I hope you missed the /s tags.

A background check and your fingerprints, because ..? I recently landed in Heathrow after a looong time staying in Europe (yes, England's not Europe) only. I was literally shaking when I saw all the people going through a random scanner, looking into a camera, providing their fingerprints.

Ignoring that the system didn't even work half the time while I was watching and that it needed a supervisor that reset everything, brought the people back out of the 'check zone' to .. turn it off and on again: That's insane.

This is the amount I'm willing to pay to a crappy government to go easy on me:

This is the list of governments that are allowed to take my fingerprints outside of a criminal investigation(* ):

Again, I really really hope you were just kidding and making fun of a bad situation.

*: The next time my German ID runs out I _might_ have to do that for my own home country - and I still try to figure out ways to avoid that/let the ID run out (illegal) without a renewal etc. And I try to vote for the parties that aren't insane.

I can't speak for the poster, but I have global entry and share the same sentiment without sarcasm. The government didn't "take" my fingerprints, I gave them to it in exchange for skipping most of customs and domestic security screening. The interview was probably the most noninvasive interaction I've had with CBE. If you don't feel like s worthwhile for you, then don't do it. If the government gets a hard on for framing me, they have much more surefire and efficient methods than planting my fingerprints. Until they start making the normal screenings worse to try and force people into it (which I don't think is the case, the TSA has gotten a lot easier to deal with in the last few years) I don't see it as a miscarriage of justice.

My GE interview was a joke. The only question I was asked was about my move from Atlanta to SF. For some inexplicable reason, I was asked three or four times if there was any gap between living in the two cities, to which the answer was no: I moved directly from an apartment in one to an apartment in the other.

That was the full extent of the questioning, which lasted maybe 5 minutes.

The scanners at Heathrow (at least the ones I used) don't take your fingerprints.

And the "I WON'T ANY GOVERNMENT HAVE MY FINGERPRINTS" is all fine and dandy, right until you, say, want to visit US and aren't a citizen of VWP.

Of course, you may value your beliefs about fingerprints higher than visiting some countries. Many don't. I don't.

Not sure if there are multiple models. The ones I saw had a gate (red/green, i.e. 'you can come in now' lights), and had you to put your hand down in a designated area / look into a camera.

Since I wasn't exactly able to move over and inspect the device from up close I admit that I just _assume_ that the hand thingy compares your fingerprints - I wouldn't know what else it could look at otherwise. Maybe it's just a bible and you have to solemnly swear not to be a terrorist, on camera. Looked weird from 10m away, everyone putting down their (right?) hand on the device, looking into the camera and waiting for the machine to say 'You are good to go'.

I don't plan to visit the US, ever. Personally I can easily state that I my desire to see some (probably) cool places over there isn't high enough to put up with the BS, professionally I am able to dodge any and all suggestions to go there so far - and will try to keep it that way (but that's the loophole: I won't sit on my hands and flat out refuse if my company forces me to go there. I will complain loudly and make sure that my unwillingness to go is heard though).

This is a perfectly valid criticism, global entry does represent buying in even further to an already intrusive and broken system.

This does sound insane, and a bit different from my last experience, albeit 2007:

Get off plan, walk for a long way following signs towards arrivals exit, spot sign for UK residents/nationals, no queue, a sleepy fellow looks at my passport and face, then I walk through to the arrivals area and try to find the underground station.

Have things changed that much?

It's those from outside the EU/EEA who have to do that. For those within, it's much the same, but also with e-Passport gates (that take a photo, compare with passport, etc.).

> England's not Europe

Great Britain lies on the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. The United Kingdom is also culturally and politically affiliated with other European countries. Why is it not in Europe?

They are referring to Europe as a political entity not as the geographical feature. GB has generally considered itself separate from 'Europe' as a polity.

It would be like referring to someone from Cuba as 'American' because they are from North America. Technically true but people assume American means someone from the states.

In the UK, and particularly England which is a lot more euro-sceptic than the rest of the UK, it's a standing joke that the UK or England isn't part of Europe, and "Europe" is often used to refer to Europe or the EU excluding the UK.

Don't even bother visiting the US then. And no, even in VWP (Visa Waiver Program) and using a biometric passport, you still have to submit fingerprints and photo on the spot.

in germany you don't need a fingerprint even for new id's. not yet and not in the near future. it's up to you if your id will include them.

You do for a passport though, right?

(I thought also for the ID, but I was more confident about the passport.)

oh sorry I don't travel outside the eu (yet). for the ID you CAN but it's not a MUST. currently not sure if it ever will be a MUST since the new id's feature still aren't there as promised. it's a complete failure. still I know have a way smaller format for my id which is great!