To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 18:57:53 -0500
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Your Papers, Please
From: ronkean at juno.com
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 12:52:38 -0500 "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL>
writes:
>         Keith Lynch objects to being required to show ID for many
> purposes
> and suggests that only the second person claiming to be Person X be
> required
> to show ID.  In the best case, this merely transfers the burden of
> showing
> ID from the first person to the second person.  If you are always
> the first
> person, you might gain from such a rule, but the community of
> persons does
> not gain.

My take on it is that asking only extra persons claiming to be X to show
ID would reduce the burden of ID checking by at least 99%.  That is
because it will almost never happen that a second person claiming to be X
will show up.  Almost everyone will be able to enter without showing ID,
provided they provide their name and their name is on the list.

You are probably correct that a clever impostor, knowing that the policy
is to check ID on the second person claiming to be X, but not on the
first, would try to be first, but the impostor probably would not last
long after the real member showed up, and the entry of the real member
who showed up second need not be much delayed if they provide
satisfactory ID.

There is a way to identify members without having to rely on state issued
ID documents.  When a member signs up by sending in a check, a space on
the signup form could be provided for a password to be chosen by the
member.  The member would be asked to provide the password at the
registration table.

Ron Kean

.

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