Not just a ‘number’…
From banks, insurance, utilities, communication companies to GP surgeries = NHS especially. What do they all have in common? An absolute obsession with asking, requesting and recording your date of birth and I hate it. I object to being subjugated to a number. I mean how many times do you need your age rubbed in your face? Sometimes several times a day. To me a date of birth is personal and I mean personal and not to be released into the public domain or requested. But no unless you submit, “it’s sorry we can’t complete your application”, or “we can’t help you with your query”, or you “can’t have a doctor’s appointment or medical treatment”, or “we will terminate your contract” etc. Whatever…to me it’s an insult and a complete breach of my privacy but these organisations just love that don’t they? Absolutely relish lording it over you and telling you what to do. If we say jump you jump and if we demand your date of birth you will give it to us! Enough! I challenged my doctor’s and told them that I totally objected to every time I rang up to give this information over. I have a name (or at least the last time I checked). But no they’re not interested in that only your DOB or post code. With my last bank I refused to keep on giving this information when asked as they always got it wrong so it was agreed I’ll be given a personal ID and yes it was a number but it was better than repeating my date of birth time and time again. Do these organisations believe that only you can be born on that day? Or that this is the most ‘secure’ way of keeping your information ‘safe’? I don’t think so no! It’s all about them and what suits their systems basically an excuse to mine and sell on your very personal information whenever they can. Name! Date of birth! I got screamed at once on visiting the A&E, forget what’s actually wrong with you just give us your date of birth now! It’s humiliating and I feel an abusive use of my personal information. I believe it’s none of their business at all its just convenient for them to classify you. I don’t give a dam about their ‘system’ or security find another way. If I could delete it I would and remove it from every database that I’ve ever encountered or been placed on. If so how would you identify me? No wait I can see a fingerprint/face scanner in front of me soon we won’t be able to leave the house or go down to the local shop without being identified first, what kind of world is that?