US Census American Community Survey

[bradsteen]

So, I received the American Community Survey from the US Census, and didn't fill it out. I was busy, put it on my "to do" list, and didn't get around to it. A few weeks passed and I got a call from some lady from the Census telling me I needed to fill it out. It was a weird call - she was using what I assume to be her personal number because her name showed up on the caller ID. I was a bit suspicious but everything she said checked out.
I said "OK, I'll fill it out and send it in."
She said "You can't do the paper copy anymore - you waited too long. You have to go online and fill it out, or you can give me your answers over the phone. "
I thought she was being oddly insistent, but said "OK, I'll go online and fill it out."

I reviewed the questions and was astonished how much personal information they were asking for. For married folks they wanted to know if you're a same-gender couple or not. For everyone they want to know date of birth, ethnicity, salary, etc.

Aside from the obvious privacy concerns, I was also very concerned about how that personal info could be used to steal my identity if it fell into the wrong hands... and the gov is not known for it's secure handling of information. Needless to say, I didn't fill anything out.

When she called me back I refused to answer the phone. She then texted me saying I needed to fill everything out by 9pm tonight.

I told her: "I am declining to complete the survey. I believe the information requested is quite personal and out of scope of the census. Please stop contacting me."

She replied: "This is a required survey. You may skip questions you don't want to answer, but it's important that you complete the survey."

I answered back: I am not answering any further questions. It is an invasion of my privacy. There is absolutely no reason for the government to be inquiring about my sexual preferences. Please stop contacting me."

She has not replied back. Not sure if anyone else has had to deal with this, but apparently this survey is "required by law" with a penalty of up to $5,000 for refusing to fill it out, but nobody's ever been prosecuted for not conpleting it. There is an active lawsuit against the Census Bureau r.e. this survey and its invasive questions. More info here: https://pacificlegal.org/case/census-survey-privacy/

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[gryghin]

I don't remember having to fill out the form.

Maybe you could PM her number to me. I could practice my call center accent.

 

[Member 52301]

So, I received the American Community Survey from the US Census, and didn't fill it out. I was busy, put it on my "to do" list, and didn't get around to it. A few weeks passed and I got a call from some lady from the Census telling me I needed to fill it out. It was a weird call - she was using what I assume to be her personal number because her name showed up on the caller ID. I was a bit suspicious but everything she said checked out.
I said "OK, I'll fill it out and send it in."
She said "You can't do the paper copy anymore - you waited too long. You have to go online and fill it out, or you can give me your answers over the phone. "
I thought she was being oddly insistent, but said "OK, I'll go online and fill it out."

I reviewed the questions and was astonished how much personal information they were asking for. For married folks they wanted to know if you're a same-gender couple or not. For everyone they want to know date of birth, ethnicity, salary, etc.

Aside from the obvious privacy concerns, I was also very concerned about how that personal info could be used to steal my identity if it fell into the wrong hands... and the gov is not known for it's secure handling of information. Needless to say, I didn't fill anything out.

When she called me back I refused to answer the phone. She then texted me saying I needed to fill everything out by 9pm tonight.

I told her: "I am declining to complete the survey. I believe the information requested is quite personal and out of scope of the census. Please stop contacting me."

She replied: "This is a required survey. You may skip questions you don't want to answer, but it's important that you complete the survey."

I answered back: I am not answering any further questions. It is an invasion of my privacy. There is absolutely no reason for the government to be inquiring about my sexual preferences. Please stop contacting me."

She has not replied back. Not sure if anyone else has had to deal with this, but apparently this survey is "required by law" with a penalty of up to $5,000 for refusing to fill it out, but nobody's ever been prosecuted for not conpleting it. There is an active lawsuit against the Census Bureau r.e. this survey and its invasive questions. More info here: https://pacificlegal.org/case/census-survey-privacy/

@bradsteen


TELL her to eff off in a POLITE WAY. YOU will NOT be fined and tons more.

You do NOT have to answer one of those types of surveys.

You DO have to comply with the regular CENSUS survey. FEDERAL - every 10 years?

Without having to TYPE A WHOLE LOT MORE HERE due to my old and sore hand issues... I got one of those surveys in the mail NOT with my PAID by me PO BOX at a USPS STATION but with an end of the street mailbox in a CLUSTER SECTION of mail boxes like they do for smaller and newer subdivisions.

IT was a VERY INVASIVE SURVEY and I did not answer it. I reported it to the police department after doing some RESEARCH on the survey.

I got some 'chick' here banging aka POUNDING (NO s!) not knocking or ringing my doorbell in a NORMAL MANNER or NICE MANNER not only one time but 2 and 3 times.

I went to the door and did NOT OPEN IT but spoke to her through a partially open window close to my front door. THIS was not the usual time for the REGULAR CENSUS required year where they ask you how many people live in your home - house. I TOLD HER THAT. I REFUSED TO LET HER INSIDE and told her to LEAVE MY PRIVATE PROPERTY - I have NO trespassing signs up AND a private property sign too. Posted clearly.

SHE FLASHED ME HER BADGE HANGING FROM HER NECK and I told her that that was NOT the YEAR for the 10 year census (?) which was TRUE.

I TOLD HER THAT I DO NOT LET STRANGERS INTO MY HOUSE - PERIOD!

Was she the police and did she have a LEGAL SEARCH WARRANT?! LOL

I TOLD HER THAT ANY CROOK OR NON CROOK COULD MAKE UP A BADGE LIKE THAT and MY MT HUSBAND TOLD ME THAT TOO. He knows that and so do I. HE HAD HIGH SECURITY - CLEARANCE BADGES and so forth too. REAL ONES.

So the female dog came back a THIRD TIME and BLOCKED MY DRIVEWAY with her car - SHE had my MT husband's truck blocked in the way that she did it. I went to the door, I kept it closed, I spoke through a window - same as BEFORE deal, and told her to LEAVE. I reported it again (Previous to that time it was reported twice.) to a NON emergency police number too. She finally went to her car and SAT INSIDE OF HER CAR at this THIRD VISIT.

IF she came more than those 3 times - I NEVER WENT TO THE DOOR OR WINDOW. BUT the 3 times - she literally POUNDED AT THE DOOR for some time and it was LOUD. My RETIRED - same age neighbor man saw her HERE for the 3 times and he went to his side windows and FRONT porch too. Plus on his side patio - large doors looking over at her, her car and her ANTICS. HIS DOGS were going nuts too. WE DISCUSSED THIS several times as friends/neighbors and he told me that if I needed HIM to just call him since my MT husband was NOT retired yet and HE HAD ODD HOURS - sleep/work time and a crazy - high stress 24/7 job. I was already retired.

HER THIRD VISIT HERE:

After she was sitting in her car and taking a LONG TIME TO LEAVE - I went out on my front porch in my bathrobe/slippers, I POINTED AT the other street WITH MY FINGER in a NON THREATNING WAY, pointed to the other STREET again, YELLED OUT TO HER REPEATEDLY TO LEAVE MY PROPERTY now, leave my property NOW, you are TRESPASSING and you have been warned, I have reported you to the POLICE in the past and I will do it again IF need be AND TO STOP BLOCKING MY DRIVEWAY!

SHE NEVER DID PARK IN THE HUGE SPACES ON PUBLIC PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE STREET BY THE CURB! I kept telling her to leave my property while I had my telephone - landline - portable telephone in my hand ready to DIAL 911 instead of the non emergency number this time. SHE WAS SITTING THERE WITH HER COMPUTER TYPING UP SOMETHING all of that time while sitting in her car and BLOCKING my husband's truck on my land.

Then after that THIRD time frame VISIT FROM HER, I got a UPS (?) or FED EX but I think that it was UPS package on MY front porch with MY legal WIDOWED full name and MY DEAD HUSBAND'S LEGAL NAME on the front of the big brown (Or another color?) envelope. IT was a BIG, long, heavy, VERY PERSONAL and INVASIVE survey which was NOT the normal census survey that they do every 10 years on the FEDERAL LEVEL.

I did TONS OF RESEARCH on the female dog's name who kept coming here and SHE must have done some digging on ME (ID theft? Courthouse legal recordings on ME building this house alone and in MY name only.) and on my DEAD husband since he never LIVED HERE in MT, he did NOT die in MT and he DIED in the old house, BACK EAST in his home state not mine, that we built in the early 70's with me as his caregiver, his ashes are scattered up NORTH here in MT and I scattered them myself, etc. I REPORTED THE name/survey to the LOCAL POLICE, to the census bureau in D.C. and to the FTC in case of ID theft and so forth.

YOU are NOT, NOT and not required to answer the community type surveys and with the crapola that they ask - I would tell them to stuff it.

NO one else got any SURVEY like I did IN this small and newer subdivision because I did ASK AROUND HERE. I was the FIRST ONE who built here other than a model house further down on another street.

You can't even SEE my house unless you pull INTO the subdivision and go way down it and make a
curve - tiny bend in the street.

There are only 4 houses down here NOW and a HUGE area (MANY, many ACRES!) of a NO build zone (Trees, brush, lakes, etc.) all of the way BEHIND me all of the way down, down and down to one of 3 rivers here in this town too.

When it came to the normal LAST REAL FEDERAL census - I never got ANY CARD or letter in the 'street' mail box or in my PAID USPS MAIL BOX too. I do NOT do online stuff like that at all.

I did call the census bureau and told them that I did NOT get any card or letter like I got 'back east' or even when I first moved out here before I built this house. IT came to the physical address. I TOLD THEM THAT I SAW THE ADS on tv but I do not and will NOT do any of this ONLINE.

I was told that the LAST REAL FEDERAL CENSUS did NOT even mail out post cards, letters, surveys, etc.

That is or was all supposed to be ONLINE or by telephone. Maybe they mail something OUT to people with NO computer or can't speak on a telephone or have a guardian do this for them. Beats me but NO one that I know got any POST CARD OR LETTER for the real once every 10 years ONLY OFFICIAL FEDERAL census.

ADDED more here.

I only had a REAL census worker come to my VERY RURAL HOME back in farm/lake country one as in 1 time in 30 some years! I went out to greet her since I was in my garage with my German Shepherd and the pound puppy - Samoyed female dogs. She barely got out of her car when she saw my well trained dogs too.

She was NICE and extremely polite. She looked at my house and so forth and asked if I was willing to answer some other census questions which were NOT required legally but too personal and NOTHING LIKE THEY WANT NOW ON INCOME and ALL KINDS OF OTHER 'STUFF'.

I can't remember the few questions that she asked ALL OF THOSE YEARS AGO but I did LISTEN TO HER and POLITELY and legally REFUSED all EXTRA questions other than I had ALREADY WRITTEN DOWN with my late husband and if they wanted any info on INCOME - I am honest to the penny with my income taxes, never had a parking ticket, etc. I had NO problem with the nice lady way back when and she was a REAL CENSUS WORKER. The REQUIRED federal one.

They did NOT ask questions, BACK THEN, on what I IDENTIFY AS sexually or if I am a blue spruce tree (LOL) or what I am nationality wise, HIPPA type medical questions, etc.

I told them BACK THEN and now that I am a LEGAL American citizen, I am a REAL female - born that way and I am a remarried widow now. I told them that my husband is a real MALE.

Way back when, TWO PEOPLE in my large house back east and, now, 2 people in my small house that I built here in MT. NO children - I never had any.

YOU are ONLY required by LAW to answer the REAL federal census and only the basic BY LAW required questions. ALL of the other BS and WOKE SALAMI QUESTIONS are NOT needed or required by law.

When you do a one or several DAYS of RESEARCH as I did on the salami community questions - survey and the 'WORKERS' that they HIRE and with their BS THREATS, INTIMIDATION, AND ALL KINDS OF POOP - YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED BIG TIME.

The female dog who was HERE was just that a royal B and she did some INVASIVE SEARCHING about me and my DEAD HUSBAND which was not quite 20 years of his death date too. THERE was nothing that she needed from ME at all. She was NOT the military asking about a highly decorated Veteran, some of his or my pension places, etc.

DID the ONE WHO CALLED YOU ask YOU about GUN OWNERSHIP?!

Old Lady Cate

 

[Member 52301]

@bradsteen


PS:

I never got a telephone call from the female dog mentioned above. The one who could not take a nice and polite from the gitgo, "No thank you! There is NO real FEDERAL CENSUS GOING on NOW and leave my property please. I am NOT interested in your so called survey - real or not but it is NOT the required federal one for sure. NO stranger comes INTO MY HOUSE. I am not going out on my porch to greet you and I am keeping my door LOCKED, etc."

When these types of people get NASTY and rude PLUS they think that they can POUND ON YOUR FRONT DOOR USING NO MANNERS from the gitgo - I stop being ladylike and mannerly as I was raised OLD SCHOOL and Emily Post like. Really - I was and sometimes I am shocked at how I am now when I see stupid, nasty and mean people even though I do BELIEVE IN PLAYING NICE, walking away and turning the other cheek.

I have never been in a 'physical fight' in my life at 72 years old but I have gotten verbal when need be which is NOT often. NOT often in my 72 years on this earth. I was raised to WALK AWAY and consider the source when it comes to bullies, nasty, rude, stupid and MEAN PEOPLE.

IF she did call me - there was NO message left by her on my old fashioned answering machine.

I have an old fashioned land line - black house telephone plugged into the wall and a portable telephone too.

IF the power goes OUT - the portable telephone that works with the land line and 'charges' does not work but the black telephone that PLUGS directly into the telephone wire does work.

NO cellular telephones here = NO texts at all.

My MT husband NEVER got a 'survey' like I got in HIS NAME too. I say MT (Montana) husband since I am not talking about my late husband but being a remarried widow.

And the ONLY time and way that I did go OUT ON MY PORCH was when the female dog got INTO HER CAR and sat there for some time while working on her computer. What she was typing - beats me!

True or false about me in some FAKE or real community SURVEY - beats me - maybe she typed in some salami - lies like I answered her (NOT!) so called survey. I will NEVER KNOW.

The third time - visit from HER is when I went out on my porch AFTER she was IN her car and sitting there, typing away and when I told her to leave AGAIN and pointed at the other street, etc.

IF she had gotten OUT OF HER CAR and came towards me - I would have gone inside IMMEDIATELY so she could NOT get close to me too. She did not take the hint to LEAVE and I would have called the 911 emergency number right then and there.

Plus I would NOT have wanted someone like HER to make a false allegation about me since she kept coming back. And as I said, AFTER THE THIRD VISIT - I got the big envelope on my porch. I kept it for ONE YEAR after I made more telephone calls and further research about these community surveys, etc. I finally CUT IT ALL UP and then shredded it after I cut it up. I have NEVER gotten another one or was fined for this CRAPOLA. The disturbing part is the envelope with MY DEAD HUSBAND'S NAME on it with mine. SO this royal B did some searching ON ME for sure.

Take care.

Old Lady Cate
ADDED more here:

There are 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SURVEYS. One is the 'community one' so called survey AND the other one is the OFFICIAL FEDERAL 10 YEAR SURVEY which is a BASIC ONE or most of them are pretty BASIC but it is only every 10 years (?) that is supposed to be completed by legal citizens and 'residents' living in the USA. I sincerely doubt that ILLEGAL ALIENS are completing their 'surveys' of ANY TYPE!

 

[Member 52301]

My husband read this thread before going to the gym. He told me to tell you to look up under Google (NO offence on the G word here due to some people not using it EVER.) the TONS of threads/posts all over the WWWeb on various forums and boards about HOW some of the survey takers have acted towards potential people being surveyed.

Some of them are going ALL OVER people's land and property LOOKING INTO bedroom windows, kitchens, living rooms, patio doors by a family room or den, etc. Even going into OPEN GARAGES with NO permission to ENTER THEM with a person inside or outside of them - attached to a house or with a breezeway in between a house and garage and even INTO barns.

Some of them even showed up super LATE into the night (Dark outside - good way of thinking that it is a home invasion too!) and at other strange times of day/night. WHO would think that it was a real survey taker?! Plus on who the .gov people HIRED for these jobs. Some of them may be okay but others are NOT!


They have even KNOCKED on neighbors doors and all around and ASKED about the PERSON who they want to answer their survey.

Their hours, working, retired, laid off, what they DRIVE, who lives with them, etc.

Some TRUSTED neighbors did NOT answer those questions and TOLD the neighbor on what was being asked about him, her or the HOUSEHOLD. They thought that it was odd too.

Like someone would be CASING THE JOINT and even if it a TRAFFIC QUESTION - who would give a stranger their working or any other SCHEDULE?! And what they drive or keep in their garage?!

Color of vehicle, brand name, type of vehicle, model, year, etc.?!

You would be astounded on some of those questions AND even when it comes to being handicapped or elderly and living alone as an OLD LADY in the boonies or in town!

NOT safe for a stranger to know worse off for a BUNCH OF DATA that anyone could tap into with their private computer and id card while working or 'off work' in ANY COMMUNITY and not just on the federal level NO matter how private they tell you that your information is kept secret and safe.

Heck, Equifax or Experian (NOT Transunion this time.) just had another MESS ON THEIR HANDS with bank/credit union data for their customers and ratings where they totally screwed up so called scores for MANY people. This was on MANY financial websites but NOT highly broadcast ALL over as it should be.

Meanwhile, there have been some screw ups with data and private information being HACKED with more big NATIONAL banks and a few credit unions. Robin Banks (?) deal and another name tied into APPS on telephones - cellular ones and computers. This has been ongoing too.

So we should trust (LOL) this community survey when the US Government can't FIX the IRS in a sane, fair and timely manner or even get the freaking US Post Office to deliver the mail as they should?!

Bozeman, Missoula, etc. in MT and other places ALL OVER THE USA are effed up there and this is true and in the news.
WE have complained for several years now about the MAIL and it is only getting worse. My CERTIFIED LETTER has still not reached the .gov person working with one Senator in Kalispell (One office in K. is handling it for the entire state of MT supposedly.) and that is OVER 2 to 3 YEARS NOW.

Bozeman made the LOCAL, national and international news about their mail issues too.

My senators, etc. are on speed dial. LOL

The post office and the POST OFFICE'S HEAD KAHUNA aka a JOKER (Big donor!) that Trump hired is as worthless as teats on a BOAR! HIS @@@ needs to be fired!

Old Lady Cate

 

[JustShoot]

My husband read this thread before going to the gym. He told me to tell you to look up under Google (NO offence on the G word here due to some people not using it EVER.) the TONS of threads/posts all over the WWWeb on various forums and boards about HOW some of the survey takers have acted towards potential people being surveyed.

Some of them are going ALL OVER people's land and property LOOKING INTO bedroom windows, kitchens, living rooms, patio doors by a family room or den, etc. Even going into OPEN GARAGES with NO permission to ENTER THEM with a person inside or outside of them - attached to a house or with a breezeway in between a house and garage and even INTO barns.

Some of them even showed up super LATE into the night (Dark outside - good way of thinking that it is a home invasion too!) and at other strange times of day/night. WHO would think that it was a real survey taker?! Plus on who the .gov people HIRED for these jobs. Some of them may be okay but others are NOT!


They have even KNOCKED on neighbors doors and all around and ASKED about the PERSON who they want to answer their survey.

Their hours, working, retired, laid off, what they DRIVE, who lives with them, etc.

Some TRUSTED neighbors did NOT answer those questions and TOLD the neighbor on what was being asked about him, her or the HOUSEHOLD. They thought that it was odd too.

Like someone would be CASING THE JOINT and even if it a TRAFFIC QUESTION - who would give a stranger their working or any other SCHEDULE?! And what they drive or keep in their garage?!

Color of vehicle, brand name, type of vehicle, model, year, etc.?!

You would be astounded on some of those questions AND even when it comes to being handicapped or elderly and living alone as an OLD LADY in the boonies or in town!

NOT safe for a stranger to know worse off for a BUNCH OF DATA that anyone could tap into with their private computer and id card while working or 'off work' in ANY COMMUNITY and not just on the federal level NO matter how private they tell you that your information is kept secret and safe.

Heck, Equifax or Experian (NOT Transunion this time.) just had another MESS ON THEIR HANDS with bank/credit union data for their customers and ratings where they totally screwed up so called scores for MANY people. This was on MANY financial websites but NOT highly broadcast ALL over as it should be.

Meanwhile, there have been some screw ups with data and private information being HACKED with more big NATIONAL banks and a few credit unions. Robin Banks (?) deal and another name tied into APPS on telephones - cellular ones and computers. This has been ongoing too.

So we should trust (LOL) this community survey when the US Government can't FIX the IRS in a sane, fair and timely manner or even get the freaking US Post Office to deliver the mail as they should?!

Bozeman, Missoula, etc. in MT and other places ALL OVER THE USA are effed up there and this is true and in the news.
WE have complained for several years now about the MAIL and it is only getting worse. My CERTIFIED LETTER has still not reached the .gov person working with one Senator in Kalispell (One office in K. is handling it for the entire state of MT supposedly.) and that is OVER 2 to 3 YEARS NOW.

Bozeman made the LOCAL, national and international news about their mail issues too.

My senators, etc. are on speed dial. LOL

The post office and the POST OFFICE'S HEAD KAHUNA aka a JOKER (Big donor!) that Trump hired is as worthless as teats on a BOAR! HIS @@@ needs to be fired!

Old Lady Cate

Sweet .. three Post Rant . the Trifecta.
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