Every word of the following ridiculously long rant is true. I don't need attention badly enough to post BS for the hell of it. If you're bored and have time on your hands, feel free to read. If you have anything better to do, please move on – no offense taken.
I'm posting this:
- Because I'm Uber Annoyed
- Because feedback might help (doubtful).
- Because there's an actual question at the end of all this.
- Because I can.
I got my new RFID annual pass in March or April and for a couple of months everything was dandy – which is to say it worked/failed about the same as my paper pass – 80% success or so. Although thinking back I was probably using the turnstiles rather than tapstiles most of the time.
About a month or so ago, the pass simply stopped working. I don't mean it doesn't work the first or second time – it doesn't work period, and intervention of Guest Relations CMs is required. Of my last nineteen tries, it has gone green exactly twice. I know the numbers because I'm going for Epcot concerts and I know how many times I've seen each group.
The pass has been reset by GR ten times I'm pretty sure. But since I don't want to be accused of hyperbole, I'll go with nine, since I know for a fact it's been reset that many times.
I've gone to the ticket windows twice to see about a new pass. The first time, a very sympathetic CM said she'd be happy to issue a new pass but that it probably wouldn't help, as the issue with a minority of guests seems to be the biometric interface. The second time, I insisted on a new pass and it turns out they were right – it didn't help.
The interaction with CMs has been interesting to say the least:
Sir - are you using the same finger as last time? Yep, right index finger since the day biometrics started.
Sir – your finger is too far forward. (One CM actually put her fingertip between my fingertip and the front of the sensor.)
Sir – your finger is too far back. (That was the very next day after my finger was too far forward.)
Sir – don't press down so hard.
Sir – press down a little harder.
Sir – are you using your finger the same way every time. To which I responded – If this system requires the dexterity of a neurosurgeon then it's a piece of crap. That was a wasted comment from me because I could tell from the blank look that she didn't have a clue what the words dexterity or neurosurgeon meant.
I had a long talk with a GR CM who gave me some patient explanations. The old system scanned 32 points of the finger and the new one scans over a hundred. Therefore, they're experiencing a higher failure rate, which is why GR will be a permanent fixture at the tapstiles. Wonder how much that'll cost in labor $$.
He went on to tell me – here goes – It's summer in Florida, Sir. It's hot. (Really? Hey thanks for that, I was wondering why sweat was running down my back.)
In the heat, human body parts swell, so my finger today may be a different shape and size than when I was previously reset. So let me get this straight – When I was reset on Wednesday in 92 degree heat, my finger was different than on Friday in 92 degree heat? The fun part about this exchange is that both of us kept a straight face throughout.
I've kept my cool so far. I haven't erupted at a CM, haven't cursed, I haven't even really growled yet, but I'm probably going to before long. I don't let life's little bumps disturb my equanimity, so I keep telling myself that these CMs didn't ask for this system, didn't design it and didn't implement it so they don't deserve any abuse over it, but I'm not far from losing my temper. I'm holding up the people I'm with and the people behind me for anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes and I'm pretty much over it.
Okay, thanks for reading this ridiculous rant, but here are a couple of questions.
What would any of you do? Hell, what would Jesus do for that matter?
But more importantly – I think I had read that since a few guests are somewhat paranoid about Disney storing their fingerprints that if you refuse the biometrics, they'll accept your AP, picture ID and let you in. Does anyone know this to still be the case? Because I'm going to give this one or two more tries and after that, I'm done with it – permanently.
Carry on now.
. The Disneyland photo thing worked better...even though they had to take my photo more than once.
