Vanity Post: Home visit today from the U.S. Census Bureau with an EXTENSIVE survey.

The Census taker that came to my house | Shannon

[Shannon]

I know this is a vanity post, but I was quite surprised at having a census taker come to my house when I wasn't even aware they were doing this. At first it sounded like a minor survey. It was anything but. Suggestions welcome.

[Shannon]

An elderly man came and had his ID tag on and he identified himself as being from the census bureau. He said it would only take a few minutes. I said okay and told him we could sit on my porch.

We sat down and he then plugged in his computer. The first couple questions seemed harmless enough, asking if he had my address correct; he didn't. He had the wrong town. I'm not kidding. So we straightened that out. He said that was probably why I hadn't received the letter telling me of his impending visit.

The next question asked how many lived in the household. I expected that and answered. Then he wanted the names and I figured, well, that's easy to obtain but I still don't like it. I told him I didn't care for that question and he said I could make them up. I'm not making this up! I told him I wasn't about to commit fraud but that this survey was getting mighty close to being done. He told me all answers are "confidential". Oh, okay that makes me feel better.

Then he wanted ages and that's where I said I'd wouldn't answer any more questions. I asked if there was any penalty for not answering and he said no, that about one percent of the people refuse. Well, that number just went up.

After that I told him I was done with answering any questions. As he was entering "R", for "refused to answer" into his computer I was reading the letter he'd given me which I guess is the one I never got in the mail.

According to the letter the questions are on "education, health, family income, housing and other important subjects." Also in the letter it states and the man confirmed that, "Our representatives contact occupants of a selected dwelling eight times--4 months in one year and the same 4 months in the following year." This sounds like a tracking system to me. What next, a "confidential" chip??

I told this man that he didn't need to return, that I wouldn't be answering ANY further questions. He said he'd come anyway. There's a phone number on the back of the letter for the Regional Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Do you think I should ignore the whole thing or phone and tell them not return?

[chance33_98]

He was senile. Probably escaped from the home.

[anniegetyourgun]

Probably an ex-con who was casing your joint.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I think it's already too late for you. The government has obviously chosen to track you. The old man is actually not an old man at all. It was a disguise. He knocked you out for a couple of minutes with a dart and he implanted the chip in you. Resistance is futile.

[BfloGuy]

Pretty interesting.

We always complain that none of us never gets included in all these national polls about this, that, or the other thing.

Sounds like you got polled; and by the Census Bureau to boot.

My response would have been yours. You can complain -- won't help, probably. They're taking these interim censuses (censi (?)) all the time to feed the congress-critters with fodder for new legislation to help the pee-pull.

[Not now, Not ever!]

Sounds flakey, if they had the wrong address and therefore couldn't send the letter, how did he find you this time??

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

On a serious note, I wouldn't worry too much about this. Just tell the old man you don't want to cooperate next time he stops by for a visit. I could find out all kinds of things about you for about $20...our personal info is already everywhere.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I was wondering about that too!

[chance33_98]

Wasn't me. I was replying to the poster of the story...Your senile too! LOL ;)

[Shannon]

Yes, I was a bit surprised as I've never been picked for any of these types of things; I just hear about them.

I agree that it probably wouldn't help to complain. I guess he'll just return, 4 times, and I'll tell him Hello and Good-by.

[Not now, Not ever!]

Thank you!! that explains so much!!!

[Shannon]

I asked him exactly that. He said he went to Town Hall with no luck, then to the Post Office with no luck, and finally off to the Courthouse where he found a man who knew of the area.

[John H K]

(Note: I worked part-time for the 2000 census. This is the straight dope.)

The Census is always doing surveys of one kind or another. They didn't pick you specifically to "track" you; you were chosen randomly and were just unlucky; I doubt whether more than a few thousand people in the country are in this particular survey.

All refusing will do is cause them to keep coming back; they'll eventually have that guy's supervisor come out and try.

There's NO ONE you can call and say you don't want any more visits and then the visits will stop. If you don't want to answer the questions, you'll just have to get used to a constant bombardment of visits or phone calls, till the time limit for the survey runs out.

Legally, you're required to cooperate; theoretically, there are fines and such, but they NEVER EVER actually prosecute anyone (other than apartment managers who don't let census workers into apartment buildings).

The basic plan is to annoy you into cooperating.

[chance33_98]

Noticed your inland in Southern Cali - Anywhere near Tehachapi or Ridgecrest? I do miss that area! Some good folk inland.

[Quix]

My unlawyerly recollection is that they CAN choose to get nasty in terms of what the law allows.

But probably, in most cases, they just choose another home from the demographsics needed and go on. But if they do that too much, it could skew their results.

[Shannon]

Thank you John, this is very good info. It said in the letter that 58,000 others in the US were selected. It also said "your participation in this voluntary survey". So, we'll see. I guess he'll keep coming but I don't wear down very easily.

[Snowy]

All refusing will do is cause them to keep coming back; they'll eventually have that guy's supervisor come out and try.

LOL! A woman from the census kept bugging us during the last census (you were chosen for a special census, or something like that). She would call, and she would come to the door. We told here that we weren't interested. She came to the door and tried to get past my husband. My husband said, "you can't come it", and shooed her out the door. She then said, "I'll just keep coming back", and Mr. Snowy said, "it's a free country, and I'll still not let you in". We haven't heard from her since.

[Shannon]

I thought about that. If they want my info then they'll have to pay someone the $20 to get it; I'm not handing it out.

[Faith-Hope]

Did I miss something. Was this a State or Federal Census. Federal Census are taken every ten years. It was last taken in 2000.

[John H K]

Prosecution of individual citizens for non-cooperation for the Census is non-existent; like I said, it's only used for people blocking access to a whole apartment complex or gated community.

Refusals are a problem for the census and will eventually skew the results. Census workers who get refusals really get berated for it...get to many refusals and you won't get any work. The Census will only tolerate a handful of refusals for a given census worker. It's constantly, constantly, constantly harped on. Certain people have a talent for NEVER getting them; typically persistent, personable old ladies.

What a "refusal" is or isn't varies on the survey. You can EASILY get away with only answering a few questions and refusing the rest on most surveys, with it counting as a "completed interview" and you not getting bothered again (for that part of the survey, if it's ongoing.)

In a long survey simply not answering one question near the end won't be a "refusal". You HAVE to have names, and usually 1-2 critical questions, answered to avoid a refusal, however.