Random ID card thoughts

Whilst chatting with my mother, with whom I often have my best thoughts, it struck me that the concept of ID cards has a critical flaw.

ID Cards are there to provide a link between a biological entity and a database record, i.e. you and the data the government holds about you. The ID Card solution is to encode some biometric data on a piece of plastic and silicon that has some a unique code that can look up your record and confirm identity. This is the wrong way round (or arse about tit as we say around here), the real solution is surely to add the unique code to the biological entity.

By simply tatooing a number on an individual, say on the inside of the forearm, you have made that link and solved the identity problem. If I'm stopped by the police for any reason they can confirm my identity from the number tatoo'ed on my body.

And the beauty of this is that you can extend the concept as you wish, want religious identification, no problem make people wear a badge or tatoo identifying it, moslems could have a crescent moon tatoo, jews a yellow star, christians a cross, etc.

Simple eh? I'm surprised no-one has thought of it before :-)