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Comment by ericlewis | Hacker News Reader

I’ll read the article but I’ll admit that my first reaction to this was… do they know how folks use their phone? My phone is my entire wallet now, in every way. Wether flying the country (boarding passes, I have clear), or purchasing something (I nearly exclusively use Apple Pay) I’ve long left behind needing to carry a proper wallet. I do make sure to carry a couple of $20s just in case there is some oddball reason my situation wouldn’t work. I also have no reason to carry an ID, but that’s also about to live in your phone.

Maybe the title just comment baited me though.

Edit: read it and this speaks more to the unhealthy obsession with the perceived importance of instant communication. You should delete or turn these apps off whenever you can. Turning off notifications can also be empowering.

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While you won't be flying anywhere, I think in for some purposes you should be able to feel comfortable leaving home even without money or an ID. I think it's sad that our world is so entirely consumed by bureaucracy and capital that we feel uncomfortable existing, for even a brief period, just as ourselves, rather than numbers in a bank account or a government database.

What country does not require you to carry an id at all times where outside your house? Most countries do and most don't even accept alternate id's like driver's license.

The United States I guess. If I were to be buying alcohol it’s reasonable for them to ask. But that’s not something I often do anymore and generally there isn’t a reason anyone would ask for my id otherwise. Perhaps if I’m in a different state (I do still travel with a form of ID, but not on my person) it could be important. My limited experience with cops where I live have also indicated it isn’t important.

I don’t drive either which is a much bigger drive as to why I don’t feel the need to constantly have official identification.

Edit: I suppose it is important if anything “went wrong” and I needed my body to be identified, but again, that would be a case where people are wondering where I’m at quite quickly and the cops likely putting something out to identify such a person.

Edit 2: I also did try to get a state ID but they make the process so laughably difficult that getting a passport was easier - further, they don’t accept a passport as a main source of identification. I instead needed to also have a physical copy of my social security card (despite the other mountain of evidence I brought about my existence and propriety living in the state) and I never quite understood that. They do gladly accept the taxes I pay though. No questions asked!

is it even enforced?

my country "requires" it, but I never have my id with me unless I need it e.g going to gov office

I’ve heard tales in my state it is “required” but only ever seen people slapped with that charge when the cops weren’t quite able to pin the original charges they’d pulled them over for.

The UK doesn't even have a national ID, The US would be at war if that was the requirement and here in Denmark I can have my drivers license as an app.

What country does not require you to carry an id at all times where outside your house?

Sweden doesn't for one.

The US has no requirement to carry your ID. I'm not sure there's any base requirement to have ID.

You only need your driver's license if you're driving, and ID in general is only required for certain activities that directly require identification or use the ID to confirm other information (eg age when buying alcohol).

New Zealand for one. You don't need to carry an ID at all times, only if you're driving do you need your driver's license. However, if you're detained by the police you are required to identify yourself, but this does not need involve your physical ID.

Is it really common in other countries that you legally need your ID on you at all times?

Former Communist states in Eastern Europe: it is very common. If you don't have it on you, you get fined and you can be detained, transported and held at a police station until your identity is confirmed, but this part does not happen very often.

In the US there is no such requirement. An ID is only needed to buy restricted products/substances (alcohol, certain medications, guns), to drive, to vote, or similar: cases where you either need to prove who you are or prove how old you are.

The Wikipedia article on the subject[0] is incomplete, but the only countries whose laws it specifically describes (Germany & Sweden) do not require carrying the ID with you. Rather than it being the norm to require ID, I'm having a very hard time finding out any countries that do require it.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obligation_of_identification

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card... Lots of countries don't even require citizens to own some special id card.

In my case (Austria, EU), when the police is required to check your identity, and if you aren't carrying some allowed form of identification (id card [most people don't have one around here, no one needs it but it costs as much as renewing your passport], passport [who carries their passport around, might even be expired], drivers license [you might not have one]) they have to follow you home or wherever an recognized identity document of yours may be (e.g. some people store them at a safe deposit box at a bank).

A markedly-incomplete list of a few countries that do not require you to carry an ID outside your home:

Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.

I'm not sure if anyone on HN lives in any of those countries, though. I know I'm a Russian disinformation worker, and I assume everyone else is, too.

I didn't know that there were countries that required that. Can you give me a few examples?

Most of Eastern Europe, including EU countries. Romania is the one that I know the laws best, police can stop you without any reason and detain you for identification if you don't have an ID on you (and fine you for that).

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