On 11-5-2010 19:07, Darren New wrote:
> andrel wrote:
>> No we have passports and ID cards for that. 
> 
> And what do you show to get your first passport or ID card?
> 
>> Seems like another round where only USAsians and civilians of 
>> countries with equal defective administrations can enter. ;)
> 
> When did you get your first ID card? And how?

That was 30 odd years ago. How? I don't remember. But as there is no way 
to link my appearance then to what I looked like when I was born, I do 
not suppose the birth certificate played a role, other than proving that 
I did exist (but they could look that up in the database anyway (then a 
collection of cards, I assume)). My best guess is that my mum was there 
to say that I was indeed her son.
Identification is generally by facial appearance, for that you need an 
unbroken line of pictures where from one to the next you can with almost 
certainty say that the face in the picture is the same. Lacking that you 
need a witness. Interesting problem, but not the one you were aiming at.

Story: one day I was travelling to France by train (before the EU). In 
the train at the border they did check our passports. The man from the 
customs looked at the picture in my passport, then at me, then back at 
the picture. I though he was making fun of me, so I reacted in a way 
expressing that I though he was joking (not American of Israeli customs, 
so it was reasonably safe). I got my passport back and was allowed to 
continue my journey. Then I looked at the picture myself. Big lot of 
hair standing out almost afro-like and clean shaven. My image in the 
mirror: long sleek hair in a pony tail and a beard and moustache. The 
guy had a point. When getting my new passport with a better matching 
picture, the guy at the office that checked the old and new pictures 
also did not blink and simply accepted that I was me (whatever that 
means). I know that I looked like that 20 years ago otherwise I might 
not even recognize myself, my earlier self.

>>> When people ask you where you were born, you don't say "right in this 
>>> seat, just a moment ago."
>>
>> Please define "person" and "you" (or "me").
> 
> That's what I'm getting at.

I know.

BTW are we later on going to play the same game with species and 
forefathers? (for your convenience: just say no).

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