For years, privacy advocates have lamented the fact that consumers are willing to turn over their personal information for just about anything. Well, it seems that many Average Joes draw the line at pancakes.

An International House of Pancakes in Quincy, Mass., began requiring that customers hand over their driver's licenses before sitting down to eat--a policy instituted by local management to combat dine-and-dash customers, ABC's network affiliate WCVB-TV reported on Tuesday. The policy had customers up in arms over the potential privacy problems.

"Identity theft is rampant," said one customers, who had previously been a victim of identity theft, according to the article. "I wouldn't want to give my license, with my address or Social Security number to anyone that I'm not familiar with that ... I'm going just for breakfast.".

Security and privacy experts have long worried over consumers penchant for handing out personal information. Government agencies and corporations are increasingly adopting more invasive means of identifying consumers--from electronic passports carrying biometric identifiers to credit cards equipped with a wireless chip. Companies--both blue chip and grey market--are also pushing the boundaries of privacy: AT&T declared its ownership of its customers' information, while adware companies are increasingly using invasive click-wrap licenses to fool consumers into installing their products.

Not all are learning to be more aware of data security. The customer quoted in the WCVB-TV article claimed that the security guard collecting IDs already had 40 licenses in his possession.

Late Tuesday, IHOP's corporate offices declared that the single store which implemented the policy would be reversing the decision and underscored that the manager had instituted the measure without notifying the head office.