Thumb prints to cash payroll checks...

[Earth_First]

This morning I was asked to submit to a thumbprint to cash my payroll check at Chase Manhattan Bank, a bank which I do not hold an account with.

Mind you, this was AFTER I was required to present three forms of identification, one of which being a picture identification.

Let me tell you about how uncomfortable I was with this situation. I felt as though I was being asked and treated as a guilty criminal by something as innocent as gaining access to my cash.

I refused to be treated as such, and will deposit the check into my credit union, however access to that money this weekend would have been convenient.

What's next? Retinal scanning? Biometrics? At the grocery store? The gas station?

Where's the next line to be drawn?

:mad:

[bluerum]

1. I have a finger scan login on my laptop at work. Half the time it fails and

I log in by entering a username and password.

Unless the technology improves considerably I don't see why anyone should have to submit to it.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Your right on the money, LOOK

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/01/26/ny_scanners_spark_union_cries_of_geoslavery/

I just read this an hour ago.


N.Y. scanners spark union cries of "geoslavery"

By Michelle Nichols | January 26, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Every morning Dennis Colson, a surveyor at New York City's Department of Design and Construction, begins his work day by placing his hand on a scanner to log his time and attendance at the office.

The use of hand geometry and other biometric data, like facial and iris recognition, is not new -- the University of Georgia pioneered the use of hand geometry when it installed scanners in its student dining hall in 1974.

But the planned roll-out of hand geometry scanners in all New York City government agencies has sparked union cries of "geoslavery" and assertions that technology developed for security will be used to track, label and control workforces.

"It's frustrating, it's kind of an insult," Colson, 53, told Reuters. "They are talking about going to voice and retina scanners and that's an invasion of privacy in that they can track you wherever you go."

Jon Forster, of the Civil Service Technical Guild, which represents Department of Design and Construction workers, said the biometric systems gave the city a license to obtain personal, uniquely identifiable data to track workers.

"It's really a matter of this kind of technology having far outstripped any legislation or even case law in the United States in terms of what are the restrictions," Forster told Reuters.

"On the one hand I think people might all agree that if you put a GPS system in ambulances then that's a good thing. On the other hand you have an employer in Ohio who has demanded that two of his employees have chips implanted in their bodies."

"If these are the extremes, the question is where does the line get drawn?" he said.

"The unions' arguments keep changing, but the tracking workers throughout the day is not true. It's just for clicking in and out," said Stu Loeser, spokesman for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, adding that there were no plans to install voice recognition or iris scanners.

FULL story at link.

[notadmblnd]

3. Banks and stores have been doing those thumbprints for years

I worked at a bank in the late 70's and early 80's processing checks. I hated them because the were always stuck on the right bottom corner of the paper and would cause jams in the sorter and interrupt the process.

Just wanted you to know.. that it really is nothing new.

[Earth_First]

5. I understand that this is nothing new...

However it doesnt change how I feel uncomfortable about the idea...

[notadmblnd]

7. I can't disagree with you about that.

I have a real problem with places like Costco that examine your receipt before you walk out the door. I feel I don't need to purchase goods from a company that treats all their customers like criminals even though they just saw them pay for their purchase at the cash register. This just infuriates me... but I'm also astounded by the number of people who think there's nothing wrong with it.

[Earth_First]

8. Question is...

At places such as Costco, I'd say that a good 60% of individuals are walking out with entire shopping carts full of items, and still inspect the receipt. So you're telling me, in the name of loss prevention, that you looked at my cart, looked at my receipt and knew that I had exactly 178 items, and not 183 items in my cart?

I agree with you.

[Omaha Steve]

10. Actually they don't trust their checkers

They may have friends that they don't scan all the items for. It is not the customers they worry about. Sam's club does it too.

[cynatnite]

4. This has been around for quite a while...

The banks have to watch out for counterfeit checks. Thumb prints help track those who would do it since many times people have fake IDs. It's a matter of the innocent paying for what the guilty do.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. You were being treated like an unwanted annoyance.

You don't have an account with them, they really can't be bothered with you but if your check was drawn on an account in that bank they need to provide a way for it to be cashed. If you ask, you'll be told it's strictly for security purposes but it isn't. My late mother upbraided the manager of her local bank when they started doing this because she noticed it was a lot of average working people and seniors getting treated like a pack of thieves. She had direct deposit of her Social Security check and wasn't asked for a thumbprint for any transaction, but it ticked her off to no end.

You should deposit your check elsewhere. At least your credit union wants your business.

[undeterred]

9. I had to do that in Dec 1999.

I needed to cash an advance check at my employers bank in another state. They asked for my driver's license, called my company, and asked for my thumbprint below my signature. So far as I know it was just being done to protect the bank and it didn't go into a system anywhere. It was a new job and my employer was asking me to travel immediately so there was no other way to move the money.

I will never voluntarily use a system that depends on fingerprints, but I think the day is coming when we won't have a choice.

[Holly_Hobby]

11. My husband is a project mgr, working on a Union job

expanding WalMarts to Super Walmarts, of all places.

He is required to put him palm on a scanner before he's admitted into the construction site, and before he receives his pay stub - we have direct deposit!