I'm not exactly sure why these sites want to retain ID, but I think it goes along with the big weight that is connected to the gas station bathroom key. They want to make sure you return your cabinet keys (if any), temporary pass (if any), etc. Legal risk or not, can you think of a better way to get someone to return to the security desk to sign out? Until
then,
these sites will continue this practice.
a) cash deposit b) heavy weight attached to cabinet keys and temporary pass c) bulky object attached to cabinet keys and temporary pass In high school, our "data centre" keys were attached to a few links of chain bolted onto a chunk of 2 x 4. I never mislaid them. I remember at least one place where I received a plastic card key similarily attached to a few links of chain welded to an broken wrench. Why couldn't ID cards be treated the same way? For that matter, in these days of RFID badges, why can't colo centers issue "magic wands", 3 foot long rods tipped with an embedded RFID tag? They would not fit in pockets or briefcases etc. They would function identically to the RFID tags embedded in credit-card sized plastic but they would never "get lost". Perhaps what we have here is another "failure of imagination" like the one cited in the 9/11 report. --Michael Dillon