[MartynSinclair]

Damn right RIch, what ever gave you the impression that I supported EUROPE Plc!

[RichHI1]

Nothing Martyn, I have always found you a sound fellow (except on tipping Valet parking;-)

[Tete_de_cuvee]

Bye bye to the scanner

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17058448

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102076/Millions-drain-airports-SCRAP-iris-passport-scanners.html

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve never used them, but at LHR T1 recently I was in a queue of 5 people with one officer on duty. The IRIS queue had a queue of 3 with one officer helping people and showing them how to use the machine and one officer watching them as they cam through.

I was no. 5 and through before no. 2 had cleared!

[RichHI1]

Well well, more ill informed rubbish from Journalists and I suspect the UKBA spin machine. The IRIS machines have a loyal following amongst frequent flyers and are an example of excellence which are sadly rare where UKBA is concerned. I am afraid in this example I see the political bias of the newspaper very present. Am I alone in never having to renew or made my application in 3 minutes flat? Am I alone in having used them 95% of the time in the last 6 years and seen longer and longer queues as the regular service tanked?
So now we have the wondrfule e-pass gates which are down more often than IRIS on a bad day and take much longer to get through, hence longer queues?
The BBC report was a tad mor balanced but did betray the hand of the Governemnt spin machine.
The good news is the line “‘We are phasing out iris and will be replacing it with other types of gates that non-EU passengers will be able to use.’
Maybe we will finally get access to Global Entry in USA.
Personally I think it is just an attempt to cut fundling on air travel as I suspect the Fortress Europe Epass system is funded by in part by EU (I will find it satisfying if we use them to let non EU citizens in)

‘We are phasing out iris and will be replacing it with other types of gates that non-EU passengers will be able to use.’

[excessbaggage]

Went through immigration at T5 last week, mid afternoon on a weekday. Only one of the two IRIS scanners was in operation, and the queue was such that a colleague got through manual immigration quicker than I did waiting for IRIS.

Probably not very relevant as they are going, but one of the problems was that around half the people in front of me thought that they were in the queue for the e-passports.

[Tom Otley]

No wonder there was a queue! It’s hard enough getting the IRIS scanner to scan your IRIS let alone your passport.

[RichHI1]

Maybe they will introduce an E-Cretin gate?

[excessbaggage]

Not sure the use of that word is entirely PC these days is it RichHI1?

[RichHI1]

Cretin as a noun can mean a person suffering from cretinism (which is now seen as disparaging) or it can mean a stupid insensitive person not suffering from any malady. I use the word in the second non medical sense of someone insensitive to their environment, namely reading the signs.
I have no wish to cause offense, one could substitute :
E-clod
E-dolt
E-oaf
E-boob

[cityprofessional]

There is a big fat sign on the machine saying that THIS IS NOT AN E-PASSPORT GATE, so maybe cretin is the right word…

In general, though, manual checks never beat IRIS for me. Just this Saturday, I got from plane door to HEx platform in just 10 minutes, despite the arrival of several jumbos/A380s just before me in T3. Can’t see that happening ever again for non-EU passport holders

As a non-EU biometric passport holder with indefinite leave to remain in the UK, I am not looking forward to the removal of IRIS, particularly after they removed the “indefinite leave to remain” line a few years back

Not happy

[RichHI1]

They say that non EU passports will be supported but then they say anything to win votes or avoid the heat. Quick get Francis Maude to make a statement on e-pasties.

[CBaker2]

Two of us went through IRIS at T3 a week or so ago – very swift and grateful to have them as long queues everywhere else. Always try to use them and rarely have problems so will be sorry to see them go.

[HonestCrew]

IRIS is great when not waiting for the idiots trying to use it who haven’t registered and seem to think ‘somehow’ the machine will know what their iris looks like and let them through.
Any more than two “please move back a little” prompts and you bet your ass they come out of it looking confused and receiving the glares of the registered users waiting in line.

I have perfected my “you -‘fill in the blank’ -stare” to perfection!

[RichHI1]

What about having a multiple choice IQ test in the security area. If the scanner cannot detect a functioning brain then you cannot fly ! I know, that is not PC…

[Author]

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