Recently, I have had to produce my Iowa drivers license, several times actually, at Costco, and Sam’s, in particular. Let me explain.
When I was in the third grade, many, many, many years ago, the teachers started to teach us cursive writing. The goal being, that as we got older, our handwriting would improve, and we would be able to have a beautiful signature. I was not very good at it, but, who, at the age of seven, can write their names in cursive?
Each year, we were given a special pen, supposedly it would help us hold our pens correctly, and our penmanship was bound to improve, over time. And, it did. Each year I was able to write more legibly, and each year I was able to sign my name more clearly. How proud my parents must have been! They were finally able to read what I was writing.
Fast forward to the early part of this century, when credit card theft was starting to become a serious crime. I had been advised, by several different sources, some from our Credit Union, some fellow church members, and, some from different TV programs- all suggesting that, instead of signing the back of your credit card, it would be safer if you write “SEE ID”. That way, when you show some business your card, they have to match the signature you signed to some other piece of identification, such as your drivers license. If your card was stolen, when they had to show ID, the photo on the license would not be the same.
I thought that was a fantastic idea, and, that is what I have done, for twenty years.
Let me just say that, here, signatures are almost unrecognizable as a persons name. They are taught, at a young age, to make their signatures “unique”, something that only you would be able to duplicate. And, it is an art, let me tell you. Some are so fancy as to be almost seventeenth century, and some are just amazing.
I can see why the shop keepers do not understand why I have written SEE ID on the back of my cards. A ten year old could copy my signature. But, when Ivan explains to them the purpose of the message, and they see my signature, they smile, because they understand the problem. Anyone could copy my signature. So, to protect me, you need to check my signature with my drivers license. Period.
Some day we will have only to scan our retinas, or an ear, actually, to be identified. Those are two of the most unusual places on our bodies that are unique to us, as individuals. I read somewhere, recently, that Great Britain has, actually, started using the ear to identify people, more often than a fingerprint. Almost like it was science fiction.