Hand scanning for elementary school lunches?

MoonlitPlumeria

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/palm-scanners-to-pay-for-_n_1799735.html

I don't think that these scanners may invite the mark of the beast, I have to admit that the idea that my kids vein pattern will be used as a form of identification for a school lunch makes me really uncomfortable. I would rather just pack my kid a lunch every day than have her go through this. And of course it's in Louisiana. I seriously have to move before it's time for my kids to go to school!

nanabanana06

In beauty school we had to scan our hands to go to lunch and to come back from lunch. Kinda like a palm time card.

klondikebar

Our school system uses the students' ID numbers. They just punch it in the key pad to debit from their lunch accounts.

It's probably silly, but the school system does not need my children's fingerprints or vein pattern on file and I would not like them to have that data.

jessicaclare

Being Lutheran, I had no clue what the mark of the beast is (we don't place a lot of importance on Revelations and its seen as just a vision, not something to be interpreted literally. But I digress) I googled it, and while I still think its a sort of crazy belief, I guess I could see someone being worried about it in this case. The whole world currency thing. (ETA: I mean I can see it for someone that's been taught this belief and really thinks its true. Not that I think its logical)

That said, I think the cost is ridiculous, and frankly, it creeps me out to think of my kid's hand being scanned to pay for lunch. Just something strange about it.

CoffeeBeen

Mark of the Beast?  Seriously? 

There are legitimate concerns over this system like the fact that it's highly sensitive data, unnecessarily expensive, and so on.  The War on Christianity is way down on the list.  JFC.

Angela814

Is it similar to a fingertip scanner? I can see that not working out too well. I used to have a laptop with a fingertip scanner to log on. There were many times that it just wouldn't read correctly. Unless the technology has changed...

Our school has a 5 digit pin code that the kids enter in.

penguingrrl

That seems creepy. Wouldn't affect us since I won't let my kids eat school lunch anyway, but the idea of it is really creepy to me. I do think the "mark of the beast" comments are way overboard, but it's still unsettling.

missmuffin87

Ok religious crazies... Moving on. I can actually see how this would be helpful.

I worked in a very crowded middle school where there were 7 lunch periods throughout the day, each only 20 mins long including time taken to get through the line. Many kids couldn't get through the lunch line and eat in that time, but they couldn't stay and finish because the next group was already coming in for lunch. 

 I also doubt the ability of elementary school children to accurately remember an ID number. I think a lot of time would be wasted on lunchroom staff looking up the numbers and even kids entering incorrect codes causing another child's parent to be billed accidentally.

I don't like the idea of palm scanning though. That really is just a way of the govt. getting all those handprints into the system. Scanning a barcode on an ID card would do the same job. But then again, kids can forget their ID at home, but not their hands.  

MrsGoodkat

fredalina:

Good thing I'm not a conspiracy theorist, because if I were I might actually be convinced that this is a way to get almost all kids' fingerprints into a giant fingerprint database to help "solve crimes" in 2030 years, and that they are attacking the health of lunches brought from home and going out of their way to get as many kids on free lunches as possible to increase the number of fingerprints on file. Good thing I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

Yeah, me too. *side eyes everyone* 

Kitiara5512

rachelrm87:

Ok religious crazies... Moving on. I can actually see how this would be helpful.

I worked in a very crowded middle school where there were 7 lunch periods throughout the day, each only 20 mins long including time taken to get through the line. Many kids couldn't get through the lunch line and eat in that time, but they couldn't stay and finish because the next group was already coming in for lunch. 

 I also doubt the ability of elementary school children to accurately remember an ID number. I think a lot of time would be wasted on lunchroom staff looking up the numbers and even kids entering incorrect codes causing another child's parent to be billed accidentally.

I don't like the idea of palm scanning though. That really is just a way of the govt. getting all those handprints into the system. Scanning a barcode on an ID card would do the same job. But then again, kids can forget their ID at home, but not their hands.  

When I was in elementary, each class went in separately at its designated time. They took a head count at the start of the day to see how many kids were buying lunch and who they were, so all that was sorted out before lunch began. Really wasn't that hard.

kllrbnny

That's kinda creepy. What's wrong with just having them memorize a 4 number pin?

CoffeeBeen

We used pin codes from elementary school through high school - I don't remember any extended delays due to people forgetting their pin codes.  It was simple and cheap.

 Also, I can only imagine the day when their hand scanner crashes and they don't know what to do because there's no simple code to just write down with pencil and paper.  Why complicate everything?

Kitiara5512

BostonKisses2:

rachelrm87:

Ok religious crazies... Moving on. I can actually see how this would be helpful.

I worked in a very crowded middle school where there were 7 lunch periods throughout the day, each only 20 mins long including time taken to get through the line. Many kids couldn't get through the lunch line and eat in that time, but they couldn't stay and finish because the next group was already coming in for lunch. 

 I also doubt the ability of elementary school children to accurately remember an ID number. I think a lot of time would be wasted on lunchroom staff looking up the numbers and even kids entering incorrect codes causing another child's parent to be billed accidentally.

I don't like the idea of palm scanning though. That really is just a way of the govt. getting all those handprints into the system. Scanning a barcode on an ID card would do the same job. But then again, kids can forget their ID at home, but not their hands.  

I know it's harder to control in MS and HS, but at our ES the teachers all keep the students' IDs in a basket or small card box, and that stays in the classroom.  The IDs are passed out right before lunch, while the students are lining up, and the cards are placed back into the proper basket/box as soon as they're swiped (each room has a different colored box/basket so the students know which one to put it in).  The lines move really fast this way.

(note: I'm not disagreeing with what you said, just offering an example to support your thought about ID barcodes doing the same job as a hand scanner) 

Andplusalso, at the middle and high schools here, at least in a district I worked with, the students are required to display their ID badges on them all day. If you forgot your badge at home, you had to have a teacher accompany you to get a temp badge at the office, and the 2nd or 3rd time in a year without a badge started racking up detentions. So if you bring it with you like pretty much every kid did, you can swipe it through very easily.

MoonlitPlumeria

mbenit4:

2 of the schools I went to for open house scanned the right index finger. They said there was less room for human error and the lines went much faster.

At my DD's school each child is assigned a number that they learn and they have to tell it to the lady.

ID cards are not used because they are lost too often was what I was told.

Moonlit - you say you have to move before your child goes to school but LA is not the first state in the Union to have these in elementary schools.

Ah yes, but this isn't the only reason why I want to move out of the state... it's just one more. Don't get me wrong, there are things that I love about Louisiana, but it had it's downsides too.

And it's still very big brotherish to have a record of a vein pattern for my kid! I definitely don't like that idea at all! 

MoonlitPlumeria

crystalbaby:

Is anyone else concerned about the germs? Having to place your full hand where every other person in school has touched right before you eat lunch sounds a little gross to me.

Also a very good point! 

BrittKav

Aside from the cost, I actually think it's pretty cool.