Baffling Biometrics

Biometrics have recently been added to a majority of state's drivers licenses in an effort to increase homeland security. I don't have a beef with better preparedness or using technology to enhance our safety but I do baffle biometrics.

I worked for a company who processed electronic bill payments. You can imagine the security yoke around this office and its systems. We had to scan our security cards to get into the room where we could press our finger on a pad and have our fingerprint compared to the database to allow us entry into the offices.

I don't know how many times I alarmed the pad from trying and trying to get it to read my fingerprints. Eventually, the hardware guys gave me a bypass code that I could enter into the keypad to get into the offices. My fingerprint didn't read. Don't get me wrong--they gave me all kinds of advice on how to get it read. The one recommendation that worked for 90% of the rejected scannees was to rub their finger on the back of their neck, then try again. Yuck! I'm not sure what we're storing on the back of our necks... probably grease. Apparently, my lizard-like dry skin won't show up on the biometric scanner.

Fast forward to the state of Oklahoma Tag Office on new driver's license day. I waited in the line until it was my turn for the new license with magnetic strips for added security. Imagine my chagrin when I approached the desk and saw a biometric scanner for taking fingerprints. "Umm, these don't work too well on me."
"It'll have to work or we can't issue you a license."
"I don't mind it if you use ink."
"Just sit down, we'll get it to work."
Which, as you can imagine, were famous last words.

The state of Oklahoma collects two fingerprints, preferably a forefinger and a thumbprint from the right hand. But they can take other fingerprints, they just want two they can compare over and over again, each four years when the driver's license is renewed. The lady doing the scanning was professional, she never cussed or complained, but she did try all my digits about fifty times until she finally got two fingerprints to scan successfully. The line of consumers stacked up behind me and the murmurings were getting ugly when she finally flashed my picture and gave me my shiny new license.

As I stood up to leave, she said, "You'll have to remember which two fingers finally worked so they can scan those two when you come to get your license renewed." I said, "I don't remember RIGHT NOW which fingers finally worked. How am I going to figure it out in four years?" She just said, "NEXT!"

I've been talking to my husband about the chances of his company transferring him to another state... preferably before my current driver's license expires.

--Sandee Wagner