Do you eat like a terrorist?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Beyond the Sidewalks : One Thread

Here is a story about the implimentation of "customer loyalty" cards at a supermarket chain in the Northwest.

Link

You've probably seen these cards if you shop at Kroger, Safeway, or several other of the large chain supermarkets. Just give them your personal information such as name, address, phone number, DOB, email address, social security or drivers license number, etc. You're "rewarded" with a card that gives you "lower prices" at the check-out. No card-no sale price. Nevermind that the store has actually raised it's prices so you're paying the same price or more with the card than you did before the program started.

And don't worry, your personal information is as safe as the store wants it to be. Nevermind that after Sept. 11th, the FBI was tracking purchases made with these cards, looking for people "with ethnic tastes". Don't get a craving for Middle Eastern food, you might be eating like a terrorist.

If these "customer loyalty" cards bug you, you may want to check out No Cards! This site also explains why getting a card under a fake name doesn't help. Supermarkets brag about the number of customers they have in their card programs. They say that they can't discontinue the programs because they're so popular, just look at the numbers. Problem is, their numbers don't distinguish between real people and fake names. So every time you get a card (or cards) with fake names, you're actually making the card program look better.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2002


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