Forms of identity (Was RE: Open versus closed PKI systems)

[Ben Clifford]

> > to hand.  Certainly for at least the last decade they are posted to
> > all individuals on the electoral register as they reach their 16th
> > birthday.  

Don't people get put on the electoral register when they are about 17?

I had always assumed that it came from the database of Child Licenses [1].

> ID.  The government don't need to introduce a compulsory ID card for
> the nation to become somewhere where everyone needs to carry ID.

Quite. My experience living in the State of California shows that. You
need ID, preferably a California Drivers License, to buy alcohol if your
hair isn't gray[2], to use credit cards, etc.

Theoretically, you are also required to carry it at all times when
driving, but the only time that I saw someone asked for their drivers
license, which she didn't have, the police let her off.

Interestingly, some places around the university where I was, wouldn't
take a US passport as proof-of-age for buying alcohol. The Bureau of Guns
And Whiskey have really put the shits up them, especially the small shops,
with threats of massive fines and loss of license.

And perhaps even more interestingly, an English accent often operates the
emergency override, whereby because you are foreign you are not expected
to have any ID, despite the fact that you need it to get into the country
:-)

[1] child license because: mother used to go to the post office every now
and then to get: the television license, the dog license, and the child...
At least, it seemed logical to an 8yr old.

[2] under the age of about 30, I think.

-- 
http://www.hawaga.org.uk/travel/ for my rotating world map applet
http://www.hawaga.org.uk/benc_key.txt PGP / GPG key 0x30F06950 - please use it!

On Wed, 16 May 2001, Owen Blacker wrote:



> 
> I don't think there's any reason for the government to insist upon a
> new form of ID unless (a) it is more convenient to move all these
> different forms of ID into one place or (b) it forms a substantial
> source of revenue for the state.
> 
> I'm not entirely sure that's the point I was going to make when I
> first hit reply, but I don't remember what was and it's as good a
> point as any other at this time of day...  :o)
> 
> 
> O x
> - -----
> Owen Blacker
> Senior Software Developer / InfoSec Consultant    Wheel: Clerkenwell
> See http://www.owens-place.org.uk/pgp.html -- more about my PGP keys
> Sig  0x00036874 | d39f b776 fa20 c125 b0e2  aa6d 555e 4126 0003 6874
> - -----
> Opinions are mine.  My employer and their clients can get their own!
> 
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> Version: PGP 7.0.4
> Comment: Due to RIP, pls check for revocation before using this key!
> 
> iQA/AwUBOwKf9VVeQSYAA2h0EQKIagCguUpCjkuz79GGXrMhNRsXGhI/gi8AoPDa
> ij3wiGbj7wZICVsO/o+36jFd
> =FOIa
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> 
> _____________________________________________________________________
> This message has been checked for all known viruses by UUNET delivered 
> through the MessageLabs Virus Control Centre. For further information visit
> http://www.uk.uu.net/products/security/virus/
> 
>