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yesdachi
09-05-2006, 20:04
A school district in Georgia has implemented a system where kids have their fingerprints scanned to buy their lunches. Apparently their old pin number system was too cumbersome for the little ones.

Is it just me or is this an example of overusing technology? How much does a system like this cost? I use to use cheep hot lunch “tickets” to buy my lunch. Have I been away from school soooo long that there is some unseen advantage to this that I am missing? Does anyone else love the Lunchlady Land song by Adam Sandler?

The story
Kids Buy Lunches With Scans of Fingers
By Associated Press

ROME, Ga. - The never-ending march of technology now means school children here can pay for their cafeteria sloppy joes with their fingers.

Rome City Schools is switching to a scanning system that lets students use their fingerprints to access their accounts. In the past, students had to punch in their pin numbers.

"The finger's better because all you've got to do is put your finger in, and you don't have to do the number and get mixed up," said Adrianna Harris, a second grader at Anna K. Davie Elementary School.

The new system speeds lunch lines, said city administrators. It's being phased in to Rome High School, Rome Middle School and all the city's elementary schools. The city hopes to have the system in use next month system-wide.

Some parents are uneasy with having their children's fingerprints scanned, and wonder about how well the information is secured.

"It may be perfectly secure, but my daughter is a minor and I understand that supposedly the kids have the option to not have their prints scanned, but that's not being articulated to my daughter," said Hal Storey, who's daughter is a 10th grader at Rome High.

Sasaki Kojiro
09-05-2006, 20:26
Fingerprint scanners aren't that expensive. Some computers come with them, you can swipe your finger instead of typing your password.

yesdachi
09-05-2006, 20:34
Fingerprint scanners aren't that expensive. Some computers come with them, you can swipe your finger instead of typing your password.
I need to get out more! This (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A0430757) Fingerprint reader is kind of cool.

macsen rufus
09-06-2006, 10:47
Not a huge step from school lunches to a nationwide fingerprint database without all those bleeding heart civil liberty types even NOTICING... go the Land of the Free!

Prodigal
09-06-2006, 11:38
I don't know, what's wrong with having a school id card with "Free Lunch" written on it. I remeber planing the tops of my fingers on a pretty regular basis when doing woodwork, what happens when your fingerprint is partially missing?

Banquo's Ghost
09-06-2006, 11:51
In my day, teachers and staff actually knew the pupils personally and their circumstances, so there was no need for identity tags of any sort.

:shrug:

AntiochusIII
09-06-2006, 23:01
In my day, teachers and staff actually knew the pupils personally and their circumstances, so there was no need for identity tags of any sort.They still do, for the troublemakers and the stars, that is.

:balloon2:

I'd take this as money wasted. There are serious shortages of teachers/science equipments/schools/books/club fundings in many places, and these guys are wasting money on yet another form of recording things they really have no business recording?