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I was helping a homeless gentlemen "redocument" himself - he had been robbed of his wallet, anything providing identity, and had kinda fallen into a state of hopelessness.
It's a real bummer trying to prove who you are when you can't prove who you are.
We started at the county courthouse to get him a new birth certificate, but as much as that clerk wanted to help, all (I'll call him Jimmy) had to prove who he was was a faded copy of an expired out-of-state drivers license.
He was on probation for a fight he had with his brother (domestic violence - in my day we called that 'family') so we went to his probation office to see if we could get anything from them verifying who he was. After quite a bit of discussion, the receptionist said, "I can't give you anything to take over there, but I can email her something that might help".
We went back to the courthouse, and the clerk was smiling, and said she could now print a copy of his birth certificate from his birth county. YAY!!!!
Next, we went to DPS where he was going to apply for a State ID. The lady there was very helpful, looked him up in the system, and said, "you actually have an expired Texas driver's license - it would be quicker and cheaper to renew that". (He thought he forfeited his Texas DL when he acquired the out-of-state one)
Now, armed with an actual birth certificate AND a temporary proof of a Texas driver's license, we headed off to the local Social Security office.
That's where things went south.
They have an armed guard who acts as the welcoming committee. He's like the worst TSA employee you've ever met only 10 times more controlling and grouchy, and with a gun.
He growled at us that we have to sign in, then go sit down and watch the monitor for our "next" status. It was obviously going to be a long wait.
At one point, I noticed a kiosk that said "Online Self Help Here", and a computer terminal that appeared to be for public use. I suggested we check that out, and we sat down at the terminal. Mister Prison Guard was on us instantly, barking that he was going to have to tell "them" that we are on the computer, implying we would lose our place in line. I asked him if, in fact, we would lose our place in line, and he barked again "I'm going to tell them you're on the computer".
So, AGAIN I asked - will we lose our place in line if we try to find our answer here? He grunted, "no", and at that moment, one of "them" appeared at the window - a VERY nice lady who asked us what we were looking for, and very politely informed us that was not one of the things the kiosk computer would be able to do. I smiled, thanked her, and told her we would wait for our turn in line.
By this time, my back was aching, and I stood up to stretch. Mr Prison Guard was on me in an instant, ordering me to go outside if I want to stand up, but if I wanted to stay inside, I had to sit down. Say WHAT?!?!?!?!
I asked him, "Are you SERIOUS?" He repeated - "If you want to stand up - go out side (it was 35 degrees and windy) or sit down in the lobby".
SO....
I have been trying to find out if there is any written policy or law or any other kind authority for this !$#!^!^!% to make such a demand. Jimmy's number was called, and the lady was able to help him out in about 30 seconds, and we were getting ready to leave.
I WANTED to ask that guard "or what"? I have to sit down or WHAT? You're going to ARREST me? Beat me up? Shoot me?
I'm trying to figure out what legal authority he would have to enforce a "you have to sit down if you are in the lobby" policy. Or who does the SSA use for their security - the guy was armed, so, in Texas, that would have to be a certified police officer or federal officer or something. You cannot be in a federal building with a gun in Texas (or, I would imagine, in any state) unless you are a certified peace officer.
I've seen on Facebook where this same prison guard has demanded that mothers must not have bottle water, or they can't feed their babies, or they can't let their children stand up....
I really wonder what would happen if I had refused to sit down or go outside. And, yes, I wrote an official letter of complaint to the local SSA administrator.
It's a real bummer trying to prove who you are when you can't prove who you are.
We started at the county courthouse to get him a new birth certificate, but as much as that clerk wanted to help, all (I'll call him Jimmy) had to prove who he was was a faded copy of an expired out-of-state drivers license.
He was on probation for a fight he had with his brother (domestic violence - in my day we called that 'family') so we went to his probation office to see if we could get anything from them verifying who he was. After quite a bit of discussion, the receptionist said, "I can't give you anything to take over there, but I can email her something that might help".
We went back to the courthouse, and the clerk was smiling, and said she could now print a copy of his birth certificate from his birth county. YAY!!!!
Next, we went to DPS where he was going to apply for a State ID. The lady there was very helpful, looked him up in the system, and said, "you actually have an expired Texas driver's license - it would be quicker and cheaper to renew that". (He thought he forfeited his Texas DL when he acquired the out-of-state one)
Now, armed with an actual birth certificate AND a temporary proof of a Texas driver's license, we headed off to the local Social Security office.
That's where things went south.
They have an armed guard who acts as the welcoming committee. He's like the worst TSA employee you've ever met only 10 times more controlling and grouchy, and with a gun.
He growled at us that we have to sign in, then go sit down and watch the monitor for our "next" status. It was obviously going to be a long wait.
At one point, I noticed a kiosk that said "Online Self Help Here", and a computer terminal that appeared to be for public use. I suggested we check that out, and we sat down at the terminal. Mister Prison Guard was on us instantly, barking that he was going to have to tell "them" that we are on the computer, implying we would lose our place in line. I asked him if, in fact, we would lose our place in line, and he barked again "I'm going to tell them you're on the computer".
So, AGAIN I asked - will we lose our place in line if we try to find our answer here? He grunted, "no", and at that moment, one of "them" appeared at the window - a VERY nice lady who asked us what we were looking for, and very politely informed us that was not one of the things the kiosk computer would be able to do. I smiled, thanked her, and told her we would wait for our turn in line.
By this time, my back was aching, and I stood up to stretch. Mr Prison Guard was on me in an instant, ordering me to go outside if I want to stand up, but if I wanted to stay inside, I had to sit down. Say WHAT?!?!?!?!
I asked him, "Are you SERIOUS?" He repeated - "If you want to stand up - go out side (it was 35 degrees and windy) or sit down in the lobby".
SO....
I have been trying to find out if there is any written policy or law or any other kind authority for this !$#!^!^!% to make such a demand. Jimmy's number was called, and the lady was able to help him out in about 30 seconds, and we were getting ready to leave.
I WANTED to ask that guard "or what"? I have to sit down or WHAT? You're going to ARREST me? Beat me up? Shoot me?
I'm trying to figure out what legal authority he would have to enforce a "you have to sit down if you are in the lobby" policy. Or who does the SSA use for their security - the guy was armed, so, in Texas, that would have to be a certified police officer or federal officer or something. You cannot be in a federal building with a gun in Texas (or, I would imagine, in any state) unless you are a certified peace officer.
I've seen on Facebook where this same prison guard has demanded that mothers must not have bottle water, or they can't feed their babies, or they can't let their children stand up....
I really wonder what would happen if I had refused to sit down or go outside. And, yes, I wrote an official letter of complaint to the local SSA administrator.
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