Someone from the Census just stopped by

[MissB]

I’m sure it’s the first of many that will visit our house in the next few weeks, months whatever.

Back when they mailed out the initial mailing, we received two copies. The city was renumbering our neighborhood, removing a zero from the start of our 5-digit addresses. So we received one for the old address and one for the new address where they dropped the zero.

When I filled it out online, I just grabbed one and followed the link, put in the code and filled out the requested info.

So this young man shows up this evening and says he’s here to gather our info. I politely declined, telling him that I’d already done it. Between the two of us, we finally figured out that I must’ve entered it under the old 5 digit numbering scheme.

He said he’d talk to a supervisor and then left a piece of paper with a code on it so I could go fill out the info online, which I won’t do because I’ve already submitted our household info and I don’t want to have us be double counted.

So... any ideas to stop the parade of folks to our door for a fruitless venture?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Why is this so upsetting to so many people? The first question is which survey is he...

collecting info for?

Presumably for the decennial, but could it be the American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, or any other of the dozen or so surveys Census operates?

It may even be the mapping unit out there to verify the millions of living units out there.

At any rate, the Census Bureau is one of the least problematic organizations in the US government. We should be doing what we can to assist them, not fight them.

[MissB]

2. I'm not trying to fight him!

I literally already answered the questionnaire. He said it was sent several times and he’s not wrong. But... I don’t want to be double counted.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I worked for the Bureau for 15 years, and God knows they are not perfect-- they can be...

arrogantly wrong at times, but it seems they are trying to unravel the confusion.

[handmade34]

8. most likely won't be double counted...

but... why not? the more the merrier

I went to 4 houses today where the resident said they already completed it... 3 of them did it again... much to my delight

[RGinNJ]

4. I am not sure if they will stop.

I was a collector in 2010, once you are on their list they will not stop until they can hold a completed form. Not their fault they are temps just doing what they are told.

[MissB]

5. Ok thanks. I did look at the 2020census.gov site

to see if there was any way to contact someone. Couldn’t find it.

I guess I’ll just have to repeat myself every once in awhile.

I did thank him for doing the job.

[msongs]

6. you may be threatened with arrest. just a heads up nt

[MissB]

7. That's totally cool.

Not. Sooo frustrating when I’ve already supplied the answers.

[handmade34]

9. no

[frazzled]

10. You should want to make sure it's recorded correctly

Your municipality depends on counting you so that it receives federal funds based on population. If you filled out a form for a nonexistent address, you might not be counted. And that’s money lost for many public services in your area.

[MissB]

16. I'll ask the next one.

Both addresses are supposed to be valid.

[stonecutter357]

11. military grade pepper spray !

[MissB]

15. .

No. I do support the mission, and I want to be counted but not double counted.

We do have a very large dog that barks anytime someone approaches. But he’s well trained and we are careful not to leave the door open. He goes to his bed and quietly watches from the window after the initial alert.

[Phoenix61]

12. The census ends September. The current operation

is the final one. You may possibly get a QA visit but that would be it.

[MissB]

17. That's reassuring too.

It’s a tough job and I don’t want to make it tougher on them.

[2naSalit]

13. What this tells me is that

the Bureau did not conduct the preliminary census map making process in 2019 to establish where the addresses are and they didn't do a physical confirmation of addresses nor did they do anything to clean up their files or try to create a system to remove duplicate information.

I was a low level supervisor last time around and I was a map spotter in 2009, creating the maps used for the decennial. There was hardly any planning for this other than trying to find ways to mess it up.

Hopefully this visit will help resolve the issue as there is a form, there's a form for everything in government, for reporting such things which will travel to the folks who make corrections. But you may get another visit to confirm the mistake.

[MissB]

14. That's actually reassuring. Thanks!

The city has been planning this renumbering scheme for a few years as apparently the leading zero in the addresses really messed up the 911 response time.

But... supposedly the old address should work for more than another year. We hadn’t gotten to the point yet of removing our five digit number for the house which helped him understand the dilemma tonight. He did take notes so hopefully he is able to get his supervisor to straighten it out!

[2naSalit]

19. That was an issue

in 2010 in my area. We identified it in 2009 but we needed the data from 2010 to fix it. We had a new town in my area and it was a nightmare adding it to a new computerized GPS system in the mountains where satellite line of sight/triangulation just wasn't going to happen. But I digress. The system is slow to make some corrections and the fact that your community is switching to the 911 system with the zero prefix does mess things up and that's how you got two or more notices. On official stuff I would recommend using the zero now.

The Census Bureau isn't supposed to use any other system such as the 911, old fire or emergency or utility mapping information, that's why the map spotters go out to discover new housing units. They are supposed to use Census Bureau source material and add to it.

We'll have to do the whole thing over again next year if we win the country back.

[Ohio Joe]

18. It's important your household is counted...

Fill it out again under your new number, it only takes a few minutes.

[Totally Tunsie]

20. I submitted my info in March when the initial mailing came out.

Did it online, and noted the date and time, and received a 32-digit Confirmation Number.

Yesterday I found a Notice of Visit tucked into my doorway. I grabbed my original paperwork and phoned the number on the NOV. Census Rep. asked me for the 12-digit Census ID number, then told me it was registered to Apt. 1L. I told her that was incorrect, that there is no Apt. 1L in the building, that apartments are numbered "F" or "R" for front and rear. She asked where Apt 1L is and who lives there. Told her again that it didn't exist, and asked if she wanted the ID and Confirmation numbers from March which, incidentally, were sent to the correct apartment number. She wasn't really interested in them, insisting the NOV left in my door was the valid request, that they wouldn't have come to my door if they already had my info on file.

I explained to her again that I already submitted my info and to do so again would double-count me. She mumbled something about having to invalidate the new Notice, and then she was gone.

Not the greatest customer service, but I'll give them a pass for probably being tired and stressed. We all have bad days now and then.