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Indiana Bans Driver's License Smiles, For Security
Smelly Jeffrey writes "According to a recent article, Indiana BMV Communications Director Dennis Rosebrough states that applicants for a new or renewed operator's license or state identification card will no longer be allowed to smile and say cheese. Apparently new facial recognition software being employed by the state fails to function when the face is distorted by something as innocuous as smiling. Also on the list of taboos are hats, eyeglasses, and hair that hangs down over the face. The article fails to mention, however, the legality of beards, mustaches, and bushy eyebrows." Similar restrictions are in place for the Enhanced Driver License (which serves as a sort of limited passport) implemented by the state of Washington, among others.
I'd damn well like to keep my awkward smile on my driver's license!
BS. You can smile, if you please.
I guess we are just that glum.
Kind of hard to get your six-year-old a driver's license in Indiana, anyways.
I think its more of a testament to the Indiana DMV. I know in my state, nobody feels like smiling after waiting in line at the DMV!
What are we going to do tonight Brain?
Also on the list of taboos are hats, eyeglasses, and hair that hangs down over the face.
So I guess Slash is out entirely.
Which is why Congress is, at this moment, working on the CAN-SMILE act, which will put a stop to smiling, along with other un-American behavior like being happy, being friendly, playing with your children, giving to charity, and staying out of debt.
Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the number e.
Its okay, terrorists never smile ...
Residents of Indiana will no longer be allowed to smile in public when the Homeland Security Alert Level is Orange or Red, to improve security. Image recognition software is not able to easily recognize and track citizens movements if they smile, which causes terrorism and child pornography.
93rd rule of Slashdot: No matter how obvious my sarcasm is, my comment will be taken seriously by someone.
Whenever your not at the DMV, wear glasses/smile/frown/etc...
They'll never know its you.
Also on the list of taboos are hats, eyeglasses...
Local reaction: Newspaper reporter Clark Kent was quoted as protesting this in the strongest possible terms, while wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne said he didn't really see this as a problem.
obviously taking lessons from the Louis Lane school of identifying people.
Amazon needs to be taken down under the Patriot Act:
http://www.amazon.com/Groucho-Glasses-Fake-Mustache-Brows/dp/B001HHECYU
Squirrel!
But just like its name sake, the legislation will have so many exceptions for politicians and non-profits that it ends up with no teeth.
09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
It's a sad comment on the state of Slashdot's moderation system when you have to preemptively explain a fairly common phrase you used because you have a reasonable expectation that someone will mistake it for "flamebait."
To take this even further off topic, our local hockey team is called "the Canucks," and the company I work for disperses season ticket amongst the sales staff to use for marketing purposes. The CEO recently complained that he had attempted to send an email three times, but nobody received it and he didn't get a bounce back. Turns out the nanny filters on the mail server quarantined his message due to a racial slur - he'd mentioned that the "Canucks" tickets were available.
I don't care why you're posting AC
I'm pretty sure the guy smiling and sweating in the trench coat when its 80 degrees out is going to attract somebody's attention.
Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
In other news, the TSA will begin ramping up security under a new no-smiles initiative. Travelers appearing too happy while traveling through the airport will be stopped and asked to undergo an intensive search, as research has shown that terrorists might smile to get past facial recognition software.*
Oh, so *that's* why TSA are such dicks all the time. If they get you to stop smiling, the software works. See, they're being assholes for our safety!
"The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer."
-- Henry Kissinger
Does having a long, 1900's mustache short-circuit computer face detection? If so, this means that Snidely Whiplash was a visionary with a keen sense of crinimal discretion. This would also confirm what I've always known - that Ned Flanders is a dangerous man on the run and that the Pringles guy is a criminal mastermind.
sorry...need coffee
Indeed, nothing new, This is about Tzar Peter the Great (1672-1725): To add insult to injury, Peter personally cut off the beards of his noblemen. All men except the peasants and priests had to pay Peter's yearly beard tax and wear a medal proclaiming, "Beards are a ridiculous ornament." If we re-introduce the beard-tax we can pay the development of better face-recognition systems.
Well, that's a relief. At least as we descend into a totalitarianist police state, I can take comfort in the fact that the regime isn't technically fascist.
You've never been to Manhattan, have you?
-- "Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?"
Nor does anyone who has waiting in a DMV line.
This is easy to crack. Don't smile for your DL picture, and do smile the rest of the time. It will make the world a better place in the process.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Last time I flew to Canada via the US, US immigration wanted to take a picture from me _without_ wearing glasses (funny, as you can never find me "in the wild" without wearing glasses ;-).
On the return flight, US immigration wanted to take a picture of me _with_ glasses.
Way to go, you hoser!
Ahhhh yes, but still a chance!
Believe it or not I saw about 20 extremely happy men at one place in the airport. Of course there was an extremely cute girl riding up the escalator in a mini-skirt without panties, but still... BIG SMILES!
There's a film on at 11. It's a documentary about irony. Don't watch it - you don't need to.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
The secret is out. From now on, if you ever commit a crime in Illinois within range of a surveillance camera, be sure to smile as you do it.