Comm J Market Notes
#55, August 2008
Fingerprints etc
I checked in for my recent trip flight from Tel Aviv back to Tokyo, and approaching passport control, I thought "Great. I registered my fingerprints last trip, so now I can whiz through the line". How wrong I was.
At the kiosk, no matter how many times I placed my palm on the machine, it wouldn't confirm my prints. I got desperate and even read the instructions, but it just didn't work. Seeing my distress, a service attendant came over and placed my palm the right way but – still rejected! She brought me to the other side of the hall, where it seems 1 out of the 6 machines had a lower sensitivity calibration, and it finally matched my prints and gave me an Immigration slip.
Returning to Tokyo, I waited on the Immigration line where all foreigners are fingerprinted (even permanent residents like me). The device here is compact, scans only 2 fingers, and is operated by the Immigration officer. It's made by NEC, and it works the first time. Its purpose is security, not efficiency.
Herein are 2 differing world views. The Israel approach – for those 90% of you who don't like being fingerprinted or don't want the hassle – no problem, go stand on the line! Those of you who want to shortcut the line – this is experimental stuff and it may not work. The Japanese approach – everyone does it, and WE'll make sure it works.
Years ago, when banks started deploying ATM machines, customers worldwide were thrilled to get 24 x 7 access to cash, never mind they were sometimes out of order or out of cash. Japan's ATM's, for years, operated only 9:00-18:00, 5 days a week and 9:00-14:00 on Saturdays. The ATM's always worked, always had cash, and for the first many years there were bank staff to help you.
A 9 hour/ day ATM? Hard to believe. But as I said, differing world views.
NOTE: I GOT COMMENTS FROM A NUMBER OF READERS WHO SWEAR BY THE ISRAEL IMMIGRATION'S PALM-READER BIOMETRIC, AND SAY IT WORKS SMOOTHLY AND SAVES THEM LOTS OF TIME.
I HAVE TO ADMIT, MY NEXT DEPARTURE FROM ISRAEL IT DID WORK VERY SMOOTHLY.
MAYBE I WAS JUST HAVING A "BAD HAND DAY".