Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site whuxl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!houxm!whuxl!wjm From: wjm@whuxl.UUCP (MITCHELL) Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.politics Subject: Re: Re: ID Message-ID: <151@whuxl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-Aug-84 08:37:09 EDT Article-I.D.: whuxl.151 Posted: Thu Aug 9 08:37:09 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 10-Aug-84 01:06:40 EDT Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc. Lines: 24In re Dave Peak's query about Europeans requiring national ID's" 1) Most Scandanavian countries (Sweden, definitely - and I think the same is true of Denmark and Norway) have gov't issued ID numbers and cards. 2) I believe the same is true in the Netherlands 3) The French have a requirement that all travelers register with the police upon arrival in a city (actually your hotel does this for you by taking your passport to the police station when you check in) and I believe the Germans may have a similar rule. However, Dave, you missed my whole point. If the Europeans DON'T have national ID cards thats ALL the more reason NOT to have them in the USA. My point is quite simple - I strenuously object to a driver's license (or anything else) becoming a unique national ID. ID is necessary in some circumstances, but I don't want one UNIVERSAL ID that Big Brother can use to keep track of everyone easily. In answer to Dave's question about state troopers, since I don't drive the answer is no. Besides, I'd like to see the police watch the highways more closely for drunk drivers, since the DWI's kill 25K people each year in the USA (but that's material for another net.politics article). Frankly, I suspect the state police won't bother you if you're obeying the law. Bill Mitchell (whuxl!wjm)