It's a logged world after all

As technology marches ahead and people become more and more dishonest the world takes steps to protect itself from fraud. Credit cards get smart chips inserted in them, cheques and cash get more modern security treatment and more and more data is collected about us to ensure that we are who we claim to be. As this progress takes places though, some are getting nervous. Those who are in need of a hobby or two are usually concerned about this outpouring of personal data into the world. It won't be long until we all have a chip in our neck to take care of all this, but until then we get to watch it proceed.

The latest development in this drive for security is taking place in Walt Disney World. Long chosen as a destination for vacationing families it is dubbed as one of the most magical places on earth. Having been as a child I can't say as I understand what all the fuss was about but still people flock there is huge numbers. The price of tickets is colossal though. As a result of the exorbitant admission rates, counterfeiting and fraud have taken their toll on the piles of cash that pour in the gates of this iconic destination. In an effort to ensure that they wring every last penny out of tourists the world over, Disney has taken steps to ensure that people do not reuse tickets or share multi passes with each other in an effort to avoid mortgaging their homes to see Mickey and his Magic Kingdom.

In the past they recorded the shape of two fingers on a pass holder's hand to ensure that they were the user that their pass claimed them to be. A system upgrade has now upped the ante to fingerprinting. Scanners will now record the fingerprints of park visitors in an effort to keep people tethered to their own tickets. Walt Disney World has been doing this sort of thing so long that the government actually approached them after the whole 9/11 mayhem to get tips on how to scan the masses and identify them. I told my wife that this was actually fitting because whenever the government implements any kind of broad scope plan, the words Mickey Mouse are usually used to describe the outcome.

I can understand their desire to protect their income but can't help but wonder why fingerprinting is necessary. I can also hazard a guess that this is in an effort to save time as it takes a while to check everyone's id against their pass as they enter. The only problem is that this kind of technology is notoriously temperamental. I can only imagine how long the lineups to get in are going to be. I remember as a kid that when we went to Disney in Florida it took us almost an hour and a half to get through the massive lineups to access the park, and that was after arriving early to beat the rush!! Unfortunately for me, the kids will grow up and probably want to go and check it all out so we will have to go and check it all out in the future. You can be sure they will want a DNA sample to enter the park by then. I'll have to spit on a sensor or some damn thing the make sure someone else doesn't try to use my ticket later in the day. If they really want to use biometric systems to protect themselves from unauthorized entry then maybe I should moon them at the gate. After all, my fingerprints are readily available from any glass I've used, but who really want to stare at my ass long enough to map the freckles?

The funny part is that it will soon be impossible for anyone to gain unauthorized access the most famous theme park on the planet, but when the government tried to cut back on fraudulent use of our health care system, people were getting health cards for their dogs. You can always count on them for a laugh. Maybe if the goverment and Disney keep teaming up to tweak security plans this will be the police force of the future?


P.S. - Does anyone else find it ironic that a theme park who is only going to get a couple hundred bucks out of a patron has better security that a credit card company who has billions at stake with customes who use hundreds of dollars a month? Or is it just me?