Bunny, we just applied, too. My interview is Wed. so I guess that’s when they will do the fingerprints.

I had to be printed a couple of years ago for work, using the system you describe. I don’t remember any issues or being asked about hand washing.

Did you pass? :)

Donna

msmeow, it was only yesterday but I assume I will. You know how you look at your fingernails now and then to be sure they’re clean? When he said, “Do you wash your hands...” I thought he was going to say they weren’t clean! But apparently they are excessively so.

I'd never heard that before. Not a germaphobe but I think I do wash my hands that many times a day, for all the regular reasons but also after shopping, being downtown, handling public doors, shopping carts, stair railings. Now I wish I could think of a crime to commit ;0)

I have no idea why this is also posting in Aquariums. Sounds fishy.

I don‘t understand how anyone doesn‘t normally wash their hands 10 times a day. Just making dinner is a 3-4 hand washing event (before starting, after touching the raw protein, at the end). Then again, I love the feeling of clean hands.

When I went for my interview for Global entry, he didn‘t say anything about washing but I had to press down on my hands since they didn’t flatten enough naturally.

I don‘t remember what I wrote for employment (maybe not applicable? housewife? retired?), but he asked ”well, then how do you support yourself?” It seemed more like a nosy, personal question from him and not an official question. I thought if I can afford the $100 fee, don’t you worry your pretty little head, mister. But I said my husband supports me. I should have said drug running, that’s why I need faster entrance back into the country.

Interesting question. I have no idea how many times a day I wash my hands. I should try counting.

My interviewer spoke like a recording. He had either memorized everything or was reading from his monitor. I must have checked "retired" as my employment, which could mean anything from retired drug queenpin or couch potato. This guy only got personal when it came to handwashing. I guess there are people who say less than 10.

I also had trouble with the fingerprints at the enrollment, but I had no problems when I used it coming back from China.

A former coworker was quite OCD about cleanliness. I can only imagine how many times a day she washed or sanitized her hands. They were always raw and red. She became a Nurse Practitioner and they had issues getting her DEA license because she had no fingerprints. She essentially had scrubbed them off.

I live in NYC. I’ve got a tiny touch of germaphobia. I’m sure by 10am I’ve washed my hands at least that many times. (I’m an early riser). Of course, as a true germaphobe I am an expert at not touching elevator buttons, doorknobs etc etc.
A yoga instructor made the class laugh once when we were holding the seated pose for a bit longer than usual. She said we’d thank her the next time we’d find ourselves having to pee in less than sparkly facilities!
That said, here I am trying to recuperate from cold#??? I don’t know. I’ve lost count :(

It's hard to imagine washing your hands 10 times a day being a lot. I am no germaphobe, but I really dislike the feeling of dirty hands, and try to avoid the flu like the plague.

When I started working for the Federal government at age 17, my fingerprints had to be visually read as they were undetectable via machine. I know I was not a regular hand washer so there has to be other reasons for poor quality. Whenever I need fingerprinting, I have to go twice as each time they are rejected and require manual search in the data base for verification.

My fingerprints don't scan with the Live Scan or glass machines. I have to do the ink prints- messy!

If any of you have smart phones and use fingerprint to open the phone, haven't you noticed that it doesn't work that well after working in the kitchen and washing hands several times?

My fix was to scan my fingers twice, once when the skin was "normal" and another when I had washed my hands several times.

I really don't have any trouble with my phone or iPad fingerprint. If it gets balky, I redo it and delete all the other prints.

I don't wipe shopping cart handles or door knobs. But I do wash my hands a lot because I know where they've been.

Well, well, well. Isn't this interesting... *looks at fingertips and starts plotting*

(Michele, are you sure it's a cold and not allergies?)

Skipped down to say I have the same problem. I teach arts & crafts and garden, and clean, and do dishes and work with kids. I HAVE to wash my hands often and my prints are almost nonexistent. We had to be fingerprinted for work and they had a very hard time getting the machine to read my prints. I think I wound up getting inked ones too.

I didn't think about washing as a cause, I assumed it was all the work I do with my hands and my naturally thin skin.

I never knew this could happen with fingerprints.

I have notice my phone doesn’t want to read the print scan after being in water but just thought my hands weren‘t dry enough.

I definitely wash my hands over ten times a day. Even if not direct scrub with soap and water my hands are always in and out of the sink for a dish rag. (changed daily)

My poor hands are usually always on the dry side despite using lotion. The Neutrogena Norwegian formula is the one that kicks it fast. The problem with lotion is I don’t typically apply it during the day because then your hands end up slimy when you go for that dish rag!

Sheeisback, I swear by Bioderma's Atoderm balm. No greasy feel after application and it WORKS. A derm recommended it to me years ago and I haven't looked at another cream since.

Another tip for anyone dealing with rough, red hands from frequent washing: check your soap's ingredients. You may want to avoid a preservative called Methylchlorosisothiazolinone. It causes dermatitis for many people.

Tartanmeup, I don’t think so in this case because I babysat on Friday. Both kids were sick. Little ones. One year old and two and a half year old. Too young to understand not to cough and sneeze directly in someone’s face. Cute as buttons though!

I use oil based balms more than lotions.

Yep, that'll do it, Michele. Diligent hand washing is powerless against that! :) Hope it passes quickly.

Yes, someone clued me in rather late in life that touching my eyes can easily transmit germs, and I started being more aware of how often I do touch my eyes.

I think I'm pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to germ prevention. But it bothers me greatly that there are people out there who wash their hands less than 10 times a day. That's like... nothing.

Haha, Bunny... I'm heading over to check out the Aquarium discussions next!

I also had issues getting finger-printed for work. I had to go a second time to a different location, and they had to eventually use the ink. I mentioned this to my Mom, and she said she had issues too. We were wondering if it was a family thing.

Dredging this up because today I went to get my TSA Precheck for 5 years also. Bunny I'm glad you posted this because I almost expected them to have trouble with my fingerprints based on your original post. Sure enough, they had to do my thumbs and fingers bilaterally 3x to get good enough resolution to see anything! Sheesh.

I would have been somewhat freaked out if I hadn't read your post.

I don't consider myself a germaphobe at all, but I do wash my hands many times during the day, just for basic hygiene and then life. Especially so in the summer when I'm in the garden/yard working on and off every day.

I had an awful time getting the machine to read my prints for global entry when I applied. The fellow suggested using hand sanitizer. Anyway, we finally got them to “take”. I used my global entry for the first time when I returned from Switzerland recently. The machine read my prints, no problem. Whew. Of course after whizzing through customs, I had to wait half an hour for my bag. I still was way ahead of the crowd.

All of us should form a crime syndicate.

I had my interview on a Friday and the next Monday I got an email that I was approved. It took another couple of weeks to get the paper in the mail, actually both of them since they sent me two identical copies. But all I needed was the number in the email.

Bunny, my DH and I "passed", too. :)

Once at lunch; once before dinner. Then, I'm done.

I've had my Global Entry/TSA Precheck for 3 years and and it always works great. My problem is that the TSA agents make me go through the whole body scanner because of my knee replacements. Then they wand me with the hand held device and last month I even had a pat down.

I don't mind but while they're taking their time and checking me out my purse and carry-on have already gone down the conveyor belt and are sitting at the end where anyone can take them.

Once at lunch; once before dinner. Then, I'm done.

You gotta be putting me on.