RFID System at Stevens Pass

Hopefully there will be no way my boss can call up to see if I was skiing on a day I called in sick. If so, i'm gonna be in big trouble!! ??? ???

Also, there is a time out feature- each tag can be scanned only once in a time interval (10? 15? minutes) at the same lift, so if you seriously crank, you can be stuck waiting until it lets you reload. annoying, to say the least.

Don't worry, once they install the concessions you will be able to spend your money while waiting... then you won't even notice when it goes up to 20 minutes after that, as you will be content sipping on your 7th $4 espresso.

I was at the Stevens Pass website last week looking for information on whether they would be mailing 2008-2009 season passes or if I would need to pick it up when I saw something that has me a bit curious.  They are going to be implementing a resort-wide RFID system.  It will control everything from lift access to rentals, ski school to retail in the lodges.  They are of course saying that it will cut lift lines and improve the skier experience.  I can’t see how an RFID system can increase the uphill capacity of a lift and I don’t think I have ever waited in line just to have my pass checked.  Maybe they mean it will shorten lines by keeping scoff laws out.  I am sure it is a bigger problem than I realize.  I think what has my interest up is the ease with which they will be able to track where I spend my time and money.  With a few strategically placed sensors they will know how long I am in the lodge, if I went into the restaurant, the bar or the can.  They will easily be able to put together a profile of my skiing and purchasing habits.  Is this concerning to anyone else, or should I be getting fitted for my tinfoil hat?  It looks like these systems are more common in Europe.  Has anyone skied at a resort with a full RFID system?  Was it an improvement?  Yes I know that no one tracks me if I earn my turns, which I will do many times this winter, but with my  primary ski partner being 5 years old I will be riding the lifts regularly.

Where on their site does it say anything controlling more than just lift access? I just see lift access. This system definitely seems to have some advantages for purchasing future lift tickets, but like korup said it does have a lock (I don't know if its 10 or 15 minutes) but it does have a lock out, which can be annoying if you get "stuck". Its mainly so you can't go through the gate and then hand your pass back to your buddy so he can go through.

Where on their site does it say anything controlling more than just lift access? I just see lift access.

This page talks about the RTP point of sale system.  RTP-SKIDATA is one integrated system.

I found the below in a Reuters news story on the

RTP, the leading provider of software, interactive services, and RFID access control for the resort and recreation industries, announced today that Stevens Pass Winter Resort has selected RTP to provide the first completely integrated resort-wide solution to manage its resort and provide hands-free convenience for their guests.
RTP's eCommerce capabilities allow guests to reload the media online with additional tickets or products, so guests can use one piece of media for several seasons.

I can understand the time out period.  I guess I will have to give them the benefit of the doubt and if the timeout starts causing trouble I am sure that I won't be the only one effected or complaining.

I think the biggest beneficiaries are the advantage card holders who can just walk right up to the lift and ski without standing around.  Don't loose your advantage card though, or somebody is skiing on your dime.

I worked at Mt. Bachelor in the CIS department for a season after the RFID system was in place and helped migrate a few departments over to the RTP system (Rentals/Ticketing).

The product line as a whole is fairly well put together and from a management perspective allows better tracking and if setup correctly can certainly improve the guest experience.  The Rental Shop turnaround time was drastically improved, wait times for customers being a huge win. The ability to buy items with your pass is something I personally enjoy as I am not carrying a credit card somewhere that is likely to fall out.

As for gates - mixed bag. If you have a seasons pass the gates are really a breeze and i found it to be much faster. Armband with a pass and you are right through. Day tickets suck - the feeding of a ticket into the slot to read can be tricky (and I dont want to imagine being 6'5" attempting it in a storm). As for lockout it is meant for what is detailed below, so you dont hand your pass to a buddy behind you.  Ideally there are lifties there paying attention and when you get a double scan they just wave you through... utopia.

Privacy. Funny, at no point ever did I hear of someone raising that concern but the second people were not able to track their turns online (or we missed some turn tracking) the inbox lit up with complaints. People are simply becoming less concerned it seems. Good or bad the tracking is certainly limited as RFID readers require you to be extremely close and are not a price point/size (yet) that they can be put a number of places.

Food for thought, there are times the ability to track where a person could be used in a manner not thought of. Young Billy or Bob (lets say 7 years old) is in the terrain park and gets hit by another guest. Parents go to sue - using RTP data I can prove to you that the parents were on the other side of the mountain (or in the bar) and the child was unattended.

RFID. All kinds of possiblities here. Invisible Rope Line. You won't be able to get on the lift because your pass was deactivated and you counldn't get past the scanner in the lift line. Think about it. Remote controlled BC gates.