Thieves and brigands

    I may or may not have mentioned it, but I'm not too fond of retailers asking me for my phone number when I buy something. Lowe's does it regularly; Sears did when I bought the vacuum cleaner. It must be that it's their policy with credit card purchases. (I make very few credit card purchases.) There is a very creepy, NSA-type vibe to it. More to the point, it's just socially wrong. You do not ask a stranger for their phone number, nor do you share your phone number with strangers. I realize that they're trying to protect John M. Dantzler against somebody stealing his credit card, but what are the odds that that hypothetical thief would use his stolen card to buy an HVAC filter or a vacuum cleaner on clearance?
    If they want to say to their clientele that they think we're all thieves and brigands, fine, but I think they would do better just to have a sign saying that all credit card purchasers must show ID. I would prefer that strongly. I suspect that they run up against the fact that people get credit cards exactly so they don't have to show ID, as when paying by check. But I think Lowe's especially should think twice about putting their tellers in the awkward social situation of asking strangers for their numbers. Meanwhile, I'm trying to be less rude about declining. I've progressed from, "What on Earth makes it any of Lowe's business?" to "I don't feel comfortable sharing that information." Of course, a simple "What's yours?" would probably make the point better.