Take precautions to guard against ID theft
Tens of thousands of personal records are lost or stolen regularly. People should protect their information and not rely on those holding the information to do so. The best way to do this is by not providing it in the first place.
Merchants today make extra money by selling customers’ personal data to third parties. Obviously, they can’t if you refuse to give them the information.
For example, even when we pay cash for a car, dealers ask for our Social Security number. I refuse to provide it, as it is not needed for the purchase.
Read the fine print on new credit card offers ” some of them contain well-concealed authorization to sell all your information to other companies.
Cell phone companies will request your Social Security number when establishing service. Refuse to give it. They want your business, and won’t likely deny you service. (Also, keep in mind that when your cell phone or internet provider offers you a “free” upgrade, they’re really trying to extend your contract another 12 months).
Even nonprofits routinely request personal data they don’t need. Medical offices give new patients a form to complete, which usually asks for a Social Security number. Leave that space blank ” you won’t be denied service.
The San Diego Community College District still uses students’ Social Security numbers for course enrollment forms, rather than creating alternative numbers as do other college districts. Don’t give your real number.
Just because an organization you’re dealing with asks for your data, you don’t have to provide it. Don’t count on others to protect your financial privacy and prevent identify theft.
Bill Collins, Pacific Beach

City failed to tell whole story about Abbott St.
I read Blake Jones’s article in last week’s Beacon regarding the Abbott St. repair work. It was a fine piece until the very last paragraph where City Inspector Jose Navarro told the reporter that the severe gaps between the existing pavement and the new concrete swales were left over the weekend "because the streets were closed and little traffic anticipated."
I called the reporter to make sure there wasn’t a mistake and, as I expected, that was what Navarro stated. Because the gaps were patched before the reporter saw the problem, she had no way of knowing he was not being truthful.
The two places I complained about were at Santa Monica and at Saratoga. These intersections were not part of the weekend street closure, the closure began a block north of Saratoga. Had these areas been within the street closure, I never would have complained.
If I was going to complain about problems they left over the weekend inside the closure, I would have had a long list of safety violations to talk about, not just two places.
Navarro’s attempt to portray this as something that wasn’t really a problem was disingenuous; it would have been much more admirable had he just admitted the City did make a serious mistake that luckily did not result in anyone being hurt.
Geoff Page, Ocean Beach