Fingertips and Turnstiles
So the above title does not refer to songs and albums by Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel, respectively. Rather, I’ve found that security measures in Barcelona make use of fingerprint technology, facial recognition, turnstiles, and automated entryways that require positive identification verification to gain entry.
One example is our gym. Most gums in the US require scanning a badge or flashing your badge to a disinterested receptionist or security guard upon entering the building. That may be one reason for the prevalence of theft in many health clubs. At our fitness center in Barcelona, we were required to submit our fingerprints plus receive a personalized, rubberized, water-proof armband. When entering the gym, one must scan their ID bracelet, then their fingerprint and like magic, the plexiglass entry gate will open. In my case, my fingerprints are un-scannable. It may be the years of working in a laboratory and washing my hands excessively have so altered the skin on my fingertips that it’s nearly impossible to get a good print. We found this out when submitting prints for our background checks as part of the visa process. I had to re-take them and submit them to the FBI a second time since the first set was deemed invalid. When the staff member at our health club here in Barcelona tried, she was unable to get a valid print. Hence, we needed to go to the next step, facial recognition. That is a technology that is far from foolproof. The lighting has to be just right, no glasses or hats can be worn and it’s important to smile a certain way for the system to recognize you. Once again, this required two takes before it worked properly.
Of course, if you’re trying to enter the gym or the metro through the entryway or turnstile, beware the clueless individuals who try to exit while you try to enter. There are more than a few, I’ve discovered. I don’t know if that’s a Barcelona thing but this can create problems. For example, on New Year’s Eve, I scanned my metro card to enter the subway but as I was about to pass through the gate, another passenger decided to step into the entryway from the other side. This set off an alarm and I couldn’t enter. I tried to re-scan my card but I was blocked from entry since the system is set up to prevent another from using the same card. I was a bit furious as to why this individual decided to stand in my way since I was the forced to buy another card in order to use the metro. It also seems that there is no consistency from one station to the next. The other night, Les and I tried to enter a station that had turnstiles instead of the plexiglass entrance. However, they were oriented differently and we were blocked from entering. Luckily, a Good Samaritan scanned her card and we were able to access the station.
This is not limited to the metro. At our gym, we are required to use the same security measures to enter classes as we do to gain entry to the club. The other day, after I scanned my bracelet, another member barged through from the opposite direction. This would have prevented me from entering the class room. Again, I was fortunate that a different member managed to “trick” the door into opening, allowing me the opportunity to go in. Strangely, at a different facility but same chain that we used during the holidays has not requirement to scan an ID bracelet to attend fitness classes. I’m learning that the Spanish are consistent in their inconsistency.
I did have some success regarding my fingerprints. Last week we traveled to the national police station to get fingerprinted for our TIE cards. This card is the “golden ticket” that gives you many of the advantages enjoyed by Spanish residents such as health care treatments not covered by insurance to monthly mass transit passes to discounts on museum passes. The cards operate much the same way as a visa and offer more of a sense of permanence than a passport alone. Perhaps the TIE card will give me the power to overcome my vexation.
