I've never been asked to allow someone else to
retain my passport or driver's license.
Exodus used to do this.
...and look where that got them! They (Exodus) also had, at least here in Seattle at the 12301 Tukwila facility, the grungiest palm scanner in the world. Thankfully I never had to use it. I'm not a paranoid germ-phobe, but that thing looked downright dangerous. I often wonder if anyone from C&W, and now Savvis have ever cleaned it.
These places are making you hand over something of value to lessen the likelihood that you'll leave without following their sign-out procedures.
Indeed. The usual "rent-a-cop" (or as I recently heard them called by another Seattle facility: "Techno-guard"(!)) could care less about actually identifying you so much as make sure you don't abscond with "company preoperty" or pull your equipment if your invoices aren't paid. --chuck