No Thumbprint, No Rental Car

Wired News ^ | 11/21/01 | Julia Scheeres

[Jean S]

When James Glave arrived at Oakland International Airport and went to retrieve the rental car he had reserved over the Internet, he was dismayed to learn that the agency not only required his driver's license and payment information, but also his thumbprint.

[Cold Heat]

Sorry, Just got into the argument too deep. I'm definately not a rollover type of guy. I've walked on jobs that violated my liberties.I:E spycams,monitoring,piss tests. I am befuddled as to how proving your ID could be considered a breach of rights. Especially now, when we have individuals with stolen ID trying to do us harm. Just my feelings and not a cause. I wish the process was easier and not so complicated with prints etc., but that's the way it is.

[freebilly]

Most of the posters on this thread don't realize that no one gives a rat's a$$ about them or their dumb fingerprints. The rental place just wants to be sure their $20,000.-$40,000. piece of equipment is accounted for.

Don't like being fingerprinted, go to another rental place. Can't find another rental place? Tough titty. Life's hard, then you die. And so far as I know, they don't need your stinking fingerprints for you to get into heaven.

[freebilly]

What do you think of implants for identification? It's the next logical step.

Now I can get behind this. I'm all for identifying people of the female persuasion by breast size and shape.

[Lazamataz]

[CWRWinger]

First, rental car companies started refusing cash, even to those with a good rental history. Second, they started refusing debit cards, even to those who have good credit. Third, they started refusing to rent to those going over 1,000 miles on a trip, especially if the trip included Texas. And now they want a thumb print.

Airline travel is now something to abhor and shun. It seems like we are turning the clock back on freedom of movement and travel. Next we'll be required to get around on one of those two wheeled Flintstone 'Ginger' machines.

[HighWheeler]

The month-long pilot program, which concludes Dec. 1, has successfully reduced fraud and theft at the test locations....

I'll bet it reduced revenue at the test locations, also. I would walk out before complying with this intrusion. Why don't they take a lock of hair so they can profile the customer's DNA?

[stuartcr]

Not for a very, very, long time.

[stuartcr]

So if your child grows up and wants to join the army, or become a cop, or get a clearance, what are you going to tell him?

[freeeee]

No Thumbprint, No Rental Car

No Rental Car, No Profit on Rental Car Capital Investment

No Profit on Rental Car Capital Investment, No Shareholder Dividends

No Shareholder Dividends, Angry Stockholders

Angry Stockholders, Low Stock Value

Low Stock Value, No Future Capital for Investment in Rental Cars

No Future Capital for Investment in Rental Cars, NO RENTAL CAR COMPANY

Works fine for me.

[Ramius]

Hmmm... sheeple, huh? OK, I'll toss a little in and see what happens:

Does someone renting someone else's car have a right to be anonymous?

[stuartcr]

Didn't you get fingerprinted when you joined the military?

[stuartcr]

Might be hard to drive the rental without arms or legs.

[Cold Heat]

The GPS and speeding crap was mentioned earlier in the thread. I'm not going to bother looking up the post #s but I obviously am not in favor of these things and do not equate them to fingerprints for identification purposes.