Census taker?
Our home in California is fitted with a Ring doorbell. Currently, we are in our Santa Fe home but my husband is notified if someone is at our California front door.
We just had someone knock on our door in Thousand Oaks. He wore a large black pack over his shoulder. On it, in clear white capital letters was the word “CENSUS.”
My husband’s reaction was to be happy to have avoided an intrusion into his work day. Mine was to question if any dirty tricksters are afoot.
Has anyone anywhere else run into something like this? With all the Trump-Republican maneuvering to play fast and loose with the 2020 Census, this has me somewhat concerned. People could be taken in. My husband said, “Oh, it’s someone with the Census.” I don’t think so, though.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Did I go back in time? Tell me I didn't...well, wait, that might not be so bad.
Last edited Wed Aug 28, 2019, 07:47 AM - Edit history (1)
enumerators are out confirming housing units/addresses for the maps that will be used for the actual decennial census next year.
I was an enumerator in 2009 for the 2010 census. They need to contact inhabitants to confirm that the address is correct, it's also to create a GPS mapping point for that location. Next year, the workers, at least in rural Montana, will likely hand deliver questionnaires. Then there is a follow-up operation to inquire about unreturned questionnaires. It will go on for a good part of the year next year as all locations must be quantified and confirmed as whatever it happens to be. There is a different process for institutional locations, nursing homes, prisons, etc..
In 2010, because I knew my very rural area and had already worked for the agency, I was recruited to be a crew leader, a job I didn't want but had to take since I was collecting unemployment when they came around. I ended up working for eight months and was able to take the entire winter season off, but I worked anyway. the money was good but I had no time to myself. I vowed to never take another job that could "follow me home and accost me at all hours." The whole time from January to mid August, I had guaranteed ten hrs of overtime approved every week and had to ask for another eight to ten every week... and all the headaches that go with it.
I hope I don't get recruited this time around, as a low level supervisor I felt like a really high paid babysitter and pencil pusher.
As long as the person at the door has the badge* identifying them as a census worker, and they ALL have a badge, and informs you that they have to comply with the Privacy Act and Title XIII, you can trust they are legit.
*Our badges were a plastic credit card sized thing on a lanyard to wear around one's neck.
ETA: They are also limited to asking only about the status of the address or one nearby if nobody else can be contacted about it in a timely manner. So, theoretically, they may ask you about a neighbor's house or ask a neighbor about yours but still it's only to establish that the address is correct and that it is indeed a housing unit, that's all the decennial 2020 enumerators should be asking. There are other ongoing surveys where income and other stat points would be inquired about but they still have to identify themselves and give you a short statement of purpose and confidentiality guarantee. That being said, they do have the legal power to go beyond "No Trespassing" signs and locked gates.
