On a previous (shorter) stay in the US, I didn't have a SSN. Yet I got a DL (with my passport) (this was Missouri). And after a few long discussions on the phone on why I didn't have a SSN, I gave up the explanations and started giving my french SSN (after all, it was a valid answer to the question "what is your social security number"), actually a substring. Interestly enough, SSNs in France are not supposed to be used for identification or taxes purposes, just for medical purposes IIRC. A recent project by the government to link medical databases and tax database opened a controversial discussion...
It has not, until very recently, been common to use SSN or driver numbers in the UK as ID, I don`t know if they were or were not originally intended as ID in this country, I don`t think so, but was met with abusive argument and suspicion when I refused to give my SSN a few days ago as ID, look like the UK govt. is taking a leaf out of billy-bobs book, oh dear... Datacomms Technologies data security Paul Bradley, Paul@fatmans.demon.co.uk Paul@crypto.uk.eu.org, Paul@cryptography.uk.eu.org Http://www.cryptography.home.ml.org/ Email for PGP public key, ID: FC76DA85 "Don`t forget to mount a scratch monkey"