Biometrics coming to San Francisco area gyms

"Excuse me sir, we need a visual of your eyeball...Pardon me, miss, we need to scan your finger." The issue of biometrics doesn't bother Clark at all. But others are freaked out by this high-tech way to verify identity that typically involves retinal scans, fingerprinting, hand geometry and other techniques.

Now The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a gym chain called 24 Hour Fitness has put in biometric scanners at 60 gyms in the Bay area. Instead of issuing you a membership card, they take a scan of your finger.

Clark is a fan of the idea of the idea of creating a better way to verify identity. He would even like to see biometrics used in the world of banking.

However, the fear about biometrics is rampant, based on the idea that criminals will want to visit physical violence on us to access our bank accounts or what have you. The consumer champ even once read an isolated report about a Mercedes owner in Malaysia who was car jacked. But the car could only start with the owner's fingertip. So the carjackers chopped off the owner's finger.

Whether we like it or not, biometrics will become more and more a part of our lives. But we need specific rules of engagement. We need to know how these things operate and how the organizations that want to integrate more biometrics into their worlds will protect us from potential criminals.