When you're in the moment, you don't decide. It just sort of happens.
As a general rule, I don't volunteer information that I'm not asked for explicitly, outside a context of mutual trust and amicability. I didn't think there was any reasonable way they were allowed to ask me about my former name. From a legal point of view, a legal name change is just that, and former names shouldn't matter except for things like seven-year security clearance background checks. From a practical point of view, the question always really means "let me find a way to delegitimize your identity".
Finally, I thought the worst that could happen would be that I wouldn't be allowed to board the plane, which would give me grounds for taking the train home and raising a big stink with the airline, government, etc. Dealing with a cop who pulled me over on a deserted road at night? Might be a little different.
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Date: 2009-07-05 05:39 am (UTC)As a general rule, I don't volunteer information that I'm not asked for explicitly, outside a context of mutual trust and amicability. I didn't think there was any reasonable way they were allowed to ask me about my former name. From a legal point of view, a legal name change is just that, and former names shouldn't matter except for things like seven-year security clearance background checks. From a practical point of view, the question always really means "let me find a way to delegitimize your identity".
Finally, I thought the worst that could happen would be that I wouldn't be allowed to board the plane, which would give me grounds for taking the train home and raising a big stink with the airline, government, etc. Dealing with a cop who pulled me over on a deserted road at night? Might be a little different.