Identification catch-22s

[Dreamstalker]

So I dragged myself down to the RMV today to finally get myself a MA state ID.

It went relatively smoothly (why in the name of Nyarlathotep's bed-socks do they keep the place so goddamn hot?!), except for this one niggle:

On the application, it lists the forms of identification you need and clearly states "social security card OR current US passport". I had the passport. I can't find my card right now, so mom gave the official "stub" from the SSA just in case (last time, I was denied because I didn't have the card...that's not something I carry with me, doesn't it mean something that I know the number?).

In NM, all they wanted was the number and passport; the existence of the number should allow them to look it up, ne?

Nope. I got carped at for not having the card itself. Somehow, I was still able to get my ID issued (um, I would think again that the number and a passport would be sufficient, as long as it can be matched in a database).

IIRC, one's SSN is not supposed to be used as an identifier. Even so, isn't knowing the number enough if it can be verified as being you (using a passport, etc)?

The photo looks like crap b/c I was coaxed into smiling (that don't work too well). My NM ID pic looks better (they don't try to force you to smile). If only they would allow one to provide the photo...how come, when TV shows show someone's ID, they're never smiling? Not everyone likes looking stoned on their ID kthx.

Something that also confuses me greatly is this:

To get a picture ID, you need a birth certificate.
To get a copy of your birth certificate, you need a picture ID.

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that? Some people, for whatever reason, don't have a birth certificate (home birth, born before the certificates became standard) but obviously exist.

[Evandril]

The problem is, too many people want fake ids. I can tell you the SSN's of my Wife and both of my kids, but the card would show what name is supposed to be attached to the numbers. Now if they look it up and find the name, should be the same idea...but would waste their time dealing with idiots.

Would be nice if places that issue IDs would have pictures on file, would make things far easier

[Pedersen]

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that? Some people, for whatever reason, don't have a birth certificate (home birth, born before the certificates became standard) but obviously exist.

More fun? What about people who lose everything, including birth certificates, social security cards, and their wallets due a house fire in the middle of the night that destroys it all?

I'm not at all sure how to recover from that, and I'm not sure I want to ever learn.

[Boozy]

Fire-proof safes are cheap, compact, and easy to find. Anyone keeping documents like birth certificates outside of a bank safety deposit box should be using one.

[Dreamstalker]

Right now, all my essential documents are in the fireproof safe at my mom's place (and the keys are...on the desk, each of us really should be carrying one).

I'm just not sure why, when a passport meets all the requirements an agency here could possibly have, they need another piece of paper when by their own ID rules it's not needed (it is printed on the application that the card is not a requirement yet they demand it anyway).

The SSN is not supposed to be used as an identifier save by banks, maybe employers, and of course the SSA themselves. It is not an identification number and should not be treated as such due to the prevalence of ID theft using that number.

(my dad carries his SSN card with him all the time; I was always told doing so is a bad idea).

[Devilboy]

Something that also confuses me greatly is this:

To get a picture ID, you need a birth certificate.
To get a copy of your birth certificate, you need a picture ID.

I was in a similar situation when I was 17.
I lost my wallet. My wallet contained any and all forms of ID that I possessed.
I went to the DMV to get a replacement for my Driver's License. (This was before PA kept your photo on file digitally like they do now)
I explained the situation to the clerk.
She asked for my Social Security Card.
I told her again that I lost that with the wallet.
She asked me for my Driver's License. (WTF??? Why would I need a replacement if I had it??)
I explained again, that I lost it with my wallet.
She asks for my Social Security card again.
I explained again, that I lost it with my wallet.
She asks for my School ID.
I explained again, that I lost it with my wallet.
She asks me for my Driver's License again. (AGAIN???... WhatTheDoubleFuck?!)
I explained again, that I lost it with my wallet.
Rinse and Repeat at least 5 or 6 more times.

Then, she asks my mom (who drove me there, seeing that I had no DL) who is not even standing with me... she is off to the side... "Ma'am, are you his mother?"
Mom replies, "Yes, I am... and his name is DevilBoy"

The clerk then proceeded to assign a replacement Driver's License to me.

...here's the kicker... they never asked for any ID from my mom.
She could have been any random individual claiming to be my mother.
There was no way that the clerk could have verified that the last names matched or that any of my mom's information corroborated with mine.
I still had no ID to prove who I was and my mom had nothing with her (other than her word) to prove this either.
My mom's word seemed to be all the confirmation of my identity that the clerk needed.

[Dreamstalker]

Ye flipping gods. So, if I'd been denied, in theory I could have asked any reasonably put-together looking person in the waiting area who looked anything like me to say I was their kid? Unbelievable.

The RMV also "requires" a birth certificate and proof of residence...but I was never asked for either.

There are so many things completely wrong with the license/ID process...although, I don't know exactly what or how to fix it. Biometrics might help...but would anyone here honestly trust the government to not only implement it properly but keep it safe?

[Xanthina]

I was at a restaurant and ordered a glass of wine. Being 21, I was carded. My license was expired, so I gave my passport. They refused to serve me. My husband uses his military ID for.... everything. He's had stores ask for another form of ID.

It's a bit funny, but Passports are one of the more secure forms of ID, and Military IDs are also high up there. You need multiple forms of ID to get these.