ID Cards

My passport and driver’s license are my most frequently used documents to prove my identity – generally used for things like checking in at the airport or cashing a check.  And they have other uses.

I went to a baseball game recently (the Mets, my favorite team, at Citifield) and when I bought a beer I was asked for an ID card as proof of age. Being well into seniorhood, I smiled as I looked for my driver’s license. And so did the senior-aged woman who sold me the beer.  I think it is policy to require proof of age for anyone buying alcohol at certain athletic events, to reduce potential disagreements with those who may not look old enough. But it seemed a waste of time.

On the other hand, when I took an Amtrak train a couple of years ago, and requested the senior rate, I was asked for an ID to prove I was old enough to qualify.  I enjoyed that request. It seemed a fine use of my time.

I have other ID cards, with photos, that I use to get benefits I am entitled to. I have a NYC senior citizen metro card that allows me to take buses or trains at half fare. That’s great. And I have an EasyPay account, which means my metro card is tied to a credit card, so that when the balance gets below $10, it is automatically replenished. This means I don’t have to wait on lines to refill my card. Nice.

But the card has another benefit.  It has an expiration date, and I am sent a new replacement card, automatically, approximately every two years. I have often wondered if anyone checks whether or not I am still alive, and still living in NYC – but I am happy to get it, as it involves no effort on my part.  And the newly issued card uses the same photo I submitted when I first applied for the metro card, more than ten years ago. I appear to have been a little plumper in the face than I am now, but otherwise it’s just a younger version of me. And I have another ID like that- a card issued by the apartment complex I live in, that gives me access to enter my building. When new cards were issued several years ago, they used the same picture I took when I first moved in, more than 15 years ago. My hair is no longer that color… but so what? Whenever I use these ID cards I feel my age has been fixed at an earlier time in my life. I don’t mind that.

I also have other ID cards that are no longer of any use, but I keep as documentation of parts of my past. These include the ID card issued by New York University during my career as a research scientist there, and the one I had when I was a NYC cabdriver (during my graduate school days). The most cherished one is the ID I was issued when I worked at Two World Trade Center, I was there until 9/11/01.  I will keep all of these cards even though they no longer generate benefits. They evoke memories of my history, and of a day that I was fortunate to survive.