24 Hour Fitness implements fingerprint scanners
Just today I noticed that there were people in line at the 24 Hour Fitness next to Newport Center. They were in line to sign up for the Fingerprint Scanner. It seems that this technology has been around for a couple months at 24 Hour Fitness and that sadly demonstrates how often I’ve been to the gym lately. What I thought was interesting about it is that the guy at the front desk said that when December rolls around, the standard member card ID for 24 Hour Fitness won’t work anymore. This really blew my mind when I walked into the gym. The most interesting part was the idea of Identification Escalation. Several years ago the DMV’s started to require fingerprint scans for new Driver’s Licenses. That seemed odd at the time but I didn’t question it because I could see the need for increased security for such an important form of identification. But now with the idea of Exercise Gyms using biometric fingerprint scanners for entry into their clubs, it does not take the gift of prophesy to predict that other institutions will follow suit.
The thing to watch for is Gyms that have a system of allowing credit purchases of food or smoothies. This type of exercise club would open up the next step of Identification Escalation. Imagine if you were allowed to have a “tab” of protein bars or drinks at your local gym, and you paid off the balance automatically each month. Well, if a club like this used Fingerprint Scanners instead of membership cards, then the fingerprint would invariably serve the purpose of BOTH identification and purchasing intermediary.
Having a fingerprint serve as identification skips the necessity for a Universal ID Card. If people get used to using biometrics to identify themselves, then their bodies will become the ID Card. No plastic is necessary. One argument that companies like 24 Hour Fitness use in favor of biometrics is how using a fingerprint scan is more “GREEN” and creates less plastic waste.
The funny thing is that I will probably sign up to have my thumbprint scanned tomorrow. This isn’t because I necessarily look forward to where this Identification Escalation is heading. It is because I live my life so heavily on the grid that there really is no point in resisting.
-Tyler
