The Gun Counter

Backstory:
Tcourtplayer and I took our respective wives to DragonCon in Atlanta over Labor Day. Of course, we planned for some shooting, so we went out to one of Georgia's state-run ranges. A good time was had by all, save a range officer with a room-temperature IQ. (Also, NFA=uh-oh, scary!)

So, anyways, we had to get a cheap $3.50 pass to utilize the range. But since neither of us are Georgia residents, they needed our driver's license number, along with our SSNs, which we were not too happy to give. Anyways, when the nice lady was plugging in my SSN to the Georgia Outdoor Recreation Pass thingy, she made a typo, mistaking my sloppy handwritten 4 for a 9 in the 3rd digit location. After she tried to submit it, the system kicked it back. I'm from PA, so my first 3 numbers are in the 159-211 range. The mistaken number that she submitted was also in that range. This is the same system that they use for hunting licenses.

So, how did it know it was wrong?

All SSNs are unique so even one wrong digit should kick it back. Their system sounds better than the NCIC system though.

Don't know about SSN, but the equivalent used here is a ten digit number with 3 parts. First is the six digit birthdate, then there's a three digit number that is used to separate persons born the same date. It used to be unique for the district the person was born in, but i think they stopped doing that some years ago, but the third digit do show if it's male (uneven) or female (even).

The last 10th digit is a control digit. A formula is used on the other 9 digits to produce the 10th digit, and it's there to make sure that there's no simple mistake made. You don't actually have to run the number against any daabase to verify that it is a valid number, it's enough that you have the number and know how to calculate the checksum.

I figure your SSN's have a similar feature.

CByrneIV wrote:A lot of smart stuff

Gotcha, here I thought it was a [SSN!=JAG2955], instead of a [File Not Found].

Chris wrote:Technically it cannot be used for purposes of identification, even to other federal and state agencies, without the specific consent of the person holding the number (which, if you enter it in the form, you automatically give them). They get around that by using tax information as a justification; but even then only the IRS and SSA can access any information other than whether the number is valid, and matches the name, date of birth, and last address on record.

Yeah, but.

It's used by lots of folks for reasons that are technically illegal. When I was in the Army, it was my service number, and until just a few years ago, it was listed on my driver's license. Evidently, the Social Security Administration raised hell at the Louisiana DMV and they quit listing it on the license.

I know of no valid reason why a Georgia state range would need it, and if someone reports that to the SSA, they might call Georgia and ask them what the hell is going on. However, your SSN is a unique identifier with huge identification issues.

The military puts SSNs everywhere they don't belong and wonder why identity theft is such a problem. Outprocessing checklists, training schedules and rosters... sometimes it seems like you might as well have it tattooed on your forehead.

I liked it better in the old days when you were issued an ID number. RA = Regular Army, NG = National Guard, US = draftee. Still remember mine; RA19893402

My first answer after reading the title was "Pier 19."

Steamforger wrote:My first answer after reading the title was "Pier 19."

I thought something quite similar. I've been reading too much Clancy and Patrick Robinson.

I still have a dozen copies of various change of station orders with my and 58 other random Marines' SSNs on them from each PCS I made.
But the five-sided rat cage can't be sued for violating common sense or identity theft laws, so nothing changes.

It would be helpful if the various service chiefs were listed as personally responsible for any mischief on their watch, and personally civilly liable, in the same way a 2d Lt is personally financially responsible for any missing unit gear signed for. And if pigs could fly, we wouldn't need the TSA to ride them from town to town...

And "what Chris Said" re the SSN numbering system. As a for-instance, mine and my brother's were applied for simultaneously back in the day, and they are several thousand numbers apart.
Which, when Baby Brother was a humble bank employee, made several couples with identical IRA amounts and sequential SSNs oh-so-easy to pick out of a printout as members of the Federal Witless Protection Program. Once again, civil service competence is an oxymoron.