Refusing to fill out the census

I am a census collector (it is a job for a month) I can Pretty much guarantee that 99% of census collectors don't care if you fill it in or not. I will Knock on your door and then remind you to fill it in, or give you a new form, or help you with a question if you need it. If you start talking in great length about "the MAN", invasion of privacy or Lockheed Martin (actually the census process has something to do with a British arm of the company so they have no rights under the patriot act, (this was not part of the training I found it out for myself as I was a bit concerned with it)) then I will just mark you down as a firm refusal and walk away as I have hundreds of homes to go to.

If people don't answer the door then I just post a card reminding them to do it or phone up for a new form. I have been to houses where they know I am there I know they are there they just don't answer so I post a card. There are only 50 or so "Enforcement officers" for the whole country so I guess they will go after the "Firm refusals" first.

This is my 4th and final week, I have been to the houses in my area 3 times now so that's 3 reminder cards or new forms or times I have spoken to people and they still haven't done it. I have had no outright refusals, if you are going to refuse I think its easier for all if you just phone the helpline number and tell them as then I will be told straight away not to bother going to your house, but then the Youtube video will be a bit boring.

As was said earlier the census collectors are just supposed to be a reminder so don't give us too hard a time, our training was basic and we are not well equipped to discuss the intricate details of the rights and wrongs of it all, for that I am sorry.

Also remember the form is confidential, if you hate the idea of giving information over just fill it with lies.

P.S
If you live in England and wondered what question 17 was it's "do you speak welsh"
 
Lysander said:
Shouldn't that be, "You speak Welsh, do you?"
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I drew a smiley face in that box.


Shame if I knew what the question was I would have answered Yes. WElsh speaking should be encouraged. and I am asure there are welsh speaking people who live in England.



for OP,

What a tool, nothing big or clever about that mug. I bet he owns an iphone too.

Name address whereabouts 24/7 who he phones what sites he looks at etc etc.


but he won't fill out an anonymous survey for his government to supply the correct funding to the right areas. ****
 
I haven't filled mine out yet, not that I won't I just have a phobia about filling in forms. It's been making me miserable for weeks just thinking about doing it, then having this bloke banging on the door all the time asking if I've done it yet :/
Sodding census office, go die somewhere.
 
bitslice said:
I haven't filled mine out yet, not that I won't I just have a phobia about filling in forms. It's been making me miserable for weeks just thinking about doing it, then having this bloke banging on the door all the time asking if I've done it yet :/
Sodding census office, go die somewhere.
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See a counsellor.
 
bitslice said:
I haven't filled mine out yet, not that I won't I just have a phobia about filling in forms. It's been making me miserable for weeks just thinking about doing it, then having this bloke banging on the door all the time asking if I've done it yet :/
Sodding census office, go die somewhere.
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Time to read forum and watch Youtube vids up to this point = time to fill it in online.

Alternatively been like these eejits and "firmly refuse"
 
bitslice said:
I haven't filled mine out yet, not that I won't I just have a phobia about filling in forms. It's been making me miserable for weeks just thinking about doing it, then having this bloke banging on the door all the time asking if I've done it yet :/
Sodding census office, go die somewhere.
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It's just a large, simple forum. You need to chill out or get some "advice". ;)
 
How is repeatedly knocking on peoples doors not considered harassment in the eyes of the law? I bet it is to the people inside the property.
 
Dirk said:
How is repeatedly knocking on peoples doors not considered harassment in the eyes of the law? I bet it is to the people inside the property.
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The Harassment Act has the defence for this in 3b:

(3)Subsection (1) does not apply to a course of conduct if the person who pursued it shows—

(a)that it was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime,

(b)that it was pursued under any enactment or rule of law or to comply with any condition or requirement imposed by any person under any enactment, or

(c)that in the particular circumstances the pursuit of the course of conduct was reasonable.
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One has to be a realist on issues like these.

Rather than compare the UK with Anarcho-utopia-land , and since you cant move to Anarcho-utopia-land, lets consider the alternatives.

Most people in the world live in a third world country, being abused, starved and forgotten by their corrupt governments.

They would love to be able to come to a first world country and fill in a census form and live in a relatively well run country.

There are laws protecting the information you put on those forms, what else do people want/need to collaborate a little in the running of the country and stop being so obtuse?
 
Tefal said:
how about taxes then?
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They pretty much fall in to the same category.
Alex53 said:
There are laws protecting the information you put on those forms, what else do people want/need to collaborate a little in the running of the country and stop being so obtuse?
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The law protecting these forms is basically meaningless from a civil protection perspective. The only way to protect your information is not to give it out.
 
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