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Post by Halloween King on May 4, 2014 0:02:51 GMT -5
Basically what the title says. I went to Six Flags in Illinois today it was the park's opening day for the 2014 season. It took me about 20 mins just to be able to get to the parking lot. Then there was a ridiculously long line to get in the park. I timed it, it took us 40 mins to get into the park past the front gate. I had never seen that many people all around the front gate.
As we got closer to the turn styles where they scan your ticket/pass they had a bio metric scanner for finger prints. They were scanning every one going into the park, this caused the giant lines at the entrance. I was pretty ticked off. I do not see the purpose to this other than corporate greed? I guess they want Season pass holders to not share their pass with someone else? But Season passes have always had your picture on them, so how could they not know who the pass rightly belongs to? The finger printing was just a gigantic cluster F of people at the front gate.
Thank god I got my pass last year before the park closed for the season so I didnt have to process my pass today. The line to process your season pass was longer than any line for the rides. If you're familiar with Six Flags Great America in Chicago, the line went from the processing building, past the Ice Cream shop next to it, past the theater next to that, past the Wizzer, past the Flash Pass building, past the Chicken restaurant, and ended near entrance to the southwest territory. It was absurd. The line to process your season pass was easily the length of at least 8 big Semi Trucks.
As usual everything went up in price. Parking went from 20 dollars to 25. There are less perks for Season pass holders, every year they take stuff away while raising prices. It's frustrating, and yet I love the park.
It was a good day. It just really bugged me to see finger printing at a theme park. I HATED when I saw finger printing done in work places. I just see finger printing as something that is dehumanizing. And now theme parks are going to do this?
What are your thoughts on people being finger printed at a theme park?
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Post by Darkhawk on May 4, 2014 0:54:42 GMT -5
I think it's pretty stupid because I feel like I'm just giving away my DNA just to get into an amusement park. Why? -.- Universal Studios does the fingerprint scanner as well.
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Post by Halloween King on May 4, 2014 1:10:23 GMT -5
I think it's pretty stupid because I feel like I'm just giving away my DNA just to get into an amusement park. Why? -.- Universal Studios does the fingerprint scanner as well. Oh so this isnt new? It's new to my Six Flags. I hate it. When I was a kid only criminals got finger printed, now though I guess kids get finger printed to go to a park. It's sad. It makes me wonder who will have access to these finger prints and what can they do with them.
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Post by Darkhawk on May 4, 2014 1:23:58 GMT -5
I think it's pretty stupid because I feel like I'm just giving away my DNA just to get into an amusement park. Why? -.- Universal Studios does the fingerprint scanner as well. Oh so this isnt new? It's new to my Six Flags. I hate it. When I was a kid only criminals got finger printed, now though I guess kids get finger printed to go to a park. It's sad. It makes me wonder who will have access to these finger prints and what can they do with them. Yeah apparently Universal has been doing it for a while now, I know cause I had season passes and me and my family would go every other Saturday. And I agree that's exactly how I feel when they scan my fingers. There's really no need for it and we never know who has access to them that's what worries me the most.
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 3:53:36 GMT -5
It's programming so people get used to it and think it's cool technology. It's the same reason why Apple put this into their phones. This is going to be a continuing trend.
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Post by Roman Bellic on May 4, 2014 4:15:06 GMT -5
it's better then having potential serial killers/child rapists/terrorists waltzing in and killing/raping a ton of people cause 1 person couldn't handle having to show some basic ID
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Post by DgenerationX092 on May 4, 2014 5:51:03 GMT -5
^^ ..What?
Anyways that fingerprint thing is pretty unsanitary. And yeah, the whole big brother aspect behind it. Eventually itll be Gattacta, where theyre pricking fingers.
That whole thing sounds rediculous. I havent been to Great America in like two years. Though i really do wanna go back to ride that X glider coaster thing that debuted last year. But ive never gone enough to entertain the idea of a season pass. once a year is fine for me (again, if that)
I gotta say, I was extremely dissapointed with Fright fest. Like it was cool, but the first time I went was after years of hype from people. Their haunted house sucked. there was a badass parade at night, and the decor was cool, but it was definitely overhyped. My friends made it seem like it was a completely different place during Fright Fest.
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Post by Word™ on May 4, 2014 6:06:58 GMT -5
First world problems....
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Post by RybackV1 on May 4, 2014 7:40:27 GMT -5
I used to regularly buy season passes for the one in Jackson, NJ as I lived about 20 mins out. Never heard of anything like that. Fingerprinting to get in?? Just wow. Sure there might be a case here or there where someone has a twin brother who's pass they could use with the picture, but that is just going to a whole nother level.
The worst part was always the lines but if I got there to see a 40 min wait I would just turn my ass around and go back home. When the lines at the front are like that. You know the lines for the rides will be as well. And that calls for a not so fun day at the theme park.
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Post by Justin on May 4, 2014 7:45:56 GMT -5
Disneys been doing fingerprinting for awhile. But 40 min to get into the park is outrageous.
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Post by A Flair for the Gold on May 4, 2014 8:23:25 GMT -5
every year, between the ages of 20-24 (i'll be 29 in august), when i lived in milwaukee, WI, i would get a season pass. i can attest to the rediculously long pass lines. i think the whole finger printing thing is a bit much. the season pass has the damn picture on it. i know how fun six flags in gurnee, IL can be. don't let the corperate asghats ruin it for you broski!!!
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 9:57:38 GMT -5
it's better then having potential serial killers/child rapists/terrorists waltzing in and killing/raping a ton of people cause 1 person couldn't handle having to show some basic ID your fingerprints are "basic ID" nowadays? families giving up their fingerprints to Six Flags definitely isn't what's stopping those things you listed from happening. i know the local amusement park here has very strict security including metal detectors with bag checks at the front gates and has security guards / hired local police officers that roam the park and parking lot. If they're already storing the basic information and photo of season pass holders then there's no need to also store their fingerprint and require them to scan it every time they enter the park. what i'm reading in your response is just fear propaganda honestly. it's pretty clear why this technology is being rolled out first as a cool hip iPhone feature and now it's some cool futuristic way to enter into your favorite theme park. it's so people get used to doing this and in the future they will willingly comply with giving up fingerprints / DNA samples when being stopped by police and when they're at checkpoints. you'll start seeing this more and more and some school systems have already been using this technology for years. i wouldn't consider this a "first world problem". Sure, you can choose to not buy a season pass or an iPhone (or use the feature) but that doesn't mean you can't be aware and ask questions about where this is leading into the future.
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Post by jayrod2009 on May 4, 2014 10:10:37 GMT -5
Disney World scans fingers, so does Seaworld. I'm ok with it. If it's a security measure to keep the pedifiles out, then so be it. Our finger prints are already on a national file. So they aren't top secret.
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 10:25:30 GMT -5
Disney World scans fingers, so does Seaworld. I'm ok with it. If it's a security measure to keep the pedifiles out, then so be it. Our finger prints are already on a national file. So they aren't top secret. It doesn't keep pedophiles out. It's a biometric scan of someone's finger to prevent other people from scamming them and to prevent the parks from losing money in ticket sales. As I stated in my other reply, this is just conditioning so that people get used to willingly giving up their fingerprints (or biometric scan in this case) at cool places like this and to access their phones. We live in a police state where every day it seems like the boundaries are being crossed when it comes to police searches. Check out what's going in Pennsylvania where cops are now allowed to search vehicles without warrants and the ongoing debate about whether police should be allowed to go through people's cell phones during traffic stops. When people get used to giving up their fingerprints for cool things like entry to a theme park and to access their phones then it conditions them to willingly comply with giving up their fingerprint and eventually DNA samples in the future when being pulled over for a traffic violation.
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Post by The Mask of Truth on May 4, 2014 10:54:05 GMT -5
All these amusement parks aren't concerned about pedophiles, they're only interested in money.
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Post by Halloween King on May 4, 2014 12:05:17 GMT -5
Disney World scans fingers, so does Seaworld. I'm ok with it. If it's a security measure to keep the pedifiles out, then so be it. Our finger prints are already on a national file. So they aren't top secret. If I listen to you, how does the park know who the pedophiles are? Does the park now share/sync up with some criminal database? Is the park selling out bio metrics to branches of the government? Or is there some kind of new very advanced high tech machine that can determine what crimes people will commit before they do them? I think it's corporate greed more than anything. If Six Flags really cared about pedophiles they would put up those dividing stalls in the men's urinals. My fear is that one day my finger print information will be sold. And what scares me even more is Idk what purpose someone would have for wanting my finger prints. Also, someone made a good point above, finger pricks are prob next.
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Post by HHH316 on May 4, 2014 16:38:01 GMT -5
I take it you went to the one in Gurnee? I haven't been there in years. I'm honestly surprised they haven't closed yet. I thought it was just a matter of time.
As far as the fingerprinting, I guess I don't have a problem with it. If its a matter of safety, If they are taking steps to make my experience as safe as possible, I'm ok with that. Now, as far as how it was organized, that's a different story. But just to play devil's advocate here, if it was the first day of the season, they were bound to have long lines. They need to figure out how to do this in a timely manner. I'd say give them a few weeks to get the kinks worked out.
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Post by Halloween King on May 4, 2014 17:58:49 GMT -5
I take it you went to the one in Gurnee? I haven't been there in years. I'm honestly surprised they haven't closed yet. I thought it was just a matter of time. As far as the fingerprinting, I guess I don't have a problem with it. If its a matter of safety, If they are taking steps to make my experience as safe as possible, I'm ok with that. Now, as far as how it was organized, that's a different story. But just to play devil's advocate here, if it was the first day of the season, they were bound to have long lines. They need to figure out how to do this in a timely manner. I'd say give them a few weeks to get the kinks worked out. Yes I went to the one in Gurnee Illinois, it's the only one in Illinois. I dont see the park closing anytime soon. I've had season passes for years now and it just gets more and more expensive for less and less value. Meanwhile every year there is more and more people. Also it is laughable you would think the finger print for your safety, they finger print out of greed. They do not want people sharing their passes. Like say you have a brother who looks like you. If for some reason you dont go to the park and have a pass, you could let your brother use your pass to go and get in with that pass. This kind of pass sharing is what they want to prevent. On one hand I think its a big corporation being greedy. If I buy season passes to the Chicago Bears, those tickets are mine. If I dont want to go to a game I can give you my tickets, I paid for them and I am not going that day. I feel the same applies here. I paid for the season pass, I didnt go, so why shouldnt I be able to give my pass to my brother? I never shared my pass with anyone by the way. I can see why people would do it though. Bio Metrics are just a form of making sure you are who your pass claims you are. It's the same reason they do Bio Metrics at most work places. The company wants to make sure you are the person who will collect the pay check. It's done to keep the company safe from time theft, not to keep you safe at work. The same can be said for Six Flags. Six Flags is doing Bio Metrics so that only 1 person may use a pass which was paid for. My big fear is how far will that greed go? Will they eventually sell your Bio Metric information?
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Post by JC Motors on May 4, 2014 18:53:57 GMT -5
I never had that problem
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Post by Ben - #6 Munchie on May 4, 2014 19:20:51 GMT -5
I fail to see the issue here bar the wait.
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