They'll get my SS number. I agree to a point that surfing is invasive to your privacy, but it might be a trade-off you are willing make in order to have this web of computers that takes so much of our time. Plus, they probably asked for your SS number. It's a good debate, if nothing else. It's up to you whether the cookies are good or bad.
Most people have a rather violent reaction against doing it.
They then hand their card to the waiter who walks into another room with it. If you're looking for something to use to talk against cookies, using them to profile is it. Profiling is use of multiple cookies to create a profile of a specific person or persons in order to market to them. On the surface that may sound like a plus, but remember that all of this information gathering and tracking is being done without your knowledge. This is a tutorial in and of itself.