Bars using Scanning devices....

This past weekend i went to a bar, and for the first time in my life, they took my drivers license, and scanned it into a CPU.

After they scanned it in, a bunch of my info popped up in the screen.

Me being me, i imediatly asked where the information was going, and they replyed that the info was sent to the Police Headquaters.

I next asked if all the bars in the city were now using this tech, he replyed not yet, but we hope so soon.

reply to post by TKainZero


The State of Minnesota has had magnetic strips on the back of their driver's licneses for years, and I think they have now gone to a modified bar-code strip on the back. The number of places that use the scanners is growing by the day. Court Houses, Bars, Post Offices, Schools, Hospitals, etc...

Some liquor stores near me do this now. They say it is to prevent them from being held responsible for underage drinking. I first saw it at a liquor store across from a college campus, after a stabbing.

The police want this in bars, to gather information. The bars have to sort of play along, so the cops don't put DWI checkpoints in front of the bar. In fact, most bars already have to kickback money to the police departments too. You'll never hear about that though.

Quite a few years ago, there was a specific liquor store in a bad part of town that started labeling all of their bottles with the store name and phone number. It was supposedly advertisement. The police have used this to their advantage though. The bottles found at crime scenes lead them to this specific store for further investigation, to tie the purchaser to the crime scene.

[edit on 3/1/0808 by jackinthebox]

This is a very interesting thread. So far I haven't seen or heard of anything like this happening in Canada......yet but I do have a magnetic strip on the back of my drivers licence. I can possibly understand scanning it to prove its a real and valid ID but why have the info sent to the police? and what kind of info does it reveal about you other than date of birth etc. To me it sounds like just another way that big brother can track your every move. How much more of our privacy are we going to have to sacrifice. I suppose the next step will be the mandatory chip placed under our skin.

Depending on your circumstance & location you can generally tell these people to goto hell. Some locations, by law, have to inform you first before your ID is scanned. Of course since its typically a private establishment they also have the right to refuse you entrance. I've been to many a bar/pub requesting this and thankfully ATS censors won't disclose the nice feelings I shared with them. The choice is yours of course either submit or pass along colorful suggestions.

brill

This has been happening in Calgary for years.

Don't get paranoid though, our local news did a big investigation to see what was going on.

We were having problems with bar fights, stabbings, etc. Patrons were beginning to feel several of the large bars (all owned by a Mr Paul Vickers) were getting too dangerous, as it is very hard to enforce bans of certain persons. The solution was the bar scan system. It does not store any personal information about the patron. All it does is store a code number that is on the license (yes I am aware if big brother wanted he could find out where you drink - only he has the list designating what serial# is what person). If you do cause an incident at the bar, your ID is put into the system, and when you try to return you will be denied entry. A simple easy way to keep troublemakers out of the bar.

As for the legality of it, it's a business, and the have the right to serve whoever they want. If you don't like it, drink somewhere else I suppose.

As for sending to a police database, I have never head of this, and highly doubt there is any truth in it. I have always asked, and all that is stored is the license # on a local harddrive, to which the only info that can be attached is a ban. Police don't have the resources nor the initiative to record where everyone drinks. That sounds a little too paranoid for me, as I don't see the gain in it for "them".

Furthermore, many businesses record license #s for a variety of reasons. I have even had my Lic# recorded to rent a carpet cleaner. I geuss big brother might know when I spill on my carpets, go to big time clubs, or rent a car! I think there are a lot more personal data records (ie CC records) that will tell "them" a whole lot more about you than an ID scan at a bar.

[edit on 1-3-2008 by WuTang]

Depending on where you live, the scannable bar code contains more than just your license number. In New York, the scan also records your DOB. Social Security numbers are often bar coded as well in driver's licenses. Do you trust every bar tender you meet with your three most important identifying sets of digits? All they have to do is remember your name, and the rest of the data is stored.

bars in Arizona do the same thing as well as new Mexico.

[edit on 1-3-2008 by hosta420]

Originally posted by WuTang
The solution was the bar scan system. It does not store any personal information about the patron.

Is this fact or assumption. I hardly trust the technical prowess of some shmuck making 5/hr detailing to me the inner workings & intricacies of chip cards. Personal information could be gleaned from cards and as others have pointed out some cards do contain more information than others.

Originally posted by WuTang
As for the legality of it, it's a business, and the have the right to serve whoever they want. If you don't like it, drink somewhere else I suppose.

This was already addressed.

Originally posted by WuTang
As for sending to a police database, I have never head of this, and highly doubt there is any truth in it.

Again fact or fiction? I think your trivializing the issue by making broad assumptions. The data 'could' potentially be used for profiling purposes who knows.

Originally posted by WuTang
Furthermore, many businesses record license #s for a variety of reasons. I have even had my Lic# recorded to rent a carpet cleaner.

This is true but you could always pay cash.

brill

They have plans to implant the bar code into everyone's hand or head.
Just by getting close to a reader, you can be scanned. Your location will always be known by the system. 1984 and big brother are upon us.
Tie this in with the soon coming money-less economy; and you won't be able to buy or sell without your, Mark. (bar code) IIIIIII like the scratches a bear (beast) leaves on a tree.

I Was not able to finnish what i was saying in my first post because my parents needed the PC.

This episode disturbed me, i could not place why it did, but it did.

I am just missing the point why the police have to know who went into what bars, when, and such... it just disturbed me... so, i sat near the entrance, and observed who, and who they were not scanning.

I was only in the Bar for a about 30 min.

Some random info about the town and Bar, and the people at the bar.

The Town i live is greater then 50% Mexican, and both men that were checking Cards were Mexican (I presume, could be from some other nation from south of the boarder, but for simplicity, lets just say Mexican).

The Bar was an Irish Bar, McMurphys or something, although not a single person of Irish decent could be seen. The only Black person came with me, the only Arabic person also came with me. There was a small group of Skinheads in one corner. The rest of the Bar, including the entire staff was Mexican.

Anyone who walking into the Bar alone, and didn't seem to personaly know the doormen, were scanned.

Women, when in groups with other women, were not scanned.

Women, when acpompanied with a man, were scanned.


I do not like the whole idea of scanning, and it perturbs me even more, that some people were not scanned.

ANyway, thats all...

reply to post by TKainZero


This is actually standard security procedure. If you're working a concert for example, you don't check everyone for banned items, such as drugs, or even outside food and drink. It would take to long to get all the people through the gate before the show started. And of course the old, "it's all who you know," applies everywhere.



[edit on 3/3/0808 by jackinthebox]

Just saw this:

Alberta's privacy commissioner has ordered a Calgary nightclub to stop scanning patrons' driver's licences, disputing the bar owner's stance that the practice curbs violent behaviour.

Nyall Engfield filed a complaint to the office in August 2005 after his driver's licence was scanned before he could enter the Tantra Nightclub at 3rd Street and 10th Avenue S.W. He claimed his personal information was collected without his permission.
...
"I think it vindicates consumers' rights everywhere and it supports the need for privacy that we have in our society," Engfield said. "In this day of free-flowing information, I think it's important that we're able to control the amount of information that businesses have about us."

Agreed but its still a slippery slope. Private establishments should have the right to enforce their rules (within reason) however they must make patrons aware of their actions. I still say to tell them off and just go somewhere else. Also I'd even go so far as to badmouth their establishment to prevent others from going. Sends a message plain & clear.

src www.cbc.ca...

brill

Interesting. My brother owns a bar and I asked him about this. He had never heard of it. Probably because his bar doesnt ever have issues. LOL

I find it odd that a bar would have access to a some type of police database. Hmmm.

Bigger issue here people.

Lets say said device does actually record personal information on a hdd on the unit, and it doesn't connect to the police.

You go into a busy bar/club, your id is scanned, brings up your information. Great, you haven't caused trouble, so you get in. Brilliant system, its an electronic bouncer.

You buy a nice meal, and have a few drinks, pay on plastic. Have a good night and go home.

While you are there you receive a bluetooth message advertising the bar, you look at it on your phone, smile and put the phone in your pocket.

You really like this place, you come here all the time, so you decide to fill in a few details, and become a regular member, and look forward to your discount on your next visit, and perhaps a email in the future letting you know about a great band thats playing there.

You finish your meal, and take the Mrs out to the car, safe in the knowlege that the car is still there, because of their fancy CCTV, numberplate system. What a great night.

3am, the bar is broken into. The till is stolen, and a few pc's, nothing else.

And, practically your complete identity. your email, your driving id, your card number, your address, your mac address from your mobile phone, you car registration, your photo even your drinks/food preference.

What price is convenience?

I agree ive made a few assumptions though, but these systems worry me, we practically give our data away everyday without thinking just how it could, can and will be used against us, be that by the NWO or a clued up thug.

Dangerous times.

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
I find it odd that a bar would have access to a some type of police database. Hmmm.

I don't think that is being stated here. These devices do not send any information to the police. The information is shared amongst other bars when a patron causes a problem.

brill

The information is most definintely sold. Don't believe the Calgarian - they are known to not know much.

I know that they don't bar code scan or use the strip if you have one, but rather they scan it in face down and a picture is taken, with all your information of your card saved. One thing they do is sell this information to insurance agencies to determine how often you go to bars, and adjust your rates accordingly.

Who knows what else they do with it. I'm sure it's connected to some sort of database somewhere. This is primo data being mined from the only businesses in existence where once you walk in you lose all your rights. It just starts at the doors now.

Originally posted by brill

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
I find it odd that a bar would have access to a some type of police database. Hmmm.

I don't think that is being stated here. These devices do not send any information to the police. The information is shared amongst other bars when a patron causes a problem.

brill

Just to Clarify...

The Bar scanned the ID, on the Screen, a program was running, and on the program, all my info poped up. Meaning:

1. I was aleady in the database
2. That the database HAS to do with the DMV
3. That ALL info had to go to a central Database

So, recap, the BARS are sending the COPS info on where/when people are entering bars...

not my kind of bag..

Its being done in a lot of places. Here in Canada, not too many bars do it, moreso clubs. I remember on my girlfriends birthday we went to a club and both our ID's were scanned. At the time, I believed it was because of the large number of counterfit ID's going around, but, who knows?

I don't drink so I'm never in a bar or liquor shop but a friend asked me to pick up a bottle of wine on my way to a dinner.

When I saw the clerk swipe my license through some reader I asked "what did you just do?" and she told me it checks with some state database or something.

I told her to forget it and give me my license back because I'm not buying anything.

I showed up to dinner without the wine and haven't been into a bar or liquor store since.

If for some reason I want to drink in the future I'll distill some fermented corn meal or boil up some barley and yeast or let some grapes rot.

[edit on 31-3-2008 by thisguyrighthere]