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by ButlerianJihad17 hours ago |
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upvoteby ilamont14 hours ago|
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> The circumstances in which you actually need to physically present your Social Security card are quite rare indeed.

In my state, it's one of the allowed document types for proof of social security number, required to get a real ID drivers license.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-real-id-documents-checklist/down...

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upvoteby Dylan1680714 hours ago|
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To get one, but not to renew it, so that's still pretty rare.
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upvoteby leoc12 hours ago|
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Here's a pretty good video about a somewhat similar challenge, that of proving your citizenship in ancient Rome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTt0qwncDXI .
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upvoteby ghaff15 hours ago|
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I no longer have an SS card--which was in a wallet stolen years ago--or, perhaps, a birth certificate which I looked for recently but couldn't find. I do have a passport.
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upvoteby reaperducer12 hours ago|
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But this time around, even though I applied online, I was directed to make an appointment at the field office and physically walk in there, to prove my humanity.

I'm curious when this happened. The phrase "but this time around" makes it sound fairly recent. However, my wife had this very procedure required back in the 1990's.

She also had the same experience as you: Very friendly civil servants eager to help, and things were cleared up quickly once she understood the process.

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upvoteby irjustin13 hours ago|
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> SSNs are not a "national ID"

That's not what they are, but that's what they've defacto become. I hate it.

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upvoteby reaperducer12 hours ago|
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Is that still true?

Except for certain industries where the government has a direct interest (banking, healthcare, real estate), I don't think anyone has asked for my SSN in at least a decade. It's not like the old days when you'd fork over your SSN to rent videos at Blockbuster.

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upvoteby tracerbulletx8 hours ago|
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oh ok so just for money body and property related issues. phew.
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upvoteby irjustin10 hours ago|
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> Except for certain industries where the government has a direct interest (banking, healthcare, real estate)

That's still a massive dependance on "ID" for SS...? Blockbuster tho.. phew it's been a while.

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