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Comment by Suppafly | Hacker News Reader

This seems like it's mostly about retail situations. I just say no in the situations. It's always surprising how taken aback cashiers and such are when you just refuse to provide your phone number or zip code or whatever else they ask for. I'm pretty non-confrontational, but I have no problem just answering no when asked for unnecessary personal information.

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I always just say no as well. I've been doing it for decades, but haven't seen anybody taken aback by it for a very long time. They just say "OK" and move on.

Miss Manners (IIRC) back in the 20th century, advised that people who ask questions they have no business asking should have no expectation of receiving answers that have any accuracy.

(although US banks may put PII like "what was your momma's name?" and "where did you go to elementary school?" to actual use, they somehow still haven't gotten around to "can you make a roux?")

We also have security questions in France (less and less). My best friend used to be CDZ@mVt10DNay7n0sGzn*4J5Q! until I had to spell it down one day.

Now he is known as cartload-sash-stark-travesty-chastity

pro tip: at CVS (and probably elsewhere), <local-area-code>-867-5309 will come back as a valid customer. Better than simply refusing because in many cases you will get a discounted price on some items as a "member"

I use this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/777-9311

> The song's title, "777-9311", was Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson's actual telephone number at the time the song was written. Once the song became a hit, the phone calls started coming in, and Dickerson ended up having to change his phone number.

This doesn't always work; I think some cashiers have caught on to this one. Some will ask for the name on the account. It's not always "Jenny".

I'm the same, but I've been known to get argumentative if they continue or refuse to not accept it.

Now, I just give obviously fake phone numbers like 212-555-1212. Since most of these retail type people are younger, they don't even know what the 555 prefix means or what the significance of the 1212 number was. Instead, they just dutifully enter in the number like a good automaton. If they then try to be "friendly" by addressing you as a the name that comes up with the number, I just nod and smile.

My level of combativeness with their overreaching into privacy is solely dictated by their attitude. Most of them are just fine when you decline to provide the requested data. I've even had some just use whatever pretend account they use. It's only when they get snippy with me that I ramp up.

>This seems like it's mostly about retail situations. I just say no in the situations.

I just say it's "against my religion." That usually works pretty well.

Websites are the problem. You can't say "no thanks" to a required form field. (The obvious retort of "well don't shop there" is a no-go.)

I've given "none-of-your-business" data to companies that don't need it for a long time, (e.g. my middle name, shockingly, is your domain name, so weird!) but it CAN bite you if you forget your password and they ask for your birthday as proof of who you are.

I get asked my birthday so seldomly that I always forget what my new forever birthday is going to be by the next time I need it.

Doesn't work for birthday, but for random none of your business fields, I often use data about the site itself. Give them their own address and use abuse@theirdomain.com for the email.

For birthdays, I always just pick the nearest static holiday. So eg if you’re born July 9th, I’d just put July 4th for everything. Then when it’s time for recall, it’s as simple as “does this need a real birthday or a marketing birthday” and pick July 4th or 9th.

For years I have been putting postmaster@<domain> for required email-to-download forms. Enjoy reading your own spam, jerks.

If you want to mess with them a bit, use the answer my great-grandfather put on his WWII draft card.

Phone: Yes

I love giving nonsensical answers. To the people trying to sell me newspapers in the street I usually reply "I don't read". For the door-to-door charity folk I tend to use variations on "I don't like [whatever their charity is for]". E.g. I don't like children.

This usually confuses them enough so you can get clear before they recompose themselves.

For any data requested I just substitute the last x digits by what my watch says. Great RNG

Yep I settled on "No thanks, I'm good." Less and less push back these days.

Never had anyone get real "pushy" though. But I give off "doesn't like to be pushed around" vibes haha.

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