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Photo ID Cards. Who Needs them Anyway?
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By Allen Richardson | Author Bio | Publish This Article
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It may shock you to find out how many companies and even government agencies outsource their identification card needs. Is it only due to the price tag of the equipment and software needed to allow an organization to produce ID cards internally? ID cards are dictated by law in some cases and in others they bring an instant appearance of credibility to the carrier. In any case, many organizations are no longer purchasing expensive software and hardware to meet their requirements or wishes.
Personally, since I've been in the identification and tracking industry for over 10 years, I have worked with many different types of organizations in helping them develop solutions for their registration or simply photo identification needs. One thing that has become clear is the providers of these services have either chosen the high road or the low road. Many of these service providers have become self governing to ensure only individuals that should carry identification proving the person is really a police officer, EMT, or whatever the case may be. While others have chosen a more profitable route of selling ID cards to anyone who is willing to pay the price. You can search the internet for 'Fake ID Cards' and you will find a plethora of companies that will provide you a card that will cost as much as $30. When searching for a legitimate solution the range is commonly in the $4 to $8 range. Because of the high level of profit, it's easy to understand why some would choose that more lucrative path.
If you accuse the organizations that have chosen to sell fraudulent identification cards of breaking the law, you have to look at the fine print in their advertisements. Many offer 'novelty' identification to anyone willing to pay the price. Or you will find that some may not be based in the same country that their goods are being sold. So deciding that the companies that have chosen to sell fake identification are engaged in illegal activity isn't always the case simply because of the fine legal lines that are drawn.
So I have to question myself as to whether or not, ID cards mean anything anymore since it's so easy to purchase false identification. Although if we look around we find that many individuals and companies are required to have IDs even for the simplest of services. Financial institutions commonly require two photo ID cards to cash a check or start a new account. TSA at the airport demands a form of photo ID card as do many other security personal to enter a protected area. Everywhere we look someone is requiring some form of photo identification from us.
Legislation was recently passed that allows a retired police officer, if he carries an identification card stating his retired status, to carry a firearm anywhere in the US. Many states are now requiring private detectives and bounty hunters to carry identification to perform their duties. Although you might find it surprising that there is not a government agency that supplies these required ID cards, so all of these individuals have to search out a provider.
Even if we go beyond the requirements of law, I have to admit that when a police officer or fireman comes to my door it give me a feeling of comfort seeing them display some form of identification. So I guess even when the cards are not mandated by law, they are needed in many other areas of our daily lives.
So as long as we are in a society that does not trust everyone just because what they tell us, I'm sure that we will be in a society that requires some form of identification. The future technologies may change some of the forms of identification, but in my perception will always be a need for some type of identification card; even it if's only for the latest club you joined.
About the author:
About the Author
Allen Richardson lives in Texas and is the founder of Virtual Tournament Director, a company handling registration and ID cards for amateur sports participants around the nation, and http://www.fullidentity.com a company that provides similar services to the business community. He also serves as consultant to Southwest Airlines, Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway as well as several other companies in the United States. Additionally, he is the author of Personal Discipline: Tools for Consistent Success.
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