'This is Ridiculous.' Excuse me?

[RebeccaOTool]

A young man came into the ASC for placement testing today. We don't have testing this week--I should have known it would lead to trouble.

SC: I'm here for the math placement Testing.
Me: Well, we're not giving it this week, but next week-
SC: I just arranged for it. They called you.
Me: (They? Who?) Boss? Did you get a call about this?
Boss: Yeah, sorry, he's okay. Set him up.
Me: Okay, can I see your driver's licence?
SC: I left it at home.
Me: No picture ID of any kind?
SC: Nope, sorry.
Me: *Head-desk* Alright, let me see if anyone can confirm your identity. If not we can't test you. *Goes through about 10 minutes of calling around to various offices he stopped at and finially getting confirmation of his identity.* Okay, you're confirmed. I just need your Student ID number or your social Security number.
SC: I don't know them.
Me: You don't know your Social Secuity number?
SC: My Mom might. Can I call her?
Me: *Gritting teeth* Okay...
SC: *Blah blah blah* (I can already tell this is going nowhere) This is Ridiculous!
Me: (What? you don't have any ID or basic information, and WE'RE RIDICULOUS?!!)
SC: I'll just come back tomorrow.
Boss: Sure.
Me: (ARRRRRGH!)

I don't understand how a person can not only leave the house with no ID, but also not know there Social Security Number.

[Andara Bledin]

There are plenty of people who don't have the wherewithal to remember things like that, and rely on having a physical representation.

One thing I want to know is if the people who set these guys up for testing let them know that they will be required to provide the information you need to have?

^-.-^

[RebeccaOTool]

There are plenty of people who don't have the wherewithal to remember things like that, and rely on having a physical representation.

One thing I want to know is if the people who set these guys up for testing let them know that they will be required to provide the information you need to have?

^-.-^

No, they didn't tell him either. The counseling department seemingly knows nothing about how we work, and gives out bad or incomplete info frequently.

[Andara Bledin]

A SS number is 9 digits.

A phone number is 7.

How much do you want to bet he can remember his own phone number?

I won't make any bets on that, either. What with the ease of capturing numbers with cell phones, a lot of people are losing the knack of remember their own numbers.

^-.-^

[MadMike]

I won't make any bets on that, either. What with the ease of capturing numbers with cell phones, a lot of people are losing the knack of remember their own numbers.

Exactly.

I'm horrible with names and faces, but I'm great at remembering numbers. I could tell you every phone number I've had for the last 25 years. Go figure.

But now I'm starting to get lazy with remembering phone numbers, because of cell phones, like you said. I store them in my phone book, and all I have to do is bring up the person's name. I have no idea what my best friend's cell number is, or even my wife's or my son's, for that matter.

[strawbabies]

"Forget the test. Based on this conversation, you have already failed at life. Please go home, place your head in the oven, and turn it on. Thank you."

Knowing how dumb this guy is, I think he'd do it with an electric oven, not a gas one.

[HowMayIHelpMe?]

Me: You don't know your Social Secuity number?
SC: My Mom might. Can I call her?
Me: *Gritting teeth* Okay...
SC: *Blah blah blah* (I can already tell this is going nowhere) This is Ridiculous!
Me: (What? you don't have any ID or basic information, and WE'RE RIDICULOUS?!!)
SC: I'll just come back tomorrow.
Boss: Sure......

"This is ridiculous." = You mean I need to be putting some effort into this?! *tongue-cluck*. Sigh. I can't handle that.

[Noelegy]

A SS number is 9 digits.

A phone number is 7.

How much do you want to bet he can remember his own phone number?

Now that almost everyone has cell phones, nobody bothers memorizing phone numbers anymore. I can still remember every phone number I've ever had, but you try getting one of my stepsons to call home and check in if he doesn't have the cell phone with him (they share one)? They can't remember their home phone number, or their dad's or my cell phone number.

Then again, I've been told I have a spooky memory for numbers. My ex-husband said his SS# out loud to me ONCE and I memorized it (and still know it). Ditto his driver's license number. It's because I look for patterns in numbers, and both those had repeating patterns and were therefore easy to remember.

It's been a useful quality from time to time. And my first semester in college forced me to memorize my own SS# really quick.

[mariamousie1]

I have no idea what my Social Security number is but I always have the card on me, so it doesn't really matter. I hope I don't lose it. Ironically I have memorized the 10 digit number on my library card (I use it to check my account over the internet, see fines, put books on hold, etc.).

[tollbaby]

It's because I look for patterns in numbers, and both those had repeating patterns and were therefore easy to remember.

Yup.... I memorize numbers very quickly, and it's because I look for sequences. For instance, my old bank card number (it's defunct now, so I can post it) from years ago (I think I was 18) was 453-6056-825-733-105. I could enter that on a numeric keypad without even looking. My old health card number (expired when I was 15) was 7755-735-094 To me, those are REALLY easy numbers because they have such simple patterns to them.

[Andara Bledin]

Actually, you can buy anyone's info, including SS#, for about $25 on the internet if you know where to look. Except for the president, whose SS# costs more.

When an SS# gets stolen, it's usually one of two things. Either someone has picked a number at random and got a valid one (this happened to my uncle) or a crooked tax preparer grabs a number they know is valid to take care of all of their illegal immigrant friends. This second one was practiced by some H&R Block worker and they kept using my company's info for their employer. The SS#s they hijacked didn't belong to anyone here, though.

^-.-^

[Boozy]

The card with my Social Insurance Number (what we call the SSN here in Canada) disintegrated years ago. No one has ever asked for it. The cards seem to be issued by the government here as a courtesy to people who can't remember their numbers. The card itself, as far as I know, is useless. Its the number that matters.

Just another useless bit for the "How Canadian bureacracy appears to be different from American bureaucracy" file.

[Andara Bledin]

*glances at her SS card*

I'm willing to bet that were I of the mind to do so, I could quite easily dummy up a fake SS card.

Considering that people dummy up rather convincing driver's licenses, a simple social security card should be a snap for the criminally minded.

^-.-^

[Gawdzillers]

but also not know there Social Security Number.

I don't know mine.
Maybe it's because I'm not old enough to be on my own yet.

[katie kaboom]

I don't know mine.
Maybe it's because I'm not old enough to be on my own yet.

I admit, i didn't really know mine till i started college. But boy do you learn it quickly once you do start college (if you do.) I always used to joke that i could have signed up for my classes as Minnie Mouse, and as long as i had the right ss# they wouldn't even notice.