Biometrics heads up

[doctorbeat 6]

I had my biometrics done a while ago, but it just occurred to me that I meant to post a heads up to others about something that happened at my appointment.

Firstly, as an aside, my mom and sister were visiting from the UK and were with me at the time. The rules said no phones, so I left my phone with my mom and they took a walk while I was attending the appointment.

This was pretty inconvenient, as I then had no way to contact them when the appointment was over, and they ended up having to wait outside for over half an hour to ensure we could meet up after.

There were six other people in the waiting room with me, all with friends/relatives, and ALL using their phones without security batting an eyelid.

Anyway, ont o the main point:

I was wearing ear rings. I am a body piercer, and thus was wearing proper body jewelry in my ears, which requires the use of pliers to remove.

The security guards told me that I would have ro remove them because they would be taking my photo for my work permit.

I explained to them that removing them would require the use of pliers, and they told me that I would have to go home and remove them and reschedule my appointment.

I told them that it had cost me over $40 to get there in a taxi (no public transport available) and that nowhere on the letter did it say that jewelry wasn't allowed.

Eventually, I went to the bathroom and managed to get the rings out.

I did so by removing my shoelaces and threading them through the rings to get enough leverage to prise them apart. It took nearly half an hour and I think I only managed it at all because of the desperation I felt at the idea of having to reschedule.

I had my fingerprints taken, and they took the photo and stamped my appointment letters, so in the end it was ok.

So, the moral to this story is: don't wear jewelry to your bio appointment even though this (or even the fact that you will be having your photo taken) is not mentioned anywhere on the letter!

[doctorbeat 6]

Incidentally, in case anyone is laughing at the body piercer who needs to use pliers, these were 3mm x 12mm segment rings.

Anyone who knows about these things will understand what a feat it was to remove four of these without any tools...

I have been piercing for 15 years, and I honestly did not believe I'd be able to do it.

It's amazing what can be accomplished through sheer desperation

[moSu 0]

Incidentally, in case anyone is laughing at the body piercer who needs to use pliers, these were 3mm x 12mm segment rings.

Anyone who knows about these things will understand what a feat it was to remove four of these without any tools...

I have been piercing for 15 years, and I honestly did not believe I'd be able to do it.

It's amazing what can be accomplished through sheer desperation

I cannot believe you did all that in the bathroom. Good job!

I brought my phone, put it on silent mode. I have a nose ring on. The lady didn't comment on it. Maybe it is small? I was more concerned about the information she entered into the system, whether information is correct or any typo.

Edited July 1, 2011 by moSu

[doctorbeat 6]

I left my phone because I had the impression that I would have to go through a security checkpoint, but it turned out that it was just a desk. If I'd known, I could have spared my mom, sister, and baby daughter from standing around in the hot sun for ages.

Incidentally, the lady next to me having her prints taken was wearing a pair of large plastic ear rings. The cynic in me wants to say that security gave me a hard time because I'm pretty heavily tattooed, but life's too short to worry about that kind of thing too much...

[Maxximus1074 14]

Man that sucks....but also wow, I am impressed - with your skills that is. Pulled off a McGyver in the bathroom.

Glad that you got it done and over with.

Hope they don't give you a hard time at interview of that - though they are not supposed to discriminate you by a person's style and looks

I guess they still more approve of a business casual, job interview like look of the applicants.

Good luck on the rest of your AOS journey

Maxximus

[jessicarabbit1981 0]

I had to remove my nose ring as well and, sadly, I couldn't get the *insert expletive* thing back in again ... It was a fairly new piercing. Now I have to get it redone. That was a very sad day for me...