What do you use for ID when....

[Alex321]

y cards never last until the expiry date, they always crack. The card in question is only two years old, and my credit card is also cracked, but that managed four years. I've had cracked loyalty cards replaced a few times too.

What on earth do you do to them?

Stored in a regular wallet, with quite a few cards in there, I have never ever had one fail.

What should I tell the YHA when they demand a driving licence? Then there was Plymouth Globe independent hostel that required a driving licence, but their other hostel in Exeter didn't. Guess who's going to demand ID next.

No idea. It is not something that happens to me often enough to even consider. My credit card has always been sufficient for UK hotel stays.

For foreign hotel stays, a passport is usually required, but of course I will have my passport if I am abrioad.

 

[Alex321]

Where's you're passport in all of this? Why don't you carry that around for the one time you need it, for other than travel?
You'll note it's still at the top of the list for verification purposes. Above the driving licence, still. And that remains the same now as before with the paper versions. It's a document that you've had to prove who you were to get it, that's why. One that is verifiable with a phonecall if needs be. The same with the driving licence, if they've reason to suspect the person presenting it isn't entitled to use it.

But a passport is about 4 times the area, and several times the thickness of a driving licence or other "standard"" sized card. So you can't just carry it in your wallet.

While I don't understand why the OP needs ID so often, I still fully agree that there should be some sort of optional government issued ID card, which can be obtained for a nominal fee, and which must be accepted as valid ID where such is required.

 

[classic33]

But a passport is about 4 times the area, and several times the thickness of a driving licence or other "standard"" sized card. So you can't just carry it in your wallet.

While I don't understand why the OP needs ID so often, I still fully agree that there should be some sort of optional government issued ID card, which can be obtained for a nominal fee, and which must be accepted as valid ID where such is required.

What a private organisation/business accepts as valid ID is upto them. However, top of the acceptable list where it's been for years is the passport. Followed in second or possibly third, by a driving licence.

Worked in a shop, and we had a NHS night, where we accepted only NHS issued cards as proof of ID for entry. It worked for us, didn't please everyone though.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

A valid passport is an interesting technical thing. My passport is still in date, etc. but technically void because I've visited some areas of some countries that regard themselves as independent when the country doesn't, but to highlight their independence they setup border office and stamp your passport with an entry stamp. But, despite them regarding themselves as independent, legally they aren't so their stamp defaces your passport which invalidates it as a document. To the point where some countries will reject you at the border as your passport is void by the illegal stamp. Hence, entering such countries eg Thailand, ensure you do so at a land border when it's very busy as when busy they won't spend ages looking through your passport (where they can if the border is quiet).

Ian

When I visited Cuba, around 20 years ago, they stapled a square of paper into each passport and stamped that. On leaving the country they removed the paper from each passport. Apart from two tiny holes there was no evidence, at least in the passport, that I had been there.

 

[briantrumpet]

A side note: I was amused by the young receptionist's reaction at a car hire desk at Geneva Airport when I unfolded my old paper driving licence. I think he thought I was handing a Dead Sea Scroll to him, but his colleague reassured him that it was a real driving licence.

Just a bit scary that it's only got nine years left on it now... when I got it, I couldn't even conceive of 2034!

 

[Psamathe]

When I visited Cuba, around 20 years ago, they stapled a square of paper into each passport and stamped that. On leaving the country they removed the paper from each passport. Apart from two tiny holes there was no evidence, at least in the passport, that I had been there.

I did the same in Israel many years ago. Folded blank sheet in passport for Israeli immigration to stamt and remove the sheet when crossing Israel to Egypt border. Daft in some respects because if you are crossing from Israel into Egypt why bother to pretend you've not been in Israel when they saw you walking across the Israel border.

One of the stamps I have that voids my passport is from a ethnic group in South America, they regard themselves as independent (or did when I visited) so required my passport stamped. Fortunately text in Spanish so many immigration officers don't understand what the stamp is.

Worst stamps I used to have was from when I moved to work in the Netherlands in the earlier days if Freedom of Movement. My contract with the dutch company said "permanent" and police didn't like the word so stamped my passport with temporary residence. Took a few contract rewrites to get wording dutch police were happy with so my passport had several large red stamps in dutch, only thing a non-dutch speaker understood was "police" so every immigration was "what are all these police stamps ..." and assumed I myst have a criminal record.

Ian

 

[Alex321]

What a private organisation/business accepts as valid ID is upto them.

Not if the government legislates that certain things must be accepted.

However, top of the acceptable list where it's been for years is the passport. Followed in second or possibly third, by a driving licence.

Yes, but in most cases where you are going to need it, you will know in advance, and take it with you.

 

[classic33]

Not if the government legislates that certain things must be accepted.

Yes, but in most cases where you are going to need it, you will know in advance, and take it with you.

They can't, the list would be too big and varied.

You mean like when trying to get money from an account a second time, having been asked for it the previous day?

 

[stephec]

A valid passport is an interesting technical thing. My passport is still in date, etc. but technically void because I've visited some areas of some countries that regard themselves as independent when the country doesn't, but to highlight their independence they setup border office and stamp your passport with an entry stamp.

You've been to Yorkshire as well then? 😂

 

[wiggydiggy]

You've been to Yorkshire as well then? 😂

At the border they have a troll with a stamp it made from an old potato, can't afford a pole though.

Just read 'Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett' again, this is a funny joke in it.

 

[Wobblers]

Not being popular is of no interest. As a country we put up with a level of crime, much of which is not reported.

In my opinion having people who are supposed to be here and not involved in crime are more important. Statistics and graphs can be manipulated to show what “facts” are needed.

IF the carrying of ID helps annoy/inconvenience people that don’t belong or are involved in crime bring it on. In reality as can be seen by this thread for all practical purposes those going about their lawful business require it.

I've just spent months proving who we are and what we do for my family businesses Spanish banker. As I have learned if we were to change bank there would be many more hurdles to get over.

Put another way, what have you got to hide if you don’t want ID.

There is a large supposition on your part that ID cards will reduce crime - except there is no evidence to support this. The UK has large numbers of CCTV cameras (as has already been commented on), both public and private - yet studies have consistently failed to demonstrate this has resulted in any reduction in crime rate. It therefore is unlikely that ID cards will confer any benefits, especially given that there is no obvious deterrent as with CCTV.

There is a false equivalence with hiding and privacy. Privacy has nothing at all to do with hiding: Most people close the door when going to the toilet - not to hide, everyone else can make a good guess as to what's going on, but simply because it's no one else's business. It's no one's business but your own when and where you choose to go down the street. None of my business, nor the police unless you are suspected of a crime (and besides, they not merely have better things to do with their time, but already have sufficient powers to detain you should they be in doubt as to your identity).

Lastly, you don't know what you might need to actually hide. Ethnic Tutsis were targeted in the Rwandan genocide because their ethnicity was recorded on their ID cards. Whilst that may seem an extreme example, even something as apparently innocent as a name can be detrimental: you could quickly find yourself in trouble in large parts of India should you be unfortunate enough to have a Muslim sounding name, for instance....

 

[Moderators]

Mod note. Locked pending review. Thread has wandered far from the OP into NCAP territory.