Finger Printed in Florida

Somewhere in Florida in an air conditioned space a computer contains the digital images of my right index finger print, H's right index finger print and H's left thumb print. I wonder if on our next trip to the sunshine state they will be performing retina scans. You may suspect that reason for this may have been a little too much tequila and sunshine that lead to a visit to the local authorities but that is in fact not the case.

If you purchase a multi day pass to Universal Studios, upon your first entrance, you will be subjected to a finger print scan of your right index finger. This is to prevent you from giving your pass (or selling it) to another individual. This must have have been a major problem for Universal to invest in all this fancy equipment. If you leave the park and re-enter later they will scan your index finger to make sure it matches the original scan.

OK, I guess that is reasonable but what about the thumb scan? Well, most of the "cool" rides at Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios do not allow any backpacks or items to be carried on the ride so they require you to place the items in a locker prior to entering the ride line. (Some times they don't tell you until you have waited in the line for 30 minutes). In the old days you would get a key to lock the locker or possibly a combination number. Those days are gone, now they use a scan of your left thumb recorded into the computer to provide you access to your stored items. I don't think we will be seeing this at Fun Town anytime soon.

So, is the FBI, CIA or the National Security Council really behind all this finger scanning? Are they also recording images of our faces and storing those with our finger prints? You know they do take your picture on every ride under the pretence of trying to sell it back to you! Is Bush secretly listening in to our conversations as we wait in the 45 minute line for the Incredible Hulk roller coaster? I doubt it, but somewhere in me the sceptic in me wondering just how much "Big Brother" is watching and how much of our privacy we have given up.

I wonder, if an individual is wanted for a crime, and they rent a locker at Universal, do they let them finish the ride before the Feds show up and arrest them.........?