short stories...

[Shalom]

A few days ago I found my census form, which I was sure I'd mailed. Mailed it the next day. Day after that, the census guy shows up at my house. I told him I'd mailed the thing, and he said he had to ask me the questions anyway. Fastest way to get rid of him was to answer the questions, so I did, and he wrote everything down and left. Before he went, though, I asked him what they were going to do with my form now they have the data already; he said they'd probably just throw it out when they get it. Oh well, at least I didn't waste a stamp on it...

Still, I remember the "long forms" from prior censi that about 10% of the populace got at random, which took quite a bit longer to fill out. They didn't use those this time, did they?

[kiwiwinelover]

Yup, same in NZ, actually, the famous Christchurch Wizard used to travel out to sea on Census night (far enough so he didn't have to fill out a form) so no one knew his real identity We all do now though.

oooo what is it?

[Whiskey]

ME: Sir its a federal law

Don't tell people this. It makes them immediately defensive. Call your sup a jerk, tell them anything, a sob story does wonders, but "ITS FEDERAL LAW" sounds like a threat to most people and they don't react kindly. (edit: I tell my emus [enumerators] to tell people i'm a super big jerk whos totally going to fire them if they dont AT LEAST get a population count from the person. Once you get the questions started, they tend to open up about the rest, or most of them. I don't care who thinks i'm a super big jerk, but everyones had a super big jerk boss who would fire them for anything and it makes people relate to you as a person, rather than a Government Employee. End psych major mode)

For the record, I'm a sup for the census I almost feel your pain, but all my pain is paperwork.

I asked him what they were going to do with my form now they have the data already; he said they'd probably just throw it out when they get it.

While this is probably true, most people who say they've sent in the form haven't done it/thought they did it/it got lost in USPS (it happens). We have to make SUPER SURE we have everyone because its pretty important. "We'd" rather throw out a 3 page form than not get a house counted.

[yomiko]

The only thing I did not understand about the census was that I received a notice in the mail that I would be receiving the census, then I received the census (and filled it out and sent it back) then received another notice that I should already have received the census. <question deleted to avoid fratching.> Now I'm just waiting for the door-to-door person...

Saw an interview on this actually. Apparently, they get several percentage points increase on returned forms if they send mailers reminding and re-reminding people. Since the forms + multiple mailings are cheaper than sending out people door to door, it's the preferred method. So it's effective in its own weird way.

[JustaCashier]

Still, I remember the "long forms" from prior censi that about 10% of the populace got at random, which took quite a bit longer to fill out. They didn't use those this time, did they?

I had forgotten about the long form, and don't recall hearing about it for this census.

But, now that you mention it, I think I may have gotten one on a past census. (2000? 1990?) I seem to remember thinking at the time, that it was odd for me to be picked, (likely randomly) since I felt I was so insignificant, being single, living alone, working in an insignificant customer service job.

My first census, (1980), I was 21 and still hitting the bars pretty regularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

Came home one such Friday night, to find the census form in the mail, and thinking; "Oh suuuuurrrrreee! Send me the census form so I get it on a Friday, after being out drinking?" "Good luck trying to figure it out, if I fill it out now, in the condition I'm in!" *HIC!*


Mike

[LillFilly]

I filled-out our census form that came in the mail and mailed it the next day. I got a letter thanking me for doing it. Then a month later we moved from an apt. to a house. A few days after moving a census taker came because the address we moved to had never filled-out a form. I informed her that the house had been empty for a year. She wrote-down my info and left. About a week later there was a census letter on our door from ANOTHER ONE saying they needed our info. A few days later a SECOND LETTER! I finally managed to get a hold of someone and told them we'd already done our form and that this address had been unoccupied! Phew!

[RetailWorkhorse]

I still haven't gotten a form, nor have I seen any Census Takers around. My neighbours says they were here, but I was sitting outside that day and no one came to talk to me.

I'm still trying to figure out if I have an address or not (My mail forwarding company just got run into the ground and they were SUPPOSED to contact me. No phonecalls are going through and since I'm not back in TN I can't just trot over to Cleveland to get my mail I haven't been getting since the beginning of the year).

[Magpie]

I filled-out our census form that came in the mail and mailed it the next day. I got a letter thanking me for doing it. Then a month later we moved from an apt. to a house. A few days after moving a census taker came because the address we moved to had never filled-out a form. I informed her that the house had been empty for a year. She wrote-down my info and left. About a week later there was a census letter on our door from ANOTHER ONE saying they needed our info. A few days later a SECOND LETTER! I finally managed to get a hold of someone and told them we'd already done our form and that this address had been unoccupied! Phew!

I know that around here some things are linked to addresses, not to people. How do I know this? Because my RESIDENCE number was picked for this once. So I was required to participate in a longitudinal study of the population. I really felt sorry for the people who were calling that number, because no question designed for the general population makes any sense when applied to students.

ETA: I know that this isn't precisely a census, but I'm pretty sure it was covered by the same laws. (You know, the ones that require you to fill it out, but don't actually have any penalties for being late?)

[sirwired]

I had forgotten about the long form, and don't recall hearing about it for this census.

But, now that you mention it, I think I may have gotten one on a past census. (2000? 1990?) I seem to remember thinking at the time, that it was odd for me to be picked, (likely randomly) since I felt I was so insignificant, being single, living alone, working in an insignificant customer service job.

My first census, (1980), I was 21 and still hitting the bars pretty regularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

Came home one such Friday night, to find the census form in the mail, and thinking; "Oh suuuuurrrrreee! Send me the census form so I get it on a Friday, after being out drinking?" "Good luck trying to figure it out, if I fill it out now, in the condition I'm in!" *HIC!*


Mike

There is indeed no "long form" as part of the census. Instead, they will be collecting the information formally collected by the Long Form from 1/10th the people each year over the next ten years.