from boingboing.net: Arkansas salon requires thumbprint to get a tan

from: http://www.boingboing.net/2005/04/27/arkansas_salon_requi.html

Arkansas salon requires thumbprint to get a tan
Boing Boing pal Wayne Correia (wayne at club dot net) says:

Today Breanna went to a tanning place in her hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas to get a spray tan. The person asked to take an electronic scan of her thumbprint in order for her to be allowed to get her spray tan. Breanna, sensitive about her privacy being violated (rightly so) refused to allow them to make and permanently store an electronic scan of her thumbprint — she isn’t “joining a program” she simply wanted to purchase a single tan and have it applied at that time. When she refused, the woman was offended, saying “it’s for our computer system” and when neither would budge, Breanna had no other choice but to leave.

Now I heard this story and thought, no way, maybe she was mistaken, but no. I called myself just now to confirm:

WAYNE: “Hi, do you require a thumbrpint scan to get a tan there?”
TANNING BIMBO: “Yes, sir, we do.”
WAYNE: “OK, let me see if I understand this correctly. Is there a state or local law that requires you do this?”
TANNING BIMBO: “No, sir, it’s for our computer systems”
WAYNE: “So you want to breach people’s right to privacy not because there is a state law that demands you take a thumbprint, but because it’s a company policy?”
TANNING BIMBO: “Yes, that’s right.”
WAYNE: “So you don’t see anything wrong in insisting that people give you a thumbprint — a totally invasive request — and possibly even an illegal one, just because your company says so.”
TANNING BIMBO: “No, sir, our systems require it. We have fourteen locations and this is how we ensure that some one isn’t using another person’s tanning plan.”
WAYNE: “Why would you need to take a thumbprint scan of a person coming in once, for one tan, and paying for that tan right then?
TANNING BIMBO: “Our systems require it.”
WAYNE: “Thanks, I just wanted to get this all straight before contacting the media.”

And then I hung up and wrote you this email. I think the Arkansas chapter of the ACLU and the Arkansas state attorney general’s office need to be contacted… this stuff really gets me steamed.

Premiere Tans
3049 North College Avenue
Fayetteville, AR 72703
(479) 571-8267

Well, that does it. If you value your biometric autonomy, brothers and sisters, shout it out with me: “Stick it to The Man! Don’t Go to Arkansas to Tan!”