for longer)
*International Student Identity Card
*National Union of Students Card (technically out of date, but staying there until I get a new one in January)
*English University Enrolment Card (also out of date, kept for the same reason)
*English University Library Card (and again...)

Asterisked are photo-IDs.

None of them are proof of identity. Which is why I carry my passport (well, if I have whichever bag it happens to be in at the time with me.)

The one thing I wouldn't mind a national ID card for is ease of travel within the European Union. At the moment I just use my passport, but I'm a little envious of friends who can cross borders just with an ID card. Of course, since I would still require my passport to cross my own country's borders, it wouldn't make any difference.

I think my major objection to a mandatory national ID is that once they force everyone to have one, they can force everyone to show one.

And there's the issue of paying for the privilege too, but that's more specificly a UK issue.