When I left AT&T after a summer internship during business school, I was required to surrender my company identification card.
Sentimental, I asked to keep it. "I just want it for a souvenir."
"No, I’m sorry," said the HR representative. "That’s not allowed."
"Please?" I begged.
"O.K. then," she said. "But first I have to invalidate it."
With that she took a tiny hole punch and punched two tiny holes in the ID card — on my eyes in the photograph. She punched out my eyes. Then she handed the card to me.
"No, thanks," I said. "I don’t want it any more."
Big companies can be too creepy.