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Author Topic: Biometrics Are Coming  (Read 9216 times)

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Offline Steve

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Biometrics Are Coming
« on: September 23, 2013, 07:03:59 PM »
From Screamscape:

http://screamscape.com/html/six_flags_over_texas.htm
Quote from: Screamscape
(9/23/13) A document sent to Screamscape revealed details about a new biometric season pass system that was to lauch this weekend at Six Flags over Texas. (I’m not sure if it did or not however... so if you saw it, please write in to confirm.) Guests who purchased their 2014 season passes will notice the pass has changed, with the photo no longer on the card and finger scanning units to be used instead to link the guest to their card, based on the measurements of their finger. Upon returning to the park in the future, guess will then quickly scan their card and finger before entering the park. The paper Value Book coupons are also gone, instead your discount coupons will be digitally loaded onto your season pass card.

So it seems Six Flags are finally getting on the biometrics bandwagon. I am going to assume that this is a test system and if it works out it will be everywhere for 2015.



Offline Blackhand1001

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2013, 09:01:05 PM »
This sounds like a disaster, not just because of the privacy concerns but because it will slow down the lines at the entrance. They finally got scanner guns at great adventure and it really sped up the process. I imagine that these machines probably won't work as smoothly as intended, especially after being used thousands of time a day.

Offline WadeJ

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2013, 09:29:29 PM »
Zero privacy concerns with this. It's just a measuring tool like Disney has used since the early 90's and doesn't contain anything of value. long lines and delays.... Yes. That's a possibility lol

Seriously though, is season pass fraud that big of an issue?  I can't see them justifying the cost unless they plan to eliminate the photo on the pass. That's where the only real gain comes from.

Offline Steve

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2013, 10:22:11 PM »
From having a Universal season pass and using the system first hand I can say that it is fantastic. It actually does not slow down the process at all. It takes about 5 seconds from scanning your pass to getting in the gate. Not to mention the parks down there also have a screen that has your picture in color on it. So if it seems something is wrong you have a backup.

How SFOT is going to do it? I guess we will have to wait and find out.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2013, 10:23:56 PM by Steve »


Offline jglonek

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2013, 02:49:22 PM »
From having a Universal season pass and using the system first hand I can say that it is fantastic. It actually does not slow down the process at all. It takes about 5 seconds from scanning your pass to getting in the gate. Not to mention the parks down there also have a screen that has your picture in color on it. So if it seems something is wrong you have a backup.

How SFOT is going to do it? I guess we will have to wait and find out.

Clearly you haven't stood in enough Busch or SeaWorld lines to realize that some people are very, very bad at biometric scans. That combined with how bad people are with metal detectors at SFGA sounds like a disaster.

I wonder why they did biometrics and didn't just jump right to Disney's RFID's. The turnstiles need to be upgraded regardless. Not that Disney's new passes are any faster at all (used them at Animal Kingdom last week)

Offline Blackhand1001

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2013, 03:34:18 PM »
Zero privacy concerns with this. It's just a measuring tool like Disney has used since the early 90's and doesn't contain anything of value. long lines and delays.... Yes. That's a possibility lol

Seriously though, is season pass fraud that big of an issue?  I can't see them justifying the cost unless they plan to eliminate the photo on the pass. That's where the only real gain comes from.

The photo on the pass likely cost nothing anyways. its just black and white ink which is used for the name and the barcode anyway. This just sounds like a stupid idea and isn't going to save any money.

I could care less if they had my fingerprint but I know there is a ton of people who will and will make a scene about it.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2013, 03:36:24 PM by Blackhand1001 »

Offline WadeJ

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2013, 07:41:20 PM »
It's not an issue of cost rather an issue of convienance. The photo id's require processing and updating and can't be reused.  Examples would be kids changing rapidly like mine where they hardly look the same a year later and other issues like major hair style changes lol.

By going biometric they can reduce fraud without the photo and sell passes online without requiring people to go through the processing center.

At least that's my take on it since I don't see many other advantages.

Offline Ogolo

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2013, 10:07:27 AM »
Hopefully they need to use it for re-entry too or there is still a huge hole for fraud.
They will have to do biometric for daily tickets also and a process for replacing lost tickets.
Somehow I see entry into the park taking a bit longer next year...this isn't Universal/Disney.

Offline Blackhand1001

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2013, 04:03:46 PM »
I just don't see pass fraud being source of shrink for them. It doesn't seem worth the effort to implement especially considering the recent NSA leaks where people are much more weary about things like this regardless of whether the protocols are private.

Offline Blackhand1001

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2014, 02:53:04 PM »
Does anyone know if they are ditching this next year. I hope so, it definitely held the lines up at the front gates.

Offline WadeJ

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2014, 04:32:58 PM »
Unrelated but for riding of the bull day, we left the park to take things to our cars while the rides were down for storms.  I totally forgot about the separate entrance for hand stamp and went to the regular gate even though we had gotten our hands stamped.  Without thinking, I walked right in with no problem and so did my 12 year old son.  We were at the far left by GR and when my 9 year old went to enter, they stopped him and said he must use the hand stamp entrance.  After some arguing over the fact that we all left and were re-entering together, another employee finally got the hint that it wasn't worth it and let him in.  Otherwise, I would have had to send my 9 year old by himself to the other side of the entrance and wait in a line by himself (I would have obviously exited and re-entered for safety at this point) but it just seemed so stupid!  A hand stamp?  In 2014?  When they have biometric scanners?  This has got to be simple coding to add a field for re-entry and probably more reliable than a freakin hand stamp LOL

To your question, I have not heard anything that indicates they are ditching it.

Offline Blackhand1001

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2014, 08:40:22 PM »
I thought I read something somewhere that they started putting pictures on the passes for next year.

Offline Ogolo

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2014, 04:11:02 PM »
My pass from last year still has the picture and they didn't even bother with the biometric scan on my last visit.  She said if you have the picture you didn't have to scan.   I'm sure it will be different next visit.   They still made me take of my belt even though it never sets the alarm off.

Offline B-mac

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Re: Biometrics Are Coming
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2014, 09:53:21 PM »
They were supposed to have the pictures on the passes this year. No clue why that didn't happen...