So, what I do any more is smile and give a unisex name like Randi joined with Smith or Jones. They get the phone number for the weather service in another state.

I'm quite good at rattling it off the cuff, something that has literally taken a few years to get comfortable with doing.

On the storage unit....we rented one with no SS# last year. We simply told the clerk that our information had already been stolen and that we had been advised by our financial adviser (that would be me) to guard our info carefully. He was an older grandpa type though too and not so sure a younger fellow would have been as accommodating.

Or, if they get nervous (which they have a right to be, what with meth labs, illegal drugs and suchlike), find another storage facility.

Or, and this is the technique I'm beginning to favor, just be truthful. Tell them that you're concerned about your personal privacy and that you do not give out that sort of personal information to anyone, ever, unless they have legal authority to demand it of you. Politely telling nosy people that they're being nosy is a useful thing to do.

I had some nitwit at a barber shop try to pump me for personal information just the other day. She was very insistent that she had to have my first and last name and a phone number. When I explained that I was paying cash, and she didn't have a need to know, she persisted, claiming that they "needed" the information for their computer so they could ring up the sale properly.

I looked her square in the eye and politely told her that it was not my policy to release personal information to store clerks, and that if she wanted my business now, or in the future, she was going to have to accept the fact that our relationship was going to be one of her, the merchant, respecting my, the customer's, desire for privacy.

She huffed for a moment and then decided that she needed the tip more than she needed my information, and we resolved the situation amicably, and I received a satisfactory haircut.

The more privacy-oriented I become, the less tolerant I am of attempted intrusions, and the more I believe that we, as citizens, need to seize our privacy and take every opportunity we can to educate others about privacy and why they ought to relearn the art of minding their own business. No more will I dissemble to people, I just tell them flat out it's none of their business and I make no apology for frustrating their desires. Instead I use it as a teachable moment.

If your nominee does have a judgment, once you open a bank account in their name, if their judgment creditor finds out about it, they can levy the account and seize your money.

Part Three: I now have her information and I drove directly home to change the paperwork from Mike to Rose on the two Limited Powers of Attorney I had prepared and print them out. One for the bank only and one with 12 clauses of things I am authorized to do with her identification. I also made some minor changes in them I had thought of on the way home.

Making the changes and printing them out didn't take but a few minutes.

I got up the next morning about 10:30. I had emergency surgery on my spine a year ago last October and am still having trouble getting around so I'm moving slower now. I called Rose and got no answer. I left a message on her cell.

A few hours later I got a message from her and called her back. We agreed to meet at 17th and Grand and I left to pick her up.

She was waiting next to the Taco Bell and saw me drive up. I pulled to the curb and she got in the car.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I met up with my girlfriend and she had a room at a motel so I didn't go to the shelter last night."

"She had a motel room?"

"Yeah. So I stayed with her."

"How'd she get a motel room?"

"It's a once a year thing. Churches get them and pass them out, usually when it rains."

"Wow, that's pretty good!"

"Yeah."

"Well, I guess if you live on the street for a while you find all kinds of things."

"Oh yeah."

"Do any guys stay at the Shelter?"

"No. They tried that and with families and it didn't work out. There were fights and arguments and stuff."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

"Are you hungry?"

"Oh, a little maybe."

"I'm starved. I haven't eaten anything since early this morning. Do you like chicken?"

"Yeah."

"OK, let's go to Popeye's. I love their Red Beans and Rice."

"That’s good. I like the chicken too."

"We pulled into Popeye's parking lot and went inside."

A couple guys said hi to her and she greeted them like they were old friends. One was a tall man about six feet and looked to be in his forties and a short plump man who looked, in his baseball cap to be much older. The older man was very friendly. Neither looked like they were homeless. I asked Rose who they were.

"The old guy is Rudy, I forgot the younger guys name. I've known Rudy for years."

Here's a tip. Homeless people usually stay around a very small area and they mostly know each other, sometimes for many years. This will become important later in this saga.

This is a lifestyle they have chosen and you might be surprised that many like the unaccountability and freedom from responsibility it brings. Many are happy living on the street. I would guess that is true to a greater extent in the "Warm belt" running from Florida to California.

"What does Rudy do?"

"Nothing."

"You mean he lives on the street?"

"No, he lives in a camper."

"A camper? Where?"

"I think he has it at some guys place."

After we had ordered our chicken and sat down to wait for the orders to come up Rudy and his friend sat down too just a table away from us. I turned to Rudy and said. "Hi, I'm Jim."

"Hi, I'm Rudy. I just turned 70 three weeks ago."

"Happy birthday Rudy!" I said.

"Thank you!"

"I turned 71 in November. Rose says you have a camper."

"Yeah, and a pickup."

"A pickup?"

"Yeah."

"Where do you keep the camper?"

"I keep it at this guy's junkyard. He lets me keep it there and I pay him a little."

"Do you get mail there?"

I'm prospecting for a Ghost Address and this looks promising. But Rudy shatters those thoughts instantly.

"No. He doesn't want to allow any mail delivery there."

"Do you think he'd let you put up a mail box?"

I didn't want to give up so soon here.

"No. He said he doesn't want any mail folks coming there."

I figured that if the junkyard owner exposed himself to mail delivery there he might be inviting city ordinance folks to visit so that was a wise precaution on his part.

"I get my mail delivered at the Shelter where Rose stays."

"They let you do that?"

"Yeah. I stop by every Thursday and pick it up."

"Pretty good! That makes it easy, huh?"

"Yeah. I've been getting mail there for years."

We finished eating. Rose wasn't very hungry so she saved hers for later. We all left about the same time but our vehicles were parked in opposite directions from the restaurant. I asked Rose more about Rudy.

"I'm looking for maybe a couple more guys to do the same deal as we have. Do you think Rudy would be interested?"

"Probably. Why not. He's always looking for money."

"Does he have a phone?"

"Yeah but I don't have his number. There he is right there, pulling out."

We flagged him down and he pulled over to talk to us.

"Hey Rudy. You interested in picking up a little money?

"Sure!"

"Do you have a phone, I'd like to talk to you?"

"Yeah. I'll write it down for you."

I figured I might continue this conversation with Rudy only after I have Rose's bank account opened. If I explored the deal with Rudy before then and it went south he might talk to Rose and queer the deal with her. No sense in taking that chance but I didn't want to lose a possible opportunity that I could develop later by getting something going with Rudy. I might have a chance here to "fill the pipeline" with prospects to get several bank accounts opened plus some Ghost addresses. If I developed a connection to Rudy I could call him in a few days after my deal with Rose was fruitful but not before.

I wasn't interested in the younger guy for the very reason that he was, at around forty, too young. I agree with Jack that a younger person may become no longer "judgment proof" and that would prove to be a risk for both of us. Rudy, at 70, was a much safer choice.

I took Rudy's cell phone number with the promise that I would call him later. Rudy drove off in his dirty white Nissan mini pickup and Rose and I got in my car and left.

"I like Rudy." I said "He's a real friendly guy."

"Yeah, he's always been real friendly."

"OK, Rose, this is what we're going to do. We're going to FedEx Kinkos because they usually always have a Notary there. You'll sign the Limited Powers of Attorney and we'll make copies of your I.D and Birth Certificate for me. OK?"

"Yeah."

We arrived at the FedEx Kinkos store and sat in the car while I read every word of both documents to Rose and explained each part to her. Then I asked her if she had any questions. She said "No."

I then explained why there were two Limited Powers of Attorney. One was to open a bank account at a specific bank and that's all. The other one was to allow me to open any bank account anywhere and to conduct any business anywhere none of which was any of the bank's business. She quickly agreed it was none of the bank's business.

We got out of the car and went into FedEx Kinkos to find the Notary. Their Notary was Erma who asked for Rose's I.D. and quickly notarized her signature on both Limited Powers of Attorney. I asked if she would make color copies of Rose's I.D. and Birth Certificate. Erma said "Sure." and went to make the copies while Rose and I waited.

Erma was gone an unusually long time and when she came back she confessed she had screwed up and used someone else's color photo paper and had to replace it for them. So then she made the color copies I had requested and gave me all four copies! It gets better. When I asked what I owed she said to just go to the cashier at the other counter. After I paid by credit card and left I looked at the little receipt. They had charged me $20 for the two notarizations and 21 cents for all four of the color copies. I probably should have gone back in and asked why but every step is painful for me and so I didn't. My glee of the bargain probably would have overridden any tinge of conscious anyway.

It was getting late in the day so I dropped her off at a park where she was to meet up with her girlfriend. I gave her $40 for signing the papers. This turned out to be another mistake on my part as you will see in the next installment.

"I'll call you in the morning when I get up and about and we'll get together. O.K.?" "O.K."

However, it appears to me that the foil shielding material is a two-sided wrap that only covers the sides of the card, and not the edges. RF energy can leak through the long edges and may be able to trigger the chip, albeit at a more limited range.

When looking for an RFID shield, make sure that it's a foil or metal mesh that *completely encloses* the card that contains the RFID chip. It should, to work perfectly, create an electrical bond as the flap is secured, so that there is no possible pathway for RF leakage into or out of the pouch.

I would not trust any such system that cannot produce verifiable documentation from a reliable laboratory that has tested the design for RF impermeability and is willing to certify the results.

As Jack said, when in doubt, wrap your cards in aluminum foil.

A status report:
Recently I decided I'd open a checking acct in British Columbia at the bank you recommend in Invisible Money. I called them and it looked promising.

I asked some family friends that live nearby if I could spend the night (and I was hoping to ask to use their address, if needed), and on a Sunday afternoon I took off. I carried some cash (less than a half of the reportable limit), and I decided against carrying a larger check.

Anyway, I was quizzed by the Can agent (a young good-looking woman) as to: Why? Visit friends. How long? 2-3 days. Any weapons? A pocket knife. Money in excess of CAD10k? No. Gifts/value? $10. Alcohol? 1.5L wine. Any business planned? No. I was told to report in with a card that said 'Knife' and a few letters. A prim-looking woman agent: Knife? I showed my Swiss-Army one. Employed? Not a the moment. What did you do? Computers. Ever arrested? Traffic. A DUI? No. Your car keys (is it registered to you? Yes), and sit there.

After 15-20 mins, 'You haven't been fully truthful with me, I see you have a 2005 DUI conviction, and as such you're inadmissible to Canada.'

After 5 yrs after the end of (any) probation one can apply (and pay 200-1000) for a 'rehabilitation', after 10y (from the same time) it's forgotten.

My car was thoroughly searched, the rear seat removed, a sleeping bag unrolled, etc.

In the long line to re-enter the US I spoke with a fellow that went through the same ordeal a while back, with him not having a conviction per se (as he took some diversion offered to him), but still having to pay for the rehabilitation at a Can consulate and other hassles. He said: you'll gonna be searched again in the US as you were refused...

Entering back I was also sent in - the agent was quite pleasant. Inside a quite jovial agent couldn't believe they wouldn't let me in just because of the DUI. Said he: Is there anything else? No. Really? Anything? No. He said, I see the 2005 one, so you have to wait until the end of the year? He didn't want to believe the length required... It took about three minutes and back home I drove.

(I'm thinking that Sunday evening is perhaps not a common time to go visit friends, or perhaps everyone is checked)

The most difficult part of obtaining and maintaining privacy is learning to keep your personal matters and information private.

We, as Americans, have a very nasty and harmful habit of being open and honest with just about anyone who asks us anything. We'll spew personal information at the drop of a hat. We've been brought up that way, perhaps out of naivete and a societal paradigm far, far different from most of the world.

Up until recently, our government tended to leave us alone and neither asked for lots of personal information nor abused that which they had. Our representatives have historically been very protective of our privacy as citizens.

But all that has changed, particularly since 9/11, and now the government knows more about us than the KGB knew about most Soviet citizens, and has instant, computerized access to just about everything we do, including all our financial transactions.

But this does not mean that we have to capitulate.

The most important habit you have to break is giving people information that you are not legally required to give them.

So, when people ask you nosy questions, ask them politely if they have legal authority to compel you to answer, and if so, to cite the statute. If they don't then politely decline to answer, citing your privacy. Do this with everyone, all the time, till it becomes a habit to KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.