Tripped Up By Technology

May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Larry Anderson, Editor

At the GovSec show in Washington, D.C., recently, I saw a lot of high-end technology targeted to the government end-user. It's truly amazing what technology can do these days. I saw a presentation on an IT system used in the government's so-called “fusion centers” to sift through endless pieces of information to find the one tidbit that is suspect, or to find several tidbits that have something in common and may be part of a bigger picture. I also saw a computerized “situational awareness” system that compiles many streams of information and presents them in a usable format that allows the operator to drag-and-drop icons with his or her fingertips and collaborate with coworkers to respond to emergency situations in real-time.

In stark contrast, I was tripped up by the technology involved in getting back to the airport to travel home.

The show was over by 3 p.m., and I had several hours to kill, so I spent the time walking around Washington to see a few sights. With plenty of time before my flight, I opted to travel to the airport on the Metro train. I bought my fare card from the vending machine and proceeded to the turnstile. I inserted the magnetic-stripe card/ticket, and it came out the other slot, but the turnstile didn't open. So I scanned it again with the same result. I had to go to the ticket booth and try the lady's patience (and make her actually come out of the booth). In retrospect, I think I was scanning the card on the right side of the turnstile (rather than the left), or vice versa (whichever).

All of which makes me wonder whether our industry's technology is sufficiently idiot-proofed. Speaking for all the people of at least moderate intelligence who have trouble with transit system turnstiles, let me just say that I hope so!

We welcome your feedback: E-mail landerson@securitysolutions.com

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