After the folks at the American Community Survey demonstrated their persistence by not only coming back over and over again, but actually changing the address on the form so that it reflected the correct one (it did say “drive”, where it should be “avenue”), I finally broke down and gave in. I really didn’t want to do so.
It’s not that I mind answering general questions. I don’t like having to do so.
I also don’t like it when the questions get more and more personal – things like how much you made in dividends or what sort of salary you made last year. Quite frankly, it’s none of their business. They want to know details about the house, fine. They want to know who lives here, I can live with it. But there is no reason whatsoever that they need to know some of these things. Luckily, I don’t know exactly how much we made last year. So by saying “I don’t know”, not ony was I being truthful, but I didn’t have to supply the information. Cool.
Another story came up about those dreaded bag searches as you leave a store. (via) I actually don’t usually shop at Best Buy, but I feel their pain.
The same thing has happened with airport security.
Don’t start telling me how we’re doing it to save money or we’re doing it to protect ourselves – that’s just wrong. We’re doing it to bring our society down to the lowest common denominator. And that stinks.
More interesting reading: More Best Buy, More on Bag Checks
Comments
2 responses to “Get Off My Back”
When RFID becomes big, they’ll be able to scan everything you got from the store as you leave. There’ll be no more need for physical searches.
One could always purchase from those retailers that are less instursive.
LOL, if a government agent ever asks me how much my salary is or how much i made in dividends, the answer is simple. “You already have that information on file at the IRS. Look it up yourself.”
As for the bag-checks, i clicked the link. Yeah, i might just try that the next time i visit Costco… when i have nothing better to do that is, and am willing to risk being detained and interviewed — but ultimately released of course — by the police.
Don’t blame Best-buy for this sad state of affairs — blame the scumbag shoplifters who brought us to this point.