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Re: [microsound] Re: Scary... very/ illegal walk (OT)



> >  Did you know it's illegal to walk around without
> >valid identification?
> >
>
> In the US? Can you document this?
>
in belgium, a free (?) country it is illegal to leave your house
without the  proper/official means of indentifying yourself.
from the age of 12 it's compulsory to carry you ID with you at all times.
falling to do so will result in a fine of 25 euro (=15 years ago), this
could be
only a minnor hassle couse you still have to prove who you are, wich can
result
in spendeing some hours at some policestation until some one turns up with
your ID.
BUT!
even being in possesion of your proper papers is no joke.
a belgian ID contais a computer barcode. so when stopped, they just flip
your
ID-card trough the computer and the screen pops up with whatever they know
about you,
the further course of action will all depend on the information these cops
will recieve.

ofcourse YOU are not alowed to look at that info.

Conclusion?
if you have nothing to hide your OK ?

WRONG
couse the goverment/police sets the criteria by witch to annalize the
retrieved info.

or even worse?

as a youngster a went to gig's by train, but there was never a train back
the same night.
you could end up roaming aound in desserted streets at an ungodly hour.
Ofcourse i have
been stopped and checked quite a few times. having long hair wassn't a help
at all :-)
but i'm of no intrest to them and after some degrading/insulting hassle you
can walk on.

but what if later turns out that something criminal happened at/around the
spot/time they checked you?
first af all they know you where there and than ..........
from here you can let your own mind make up the rest of the story,
couse the world is an absurd place and real life is stranger than fiction,
anything could happen.

and how come we have those ID cards ?
 during WW2 under german ocupation everybody had to have some written proof
of who he was.
just some paper with some official stamps.
on liberation day people all over europe had huge partys and it probably
felt verry good to tear up
that piece of paper, like you can see on footage of liberation day in paris.
but in belgium you could NOT do that you had to keep it with you at all
times etc.............

but i do live in a free country :-)
have a nice week-end.............P.

and now back to micr/music maters :-)

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