100 Ways To Disappear
And Live Free
(C) 1972 Eden Press
Revised 1985
Typed by Struct Def
For other privacy oriented publications, write
EDEN PRESS
P.O. BOX 8410
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA 92708
INTRODUCTION
To "live free" means to be able to control your own life
and to avoid violence, or the threat of violence, by others.
What you do and how you do it will almost always determine
whether or not freedom will be yours. But YOU must take the
responsibility for creating your own freedom. No one,
especially the "government" will do it for you.
To "disappear" means to make it impossible for other
people to invade your personal world of freedom. Since most
of such invasion is by means of electronic data gathering and
cross-referencing, you must be able to short-circuit these
procedures effectively.
The most efficient method today is through the use of
what we call "alternate identification". If the new names
and numbers you plug into the networks don’t match
the old ones, you have not only "disappeared", but have also
been "reborn". And being reborn means leaving your past records
where they can no longer affect you and your lifestyle.
This "disappearing" of individuals is obviously discomforting
to institutions and governments determined to control
personal activities in the Land of the Free. To them
it appears downright seditious, since in reality their power
depends directly on the number of people they can control –
through computerized records, of course.
To those who actually "disappear", however, the act is
one of tremendous personal liberation. Free men owe very
little to those who restrict opportunities on the basis of past
records. An extreme example, which nevertheless applies
to all of us, is this: When a person convicted of a felony
has served his full sentence, is he then "free"? Hardly.
What he will experience is really a LIFE SENTENCE of second-rate
opportunity.
And what happens to the convict, in practice, happens to
*everyone* who manages to have negative personal information
placed in his "records". When it comes to the point of a
person’s having to live with a condemning past and ever-
narrowing opportunities, it becomes easily understandable
why he should be willing and anxious to scuttle his labeled
identity and take on another.
Becoming a new identity, however, involves many things
and requires careful attention to detail, as we shall show.
At the heart of this process, though, is the ATTITUDE a person
must assume if he is to make it work. He must forget
about his "government"; he must become his own government,
answerable only to himself, with his own rules, laws, and
systems of behavior. This is an existential "moment" few
are disciplined enough to experience, but it can be done.
The result will be a growing detachment from BIG BROTHER and
a correspoding increase of personal freedom.
The individual needn’t worry about what would happen "if
everybody else did this" because they WON’T. The object is
for individuals, acting as individuals, to declare their
mental independence from whatever System is attempting to
enslave them. As individuals they are the best judges of what
degree of slavery they can accept, how far down the road
they can go before becoming robots for BIG BROTHER. Simply
put, it’s the Sheep and the Wolves. The Sheep go to slaughter,
the Wolves wherever they wish…
There are numerous intermediate tactics between total
compliance and complete disappearance, such as refusing to
give your Social Security number (or giving it incorrectly),
avoiding taxes, obtaining several foreign citizenships and
passports, setting up bank accounts in several other countries,
and planning at least two routes of escape to other countries,
but in the end you will discover there really is no freedom
in the world — *YOU MUST CREATE YOUR OWN*. You must
learn how to protect your own rights as you define them. No
one else will do it for you, *NO ONE*.
The object of this publication is to suggest ways an
individual can, in practice, escape his past and secure a
new future, *on his own terms*. Individuals will vary greatly
in how they carry out their disappearances, and it is our
hope that the ideas we present here are useful towards those
ends. We make no claims of completeness or of exhausting
the subject, as that could be potentially dangerous were
individuals to rely solely on this information.
We must stress that everyone should think over his situation
as carefully as possible, and then pick and choose
which among our methods are best suited for his needs. Above
all, he must begin using his head, trusting his hunches and
instincts, and thinking of himself as separate, different,
and even superior to those stuck in the System. He will
have to become a Wolf. He must stand alone to be free.
–Barry Reid
January 1978
II. LIVING FREE
Avoid attending church. If you must, however, use an alias when
attending, and make contributions in cash, never by check. If you are
asked by inquisitive neighbors what church you attend, either name one
of a different faith than theirs or deny interest completely. Give
the minister totally false information about yourself, as these good
folks are great gossips when approached by snoops.
Never tell neighbors where or for whom you work. Give them false
information on this subject. If you are paid by check, DON’T deposit
the paycheck in any account with your name on it. The best idea is to
go to the bank on which it is drawn and cash it there. If you make
a regular practice of this, avoid becoming familiar with any tellers
or other bank personnel. Vary the times and days for visiting the bank.
Visit different branches of the bank, too.
Another check cashing tip: avoid getting it cashed at your favorite
bar or tavern. FBI agents probably spend at least a third of their
working hours hanging around such places, as they seem to attract the
kinds of people they are looking for. Anytime there is a bank robbery,
the *first* places the FBI check out are all the bars within the immediate
vicinity of the robbery. Don’t laugh. It’s true because it works.
Be wary of answering "personal" ads in newspapers, as well as job
offers too neatly tailored to the type of work you did before disappearing.
If the ad calls for replying to a box number at the newspaper, disregard
totally: it’s very likely to be a trap. Reply only to ads that can
guarantee not having to give yourself away, such as offers for appointments
at known companies. If phone numbers are provided in the ad, call only
from a pay phone. There’s always a possibility you might be calling
directly to a bill collector or private investigator who will give
you enough patter to smoke you out.
For some really unique ways to find employment, Eden Press distributes
"HOW TO STEAL A JOB", literally every dishonest way there is to gain
honest employment. With the techniques in this book, YOU can call all
the shots. Well worth reading even for those who already have a job,
too. Someone could be gunning you. This book will open your eyes.
On the job, avoid giving background information to fellow workers.
If you’re planning to stay on the job only for a short while, however, make
an effort to plant false and misleading information in the minds of the
other workers, such as your favorite pastimes, places you’d like to travel
to or live someday, and your plans for the future. Insulate your private
self by keeping your personal interests and ideas to yourself alone.
Share the spurious with the curious.
Don’t subscribe to any local newspapers delivered by carriers.
Buy what you need at a newsrack. These cute kids have sometimes been
"helpful" sources of information about people’s habits at home.
Don’t be obvious in your living habits. Turn lights off at a decent
hour, keep stereo music from annoying neighbors, don’t place empty
pony kegs on the front porch, and don’t have pets that stray or annoy.
Don’t do major engine overhauls in the driveway, either.
Be very careful about who comes to see you at your residence.
Avoid anything unusual which might spark the interest of neighbors.
If what you do or the people with whom you must deal are "interesting",
it might be best to arrange get-togethers elsewhere. Keep your nest
clean–good "criminal" advice.
Avoid using banks except for actually cashing checks given you by
other people. Try to conduct your affairs with cash and money orders.
When using the latter, never write your name on the face or the line
marked "Payer". Use fake names, account numbers, or business names.
For most purposes money orders can be considered "untraceable",
since the issuing institutions (American Express, banks, US Post Office)
file the paid orders *by number only*, not by other criteria which might
tend to give you away. People and businesses to whom you might remit
money orders virtually never record this number, either. They are
usually happy to be paid by money order and will consider it the same
as cash. Individuals wanting to hide income and/or otherwise disguise
their financial dealings find money orders most useful in shortchanging
the bandits at IRS, too.
Undertakers are another source like ministers, in that they are
good talkers. If you have to deal with one, be on your guard with what
you tell him. If you are called on to provide information for a death
certificate, give him only the data he actually needs. It should be
easy to appear too grief-stricken to want to chat…
Whenever you need the services of a physician, dentist, hospital, etc.,
make it standard practice to use an alias and an address other than where
you live. Pay in cash. Recite–don’t display–your "driver’s licence"
number and Social Security Number, making sure that they are totally fake.
Other data requested, such as employer, birthdate, etc., should be
misleading. Ignore the "warning" at the top of some hospital forms
that federal law requires honest information. We’ve never heard of
anyone getting busted for such a "crime" who also paid his bill. Fraud
is fraud, but identity is your business. Medical records are very
definitely NOT confidential. How else would life and health insurance
companies be able to decide so imperiously who "deserves" their coverage,
and at what rates…? For most people, medical insurance itself is a
fraud.
Don’t have milk or other items delivered to you on a regular schedule.
The fewer people seen calling at you residence, the safer. Neighbors
will often notice home deliveries, which can prove to be fertile leads
for future snoops.
Avoid membership in political groups or other civic organizations.
As a rule these groups are filled with super sneaky, nosey individuals
more willing than not to stab someone in the back if it suits their
selfish purposes. Total snakes.
Arrange to have your mail sent to a 24-hour Post Office box, to a
mail drop, or a mail forwarding service. This way the only mail to be
left at your residence will be the "Occupant" variety. Make it a rule
NEVER to sign for certified or registered mail. Tell the carrier that
you are not the person named on the receipt, or that so-and-so moved
months ago. Where? Austria….. or was it Australia?
Avoid having arguments or run-ins with neighbors. An old, unresolved
grudge might be just the spark that sends an investigator to your
new location. "Getting even" is a passion few people can resist.
If a snoop is trying to trace you by telephone he may invite you to
call him person-to-person collect. *DON’T DO IT.* Ignore the request,
no matter what the excuse is. You might be tempted with some pie-in-
the-sky lie, but what he’s really after is your *location*. If you don’t
give yourself away in the conversation, he will simply call the operator
back for time and charges, and while she’s at it, the location of
the telephone originating the call. She will be only too happy to help.
If you have to live in a motel, hotel, or nosey apartment complex,
always make it a point to be ordinaty and outwardly polite to any
employees on the premises. Give them no reason to remember you other
than as a normal person. Freaky behavior is easily noticed and
remembered by telephone operators, janitors, maids, superintendents,
house detectives, and bell boys. Tips make them TALK, too.
It’s safest not to take in roomers or boarders, even though they can
help with expenses and provide companionship. The fact is, they
can get "too close" to you by picking up all kinds of information
tidbits which could come back to haunt you should certain kinds of
third parties start pumping them. Even though you might feel you
could trust them, it’s very easy for a friend to give you away…
innocently.
In changing to a new identity within the same general area, make it
your policy to patronize none of the commercial establishments you
did before your name change. This would include service-oriented
businesses, too, such as shoe repairs, TV repairs, photographers,
cleaners, poodle parlors and massage parlors. If you or a member
of your family had been assisted by such charity organizations as the
March of Dimes or Community Chest, make sure that future aid is obtained
from some other organization.
If you need to have prescriptions filled often, do two things:
1) Have them filled by different pharmacies; don’t patronize the same
one repeatedly, and, 2) Never give the pharmacist your correct address
and/or telephone number. If you are in need of continuing prescription,
such as for certain heart conditions or diabetes, consider having it
filled by mail from one of the large interstate mail-order pharmacies.
These outfits usually offer greatly reduced prices as well, as they
are willing to deal in generics, as opposed to strictly name-brand
drugs. Check ‘em out.
Try to avoid all contact with law enforcement people. They are
like sponges whenever they deal with the public: they take in endless
quantities of information whether you are the victim or the perpetrator.
When approached by investigators and spies, they just love to spill out
all they know, and sometimes get in on the act themselves. Avoid trouble
and avoid cops.
Credit bureaus and department stores will have credit files on you
if you’ve used them in the past. It would be safest to avoid using credit
in the future, but if you need to get plugged back in the credit scene, it
would be advisable first to read our own book, "CREDIT", to
see how credit can be set up from scratch under new identity. This useful
book has the kind of inside information one needs to make the credit-
granting system perform to his special situation.
If you follow our suggestions regarding delivery of your mail, you
will naturally never accept any Registered or Certified mail at your
address. Since the carrier will never know your identity by leaving
only mail addressed "Occupant", you can safely tell him who you are
not whoever is named on the piece of mail he is trying to deliver. Don’t
be rude or arrouse suspicion; simply help him do his job by telling him
there is no such person at your address. If he asks who *you* are, he’s
out of line. He will return the letter marked "Unable to Deliver at this
Address", or "Unknown at this Address", or something else to the same
effect.
Sometimes snoops will address mail to a fictitious person "care of"
your last known name and address in the hopes it will be forwarded
(somehow), and that you will have the stupidity to return it to them
with your new address (provided by you). Any suspicious or unfamiliar
mail with your new address should simply be marked "Unknown", "Return to
Sender", etc., and deposited in a public mail box for return.
If the letter doesn’t come back to the sender because you kept it
or chucked it, he may well try again with something more enticing, or
even pay a personal visit. Tracing by mail is the cheapest route for
snoopers, so be on the lookout for any mail you’re not expecting or
seems the slightest bit suspicious. This will be the opening salvo
in any investigation to determine your whereabouts. *Watch your mail!*
Providing any information other that return instructions per above
can invite disaster, too. Putting on a fake forwarding address, or even
a "General Delivery" notice, will tell the sender, when the letter is
returned, that *someone* at the address on the letter knows more than he
does. The "Registered Letter", physical surveillance, or a personal
visit will be his next move. You can count on it.
Be especially watchful for any letters with an "Attorney’s" return
address. They deserve no more respect than any other letter. If you’re
not expecting correspondence from your own attorney, it’s very likely a
fake name used by an investigator. This gambit is many times used on
third parties (close relatives of yours) in the hopes they know where
you really are and that they have the "courtesy" to forward the letter
to you. This is a good reason for you NOT to tell relatives where you
can be reached. If they don’t know, they can’t tell.
If you can trust a particular person to forward items to your P.O.
box or mail forwarding service, at least instruct them to place the
letter in another (cover) envelope so that no forwarding instructions are
on the face of the original envelope. You can decide what to do with
the mail when you get it. If you want it returned, do NOT drop it in a
box in your area–the stamp of the main post office near you will likely
be on the envelope, much to the glee of the sender. Either send it back
to your friend in still another envelope for him to remail locally, or
use a mail forwarding service in a distant city to remail per your
instructions. Again, *BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR MAIL*. Knowing how to deal
with your mail is vital to disappearing. Think first before acting!!
Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Don’t exhibit "socially unacceptable"
behavior PUBLICLY. Cops are programmed to bust anyone who appears
"suspicious" (different from them). Jails, psycho wards, and prisons
aren’t exactly "free"….
Your appearance, possessions and actions should always justify your
presence on a legitimate (conventional) basis. This is the best
way to avoid suspicion.
If you are stopped and questioned, always be able to give a reasonable
explanation of why you where there, where you are from, and where you
are going. Smile and be "helpful".
A sullen or hostile attitude triggers the cops for a bust–your bust.
So go ahead and "Kill the Pigs"–with kindness. You’ll win by keeping
your freedom, dig?
Even perfectly legal behavior can arouse suspicion. Avoid such
things as solitary walks late at night, or wearing clothing inappropriate
for the weather. Store detectives love to follow shoppers wearing
oversized clothing, too. The police find it easy, even entertaining, to
pin stray raps on such "suspicious" characters. Days and weeks can go
by before they decide they’ve made a "mistake". Really!!
Examine your daily habits and eliminate any which might possibly be
regarded as "peculiar", especially if performed publicly.
Live in a large city where you can have the protection of anonymity.
Avoid small towns where the only sport is gossip–about you.
Your business should be no one else’s.
Appear to be lower-middle class in your standard of living. Don’t
attract the attention given the very poor or the obviously well-off.
Rent a house or apartment that appears "respectable", but no more
plush than the average cop can afford.
If you like to live it up, do it somewhere other than around where you
live and work. Try Las Vegas, New York, Jamaica, Tokyo, Fiji….
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Dress conventionally. Adopt what you perceive as the broad community
standard. Don’t be black or white as long as gray has so many shades.
Blend in.
Be clean and neat, never showy or gaudy.
Conformity for guys means neat beard (if any), no long hair or
freaky clothes. Biker "colors" are out.
For the ladies, no sexy, convention-flaunting attire such as miniskirts
and see-thru blouses without underwear. The man LOVES to drool
over "liberated" lassies, and often does more…
Have conventional answers to common questions such as where you are from,
where you work, where your family lives, etc. Be vague, however.
There’s less heat in telling plausible lies than in countering
with self-righteous silence. The object is to avoid suspicion, so be
a "reasonable" person. Lying is not illegal unless you are under oath
or perpetrating a fraud.
When confronted by federal agents or other law enforcement officers,
you have no obligation to talk to them. If you do, however, make sure
you don’t lie. Making false statements to federal officers *is* a bust!
A good way to turn the "meeting" in your favor, is to inform the officer
that he should take up the matter with your attorney, whose name and
address you are willing to provide. If you don’t have an attorney at
present, tell him you are in the process of obtaining one, and that you
will so notify him when you do. This will tell the agent-snoop that
1) you are a cool customer who knows how to take care of himself by
knowing his rights, and 2) that for him to deal with your attorney will
be tantamount to having to take you to court–something he’s obviously
not (yet) ready to do. Your talking to the officer could very likely
insure you an earlier court date….if that’s what you want.
It’s perfectly moral to lie to someone who asks about things which
are none of his business. HE is the one acting immorally. Don’t forget!
Don’t throw wild parties. Far too many busts come courtesy of tender-
eared, blue-nosed, fink-ass neighbors.
Don’t make speed, DMT, THC, acid, or nitro in your kitchen. Window sills
aren’t the safest places to cultivate, either.
Hold your stereo down to "mood level" late at night. Not everyone
mellows out with Led Zepplin or the Stones.
Your neighbors are the most dangerous people you know. You can
include relatives here, too. They will ALL snitch without compunction.
"Calling the cops" is fair sport in towns of all sizes, so don’t
antagonize. Be friendly, stay friendly–but on your terms.
Be superficially "nice" to your neighbors, but have as little as possible
to do with them. Ideally, you don’t want them to know *anything* about
you.
Even if you observe all these precautions you might still be harrased
by criminals, both private and public. Whatever you do, don’t
blow your cover and thus lead them to suspect you. Keep your temper,
be humble and polite, and refrain from shouting matches and/or slugfests.
Remember you are a minority of one. "They" still have the guns and bars.
If you’re not content, however, to let vengeance be the Lord’s, at
least abide by this cardinal rule of guerrilla warfare: Don’t let the
enemy determine your tactics. Retaliate at a time and place with
weapons of your choosing.
Any activity which might attract unfavorable attention, such as
writing, nude photography, erotic sculpture, etc., should be done under
a "nom de plume". Provide a separate address for any such names. P.O.
boxes are fine.
Never express controversial opinions around home or at work. If you
preach, do it in another town or state.
Avoid being fingerprinted. Don’t apply for civil service jobs.
The FBI would like to have everyone fingerprinted so they could
*control* individual lives, but so far they’ve been stopped.
Stay out of the armed forces. Here again fingerprinting labels
you forever with the only method of positive identification.
Don’t apply for security clearances or seek employment in firms
which routinely fingerprint.
Don’t take part in mass demonstrations or dissident activities which
might lead to mass arrests. Fingerprinting would surely follow.
The thumbprint required on applications for drivers licences in many
states (like California) does *not* go to the FBI. It is kept with
the applications "on file", and its main purpose seems to be that of
psychological deterrence. The states make no efforts to classify the
thumbprints, and the FBI is not interested in helping. Applicants who
wnat to make sure their thumbprints are absolutely worthless will
press extra hard and make a slight twisting movement with their thumb as
it is being printed. The result is a perfect smudge–worthless.
NEVER order utility services in your real name. Utility companies
are the first watering hole for skip tracers.
Keep your name out of public records, such as business licences,
permits, tax accounts. Operate under another name or use another person
as a front. It’s very easy to file "fictitious firm name statements"
using minimal ID.
Always subscribe to magazines and newspapers under alternate names.
Pay by mail using money orders. Don’t have your name on the money order.
Likewise, always order merchandise by mail under an alias. Again,
Pay with money orders without your name on them.
Own real estate under either a cooperative relative’s name, or a
fictitious one created especially for the purpose. Names of phoney
businesses work well here, as it is perfectly understandable and justified
for a business to own real property. Since real estate transactions
are almost always at "arms length", it is quite simple to hide behind
your agent or broker. In this area money talks more loudly than you
do, so it’s not too difficult to arrange things to suit yourself.
If you have to vote use your "legal" address. Just make sure you don’t
live there. So-called "voter ID cards" are a snap to obtain, as no
proof of identity is required. The only "security" for the registration
process is your sworn statement….
Protect the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of your friends.
Use a code of your own making to disguise the actual names and numbers,
or try to memorize what you need to know. You’d be amazed at how much
you can remember in this area if you make the effort.
Try to avoid carrying this coded address book with you. Cops always
flash on such items, and so-called "rings" are usually busted this
way. A smart thing to do would be to carry a dummy book of names and
numbers selected at random from the phone book. Keep your working book
stashed in a safe place.
This practice protects you, too, inasmuch as suspicion is cast on you
should some of your friends be busted and their names appear in your book.
Don’t engage in illegal activity on other people’s property without
their express consent. Save the dope and skin scenes for places where
no one else can get rousted besides the actual participants.
Don’t ask questions which intrude on the privacy of others. Ask
general questions, not specific. One might not want you to know *where*
he works, but wouldn’t mind telling you his occupation.
Adopt the attitude that personal information such as your school
background, national origin, interests, politics, family income, etc.,
are NO ONE’S business but your own. And stick to it!! Snooping will
thereby become so difficult that suspicion will be cast on the snooper
rather than on you.
When faced with such an inquisitive person, have prepared a set of standard
answers which you can deliver without discomfort or concern. But if the
person is really obnoxious, give him some out-and-out lies, which, when
"reported" in the right places, will make him look more like the ass he is.
Don’t request receipts unless the amount is large. Make them intelligible
only to the parties involved. Remember that cash still has no names on it,
which is why Big Brother can hardly wait for the day of the "cashless"
society.
One CAUTION, however: Most banks have well established policies for
recording serial numbers of large denomination bills whenever they are
deposited or withdrawn in large amounts. ALL transactions of $10,000
or more are reported to the IRS. So play small and remain inconspicuous.
Payment of taxes of all kinds should be largely a matter of personal
convictions. The public debate on "tax protest" is endless, so
only a few generally-observed practices will be mentioned here.
The basic rule, in which even the IRS concurs, is pay only what
you are liable for. This means taking advantage of any and all loopholes
to the fullest with the ultimate aim of paying no tax whatsoever.
Don’t forget, however, that most federal prisons have rather distinguished
populations of tax-evading accountants, attorneys, businessmen, and
politicians. If avoiding personal income tax, both state and federal, is
your goal, by all means study well or seek competent advice. Texas and
Nevada still have no state income taxes, in case you’re thinking of
relocating to beat some taxes…
Sales and use taxes can often be avoided by buying consumer items
through personal channels such as friends, bazaars, swap meets (some),
classified want ads, bartering, and business exchanges. Out-of-state
mail order purchases are exempt from local taxes, too.
Sharp practices, such as claiming 10 or 12 exemptions to reduce the
weekly bite of withholding, or making a deal with your employer to be
paid in cash (which a great many do willingly) are ways of lessening,
even eliminating your tax, but can’t be recommended if you plan on
remaining in the same job for over a year or so, or if you don’t wish to
live with a solid alternate identity.
A "compromise" in the above dilemma is to maintain a minimal tax profile,
but plan on earning the bulk of your income through non-recorded
means, say, odd jobs for cash. Lead a "straight" life for the tax vultures,
but live "underground" with another trade and/or name.
In seeking employment you are usually asked for former job references. If
you know that some of them will be negative DON’T LIST THEM!
For the resulting "gaps" in your employment history, have already prepared
the names and addresses of your former "employers". They could be local
or out-of-state, in which case they probably won’t be verified except by
mail. Of course you will be prepared for this by listing a mail forwarding
service’s address as that of your former "employer". Merely pay the
first month’s fee and notify the service of your code name–a company
("employer"). You will then be able to rewrite you own employment history.
Oh Happy Day! Gaps can also be covered by using attendance at school or
travel abroad as alternatives to negative job references.
For local job references, a good trick is to ask, or pay, a businessman’s
secretary to give all the goody information right over the telephone.
Provide the phone number on the application, naturally, but remember that
the number may very well be verified first by a call to Information.
When it checks out, your application will appear quite honest, won’t it?
Personal references on either employment or credit applications are a
laugh. They are virtually not verified. Provide them, of course,
but feel no compunction whatever in lifting random names and assumed
relationships right from the phone book. A locally known doctor or
minister is a safe bet, too.
For credit references bear in mind that outfits like big department stores
and most credit unions will not give out information to ANYONE on one of
their customer’s or member’s accounts. This means you can use any number
of these references with impunity when applying for credit as the lender
will not be able to verify one way or the other if your application is
true–a fact he will definitely NOT tell you, however. A complete guide
to establishing credit and obtaining credit cards is our own book,
CREDIT! Very useful, indeed.
Consider using a typewriter for all your correspondence, as it is not
only more impersonal, but also impossible to be "traced" to you. Whereas
handwriting *can* give you away, typewriting cannot. Only the machine
itself can be shown to be the one used for a particular piece of
correspondence. Electric machines are even more impersonal than manual
in that the striking pressure is uniform for all letters. Manual
typewriting can show that you have a weak "a" or a strong "k" or
"c",
for example. Be careful, too, of allowing the keys to clog to the point
that the enclosed portions of letters begin to fill in. When the "e"
and the "o" look alike, it’s time to get out the gum cleaner. Typewriters
using the newer carbon ribbons do not have this problem.
As an added layer of protection for your correspondence, consider mailing
a Xerox *copy* of the letter. There will be enough distortion in the copy
to make tracing you mighty difficult. Should you begin using a typewriter
regularly, you might plan to trade it in every six months or so for another
model, different typeface, etc. They are rather cheap to rent, so this is
a good possibility, too. Keep ‘em guessing….
When going from the "old you" to the "new you", it is usually a good
idea
to drop any old hobbies that could provide the basis for an informal
"stakeout" of your possible activities. If it is known that you
can never pass a museum or fishing pier without indulging yourself, you
have an automatic lead to those who might want to go looking for you.
Changing activities can be an excellent way of building your new identity.
Not only will the old ways fade faster, but your new acquaintances will
provide the support and interest in creating the new identity more rapidly
and completely.
Whenever you rent a new place to live, insist on the right to change
the locks. Refuse to give the landlord the new key, too. Many times
people have arrived home to find a snoopy landlord (lady, too) going
though personal belongings, papers, etc. Items and possessions which
might tend to give someone the wrong ideas about your identity, activities,
interests, etc., should be stored in locked boxes of sturdy construction.
Misleading items can be placed innocently in the open. Be observant of
items being rearranged or moved, too. Until you’re secure in your new
location, you might take the precaution of placing hairs on door jambs,
threads across the threshhold, matches on tops of doors. When choosing
locks and keys, select those not readily available in the area.
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