Week 10 Writing Assignment

Dear Professor Brooks,

I always get a little worried whenever I give away my personal information, which is why I don't do it so often. I've had some bad luck in that area. About a year ago, I left my credit card at a bar in Daly City. I went on a trip the next day, so I wasn't able to pick up the card for a whole week. A month later, I noticed that $250 had been charged on it at some pizza place in Daly City that I had never even heard of, much less spent that much money there. I marched to the Richmond police station and demanded that they find the bastards that did it, but they told me that the police only got involved when tens of thousands of dollars were at stake. Thankfully, the credit card company came through and refunded me completely, yay! I also learned never to get so drunk at a bowling ally that I forget my credit card at the bar.

I always feel nervous whenever I give out my social security number. I don't even know why we still use those darn things. I'm not going to see a dime of my social security, yet it's still the easiest way for someone to steal my identity. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Anyway, last month when I was applying to rent an apartment, I refused to put my SSN on the form. Knowing landlords, they would probably just throw out the application without shredding, leaving all my personal information for Johnny the bum to find in the trash can. Eventually, my roommate made me start writing it on the forms, because she thought it was the reason we weren't getting offered any houses. My question is, why would a landlord need that information anyway, especially when we gave them current credit reports? That reminds me, I had to give my SSN to the website that I got my credit report from. In that case, I was okay with giving away my information because otherwise I would probably be homeless.

The only organization that I feel completely comfortable with having my information is my bank. If I can trust them with my millions of dollars, surely I can trust them with my SSN. I suppose having USF know my information isn't so bad either. Although, because USF employs students, the door is opened for any undergrad with a school job to possibly stumble across all my info. College kids these days are so tech savvy and broke, they have all the know-how and nothing to lose by stealing my identity and signing up for some credit cards. Thankfully, I'm three and a half years in and nothing has happened, knock on wood.

Whenever I sign up for something on the internet, such as a new e-mail address, a JTT fan club, or a Harry Potter message board, I always give false information. My go-to pseudonym is Sammy Clems, I'm from Alaska (zip code 99501), and I'm ninety-seven years young. I'm also a woman. It's foolproof I tell you.

Love,
James