Smarte Lockers: Coming (back) to an airport near you Last week I got fingerprinted at the airport. Not because I did anything=20 illegal, mind you, (that's a topic better suited for another column) but=20 because I wanted my freedom. Sure, it cost me a few bucks, but I think=20 that was a small price to pay for two of the most carefree hours I've spent= =20 alone on an airport layover since 9/11. My definition of a carefree=20 layover? Being able to sashay around the airport without having to lug all= =20 my carry-on bags behind me as I leisurely eat, shop, stretch my legs, nap,= =20 or take care of business on a scheduled (or unscheduled) plane change that= =20 could last for hours. My newfound key to layover freedom? The high-tech,=20 biometric airport lockers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. As many travelers know, following the events of 9/11, the FAA shut down all= =20 airport lockers. They've remained closed, even as security checkpoints have= =20 been beefed up, for fear that someone with access to secure areas could use= =20 a locker to pass a weapon to someone who has cleared security and is ready= =20 to board a plane. Rather than give up on the locker-rental business, Smarte= =20 Carte got smart. The Minnesota-based company has electronic lockers (and=20 baggage carts) in at least 42 airports nationwide. To comply with the=20 Transportation Security Administrations' (TSA) directive that airport=20 lockers only allow the person renting a locker to reopen it, Smarte Carte=20 created the Smarte Locke, which uses a fingerprint identification=20 system. This past September, after a six-month test of the company's=20 biometric security technology at Minneapolis-St. Paul, the TSA announced=20 that airport lockers can be reopened nationwide as long as they all have an= =20 equally secure identification system in place. The new Smarte Locke lockers require an expensive retrofit, so it may be a= =20 while before you see them once again as a common airport amenity. Smarte=20 Carte reports, however, negotiations with 14 airports nationwide in hopes=20 of reopening lockers in time for summer travel. But as we wait for the=20 upgrades, am I the only one who misses the lockers? Not by a long shot. The= =20 225 biometric lockers at Minneapolis-St. Paul get plenty of use =97 80% of= =20 pre-9/11 usage, even with a decline in overall traffic, says Smarte Carte=20 spokesperson Tammi Phippen. And the average length of each locker rental=20 has increased as well, which coincides with an increase in the average=20 dwelling time to more than 90 minutes, she adds. So what did I do with my=20 two hours of fingerprint-assisted freedom in the Minneapolis-St. Paul? I ate sushi in the food court while I watched planes arrive and depart. I=20 shopped for tax-free clothing at the only airport branch of Lands' End. I=20 marveled at all the cat and dog-related gifts for sale at Bow Wow Meow. I=20 browsed for books and had my boots shined. I contemplated which of my=20 friends might enjoy a bar of Moose Drool soap from the Minnesota! Shop. I=20 even danced a bit while I sampled CDs at Altitunes. All this without=20 worrying about whether or not my roll-around bag was going to knock over a= =20 display case or whether someone walk off with all my belongings. In fact, I= =20 had such a good time that I had to hustle to go get my stuff out of the=20 locker in time to catch my next flight. My pleasant afternoon of=20 locker-enabled shopping pleases airport officials who want to keep=20 travelers happy and vendors prosperous. But travelers most thrilled with=20 locker reopening may not be heading for the shops. Minneapolis-St. Paul is= =20 a smoke-free building. Without lockers, smokers intent on grabbing a quick= =20 cigarette had to tote their carry-ons out to the curb and then make their=20 way back through security checkpoints. Now, heading outside for a smoke=20 means much less of an ordeal. Clearly, everyone has their own definition of= =20 biometric freedom. Smarte Carte is negotiating with these 14 airports to reopen locker service= =20 =97 some as early as July or August. =95 Atlanta =95 Boston Logan =95 Dallas/Fort Worth =95 Detroit =95 Las Vegas =95 Los Angeles =95 Miami =95 Philadelphia =95 Reno =95 Salt Lake City =95 San Antonio =95 San Francisco =95 Seattle =95 Washington National *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.caribbeanfloral.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************