>Yes. The problem with SSNs is that they are publicly accessible in
>far too many places. And you're asked for them in lots of places --
>like doctor's offices -- where you get very strange looks when you say
>NO. And way too many companies use them for ID numbers. And many
>states put them on driver's licenses.
>
>The problem is that all of this is legal -- it shoudn't be.
Here in NJ, the Emergency Service records are all handled via SSN as a
person's ID number.
So every EMS class I take, I have to put down my name, and my SSN on a
sheet of paper that sits at the front of the class... open to anyone who
is in the class, or anyone at any of the schools that handles the
paperwork (or anyone that sees the paperwork). If I fail to put down my
SSN, the course won't go down on my state records, which means I'll be
shafted out of class credits needed for various recerts.
Often these same sign in sheets ask for phone number and address as well
(I now put down the # and addy of my department rather than my own, but
most people put down their own). Some even ask for DL #!!! (I never put
that down except on classes that involve driving)
And I'm still convinced that the time I had my ID stolen was from one of
these classes. I use a combination of my name for my EMS records that I
don't use for ANYTHING else... and the time I had someone take out a
credit card in my name with my SSN, they used that particular combination
of my name. Of course, I'll never know for sure, because the local police
felt it was too low priority to bother investigating. I pushed them for 6
months on it before I gave up. (meanwhile, the bank told me they had a
2nd address and phone number on the application, but that they couldn't
give it to me, but they COULD give it to a police department... so really
all the cops had to do was make one lousy phone call!)
The state started a new ID system a few years back, but no one (including
the state itself) has changed over to it for general use (partly because
the ID is only for fire fighters, and they make up only one portion of
the EMS personelle... someone that just rides an ambulance has no desire
to take a fire fighter class so they can be issued an FFID). I keep
hoping the state will expand the FFIDs to a generic EMS-ID, and change
over to that for everything... it irks me each time I have to put my SSN
down on the sign in sheets.
-chris
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Received on Wed Dec 01 2004 - 14:05:19 GMT