“Don’t get mad, my friend. Get even.”
Posted on 09/03/2014 6:05:13 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER
It was just about dark, I was at the kitchen table when the dog barked, headlights were coming up my driveway. I went outside to see who it was...he was a stranger.
He announced that he was from the Census Bureau and wondered if this was a good time for a 40 minute interview. He proceeded to tell me all about the Census, how it established demographical statistics and how I was required by law to answer the questions.
I told him two people live here and we are American Citizens, and that I would tell him nothing more. He said he doesn't make the rules, the politicians do, and the Census isn't political. I replied that is was and asked him why it was now being run by the White House...he denied it.
He claimed all information is "confidential" I said, just ask the NSA, they already know everything about me, have you heard about the NSA scandal? (No.) I said, all information with the IRS is supposed to be confidential, and they are sharing it with political organizations. He said "I don't work for the IRS." I told him, "I don't care, people don't trust the federal government."
Then he told me it's all about money, and we print the money that everyone uses. I said, it is the medium of exchange, but we could use gold just as well. And it's none of your business.
He repeated that it's required by law that I answer the questions. I asked, what is going to happen am I going to jail if I don't? He said; "No, this isn't criminal, it's civil."
I asked, so you are going to file a civil suit against me if I don't comply? He said, "I didn't say that." I asked, "Well just what are you saying?"
He said, "It could cost you money" and that's all I can say." I said, "Who told you that? By what authority can you violate my right to privacy and fine me if I don't comply?" He replied, "It's federal law."
I said, "Do you know what the Constitution does?" He answered, "It authorizes the census." I told him, "It limits what the federal government can and can't do, and it doesn't say you can come on my property and cross examine me."
He said, "I work for you."
I was wild..."I've told you all I'm going to tell you, and if you claim you work for me, I'm telling you we're done." and pointed towards the road.
He left. The whole ordeal took about 30 minutes.
Has anyone here had a similar experience with a tenacious census taker? I'd say don't engage them in the yard, and for God's sake don't let them in the house.
“Don’t get mad, my friend. Get even.”
Yes he did, only I didn't know about it.
Since I started the thread, my conservative wife came home, and told me she had gotten their "crap" in the mail, but ignored it.
So, I guess he's legit, or at least authorized. But I still didn't like the bastard.
I had multiple phone calls from the census, and had one of them show up in front of my house. I argued with the woman that I wasn't going to accommodate her additional questioning.
I told her to leave and walked back into my house.
The whole thing made me pretty angry, and when I was in Boston one day, I saw flyers all over the place for census jobs. I went online to the website and took a screen capture:
Seeing that REALLY made me angry. These worthless no-loads typical of a liberal constituency gluttonously feeding at a government trough with MY damned hard earned tax dollars, doing a piece of crap job as part of the Democratic Party, and being paid $22 an hour!!!
I had a very similar experience, multiple drawn out phone arguments and one in person.
A couple of weeks went by and I received a call from a lady census worker wanting further information.She reminded me it was my legal responsibility to answer all the questions on the census form. I told her that as far as I was concerned I provided all the necessary information the government needed to know and would not be providing any further information.
She then asked me about the NYOB that I had entered on the racial portion of the questionnaire and wanted to know what it stood for. I told her, "You don't know what NYOB stands for?", it's an acronym of a Native American Tribe, called none of your business."
At that point I wished her a good day and ended the phone conversation.
I instructed my wife (former) that if a census worker were to come out to the house (rural central California) that she was not to answer their questions or allow them on the property.
Well it so happens that a couple of weeks went by and one particular day I came back home from a day of quail hunting to find a strange sedan parked in the drive way. Mind you I was completely outfitted with shotgun and sidearm, camouflage, etc... I entered the house and approached the kitchen area where I found my wife and the census lady talking. My wife attempted to introduce us as the census worker handed me her business card. I politely reminded her about our conversation on the telephone and then asked her to leave, at which point she quickly exited the premises. I never heard another word about it.
“But whatever you do, don’t lie... “
But then you can do like I did. I would not give an answer until I double checked the item. Since my wife was away, I would put him on hold-in-place while I called her and then gave him an answer which I would then double check with my personal files while the dog stared and growled at him. About three questions and 3 hours later he rudely got up and left with the dog giving him the evil eye - dirty dog look.
So, is the census being run by the White House or not?
I told him it was, and he seemed a little freaked out.
Tell him to f*ck off, close the door, and call the police if he doesn’t leave - he can be arrested for criminal trespass.
in order to keep the information up to date... the census collects data and publishes it every ten years... but monies reflecting the numbers can be spent anytime...
i had an enthusiastic woman bring the long form to my door. i told her 3 live here and the ages and genders.
she started asking more questions and i informed her, that it wasn’t necessary. she gave me the spiel about our community needs the money the census information can create and started filling the form out for me...
i asked her to leave. and said i would call the sheriff... she left. i did not receive a fine.
but then again, obama was elected. darn. i guess i was fined afterall.
I live in Maine, too, and that ahole had better not darken my door.
He kept saying he wasn't political, I said, "Well I am, and I'm sick of all this fascism coming out of the federal government, an all of the socialism. In fact I don't even call them democrats, I call them socialists, because that's what they are.
and being paid $22 an hour!!!
$22.00 an hour! Hell, no wonder he was so willing to run out the clock.
I have had a similar two-part conversation (Glock version) with a persistent magazine salesman. Haven't had a magazine salesman at the door since.
Properly trained, dogs are worth their weight in gold.
I think the last time they actual brought someone to trial to fine them was back in the 1970s and the Census specifically went after them because they were publicly announcing on a radio program that they weren't going to fill out their census forms.
A couple years back I threw two different copies of the Un-American Community Survey/Rectal Exam in the woodstove. Decent fire starters, I guess.
Got a visit from a census employee. Met her in the front yard and told her I had answered all of the constitutionally-permissible questions on the census form, and that that was all she was getting. Wouldn’t even give her my name. Frankly, she seemed quite taken aback, and went into a spiel about how me answering their five hundred or whatever highly personal questions would help our community get all kinds of federal money. Told her what I thought of that socialist, statist idea, in no uncertain terms, and finally she went away, never to return.
Put a lawn sprinkler near your porch.
When hapless Census guy comes to the door, say wait a minute, run out the back and turn on the faucet.
They wont be back again!
You should have torn down those flyers you saw in Boston.
When he said who he was, I would probably have said prove it. When he said I had to answer, I would have said prove it. When he said its all about the money, I would have said prove it, and so forth.
After all, I am from Missouri and was raised to be a skeptic.
There are some pretty good bits of ammo upthread, which allow you to do exactly that.
One is a detailed questionnaire designed to make a federal employee annoyed or nervous.
If there is a next time, I’ll be ready for him.
(either that, or they’ll take me away in chains)
I love that SNL skit!
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