Privacy or convenience?
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. - Would you give up your privacy, submit to a background check, get fingerprinted or iris scanned and pay $100 per year just to get fast-tracked to the head of the airport security line whenever you fly?
If so, a company called Clear will make it happen.
The service is offered at San Francisco, San Jose, Albany, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, LaGuardia, Little Rock, New York JFK, Newark, Orlando and Westchester airports.
Within a month, Oakland, Denver and both major Washington,
D.C., airports will be added to the system.
After paying a one-time fee of $28 and being "processed," Clear gives you a special card. Then, when you travel, you simply swipe the card, let the kiosk scan either your fingerprint or iris and move to the head of the airport security line.
The Clear system confronts you with an interesting choice: Which do you hate more, being fingerprinted and biometrically ID'd or waiting forever in that airport security line.
So far, 90,000 people have demonstrated by their enrollment in the Clear program that they hate the security line more.
When this system comes to my home airport, LAX, I'll probably sign up.
But what about you? Are YOU willing to pay someone to scan and store your biometric data and take your money in exchange for convenience at the airport?

