My name is Bond. James Bond.

Hi people! In today’s episode of our tour around Weird I mean Great Britain we shall focus on something that is not weird nor strange but on something that is normal. What I mean by normal is that things are as they should be.

What I’m on about? People in the Great Britain don’t have to carry an id with them. They don’t have to have anything to prove that they name is James Bond, Gordon Brown, Alex Salmond, David Beckham or John Smith etc.

This is how Polish driver’s license looks like.

There is your photo in it, your name, DOB etc. What does this document say: a person in the picture, whose name is .... can drive a vehicle of a certain type. This document, however, does not say that a perosn in the picture is you. Surpirsed? Yes, in Poland driver’s license is not a proof of identity. It doesn’t make sense you say, oh yes it does....

The sole purpose of this solution is to justify existence of personal id. Let me put it frankly- matic card issued by your university confirms that you’re a student, it does not confirm your identiy, driver’s licence – issued by state- does not confirm your identity either. Only Passport and id card do.

One could argue that it’s a matter of public safety...but wait a minute. Tell me how an id card can prevent a terrorist attack form happening? Because police will id potential assassin? In the old type of id documents there used to be a column with your occupation. But come on do you expect anybody to put “ terrorist” in there? So the police can identify him or her?

What are other "advantages" of that id card? According to Polish law you have to carry it al the time with you. No matter where you go (Sunday service in your church, dinner with your partner, jogging, night drive, clubbing) you have to have it with you. This document also expires every 10 years (does your name, gender, DOB change every 10 years?) and if you move flats you need to get a new id card. Why? Because id card contains also your address. What else is there- your parents’ names, place of birth, your individual number (yes, for some reason in Poland every citizen has an unique number).

It’s a vast amount of information about an individual, isn’t it? So who can have access to your id? Polish law allows nearly everybody to have a look at your id. Police, post office staff, employers, municipal clerks, people you do business with, when you take a loan, when you set up an account, when you buy a mobile etc etc.

There are many more stupid things related to id cards in Poland but this blog is about “weird” I mean normal Britain. It’s just shocking for me that you guys don’t have id cards. More over a reasonable person at post office will not question a matric card, bus pass, not to mention driver’s licence should it be necessary to prove your identiy. I just find it amazing that if a policeman asks what my name is he will take my words for granted and if I say that my name is Przemek he will trust that this is the case!

I know there is ongoing campaign to introduce Id card in the UK. Trust me you don’t need that and no matter what politicians say id cards will make no good for you. Stay away from it I say.

This what Americans think about id cards.