I just spent the past several hours filling out something called the American Community Survey, a product of the US Census bureau. Our address got picked for some un-Godly reason, and I decided "what the hell" and started taking the survey. Oh, it was supposed to be quick and easy, and would help the Government with vital data about changes in population and demographics.
About an hour into the survey, I started making shit up... using rough estimates. At one point, they asked about my primary duties as a cop, and had a little block for my answer:
Putting assholes like you in jail.
I hope they got the vital information they needed in the first few pages, because the last hour was an exercise in frustration. Hell, I don't know how many hours in the past 52 weeks my grandson has worked. So, I gave them some very rough estimates.
But, that is done now, and if everyone who was asked to take the survey put as much time, effort and accuracy into it as I did, the Census bureau has no idea what is happening across the country.
You must have been REALLY bored, with nothing to do on this rainy day.
ReplyDeleteI don't bother responding to that thing.
Same here. I do not even fill out the Census beyond how many people were in my household at the given date (Which is Constitutionally required). Isn't any of their business how many toilets I have.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
ReplyDeleteYou laugh but I think its a great idea for 2 reasons.. 1, its sand in the gears; b, screw with the data to mess with the statistics. Why yes, I DO have 47 Guatemalan alpaca farmers renting my barn in exchange for blankets. Of course they are all dependents.
Wow! I'd probably have passed on that one...
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses, Judy...
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I never got the form for the last census - and I didn't go looking for it.
ReplyDeleteIf I had begun at all I doubt I'd have lasted 10 minutes. My "being helpful" meter pegs pretty quickly these days.
ReplyDelete"They" used to send surveys like that to my farm. "They" would ask a bunch of questions; usually related to crop yield and animals raised. I viewed those questions as a way to finagle the prices that I would receive for my products....so I would kinda "hedge" the numbers. Some years higher, some years lower.
ReplyDeleteDidn't see any need for "then" to screw with my prices with accurate numbers.