Photo of our Resident ID Card on your Phone
 

Last summer I was constantly forgetting my ID card when we played bridge at one of the rec centers (often left it in the pool bag). I took a photo of the ID card and the lady that scans it accepted it and it scanned. Now, maybe she recognized me since we saw each other weekly. But my point is: take a picture of your ID and store it in your photos in a place you can easily find it. That way, if you forget your card, you have a back up that will likely be accepted, especially if you have secondary ID on you. I find those scanning ID’s use good discretion, at least in the off-season. I’ve been given a pass on through when I’ve forgotten my card. I appreciate them not being hard a$$es abut it.

As a renter in the Villages, NOT having a digital ID is like living in the 1930s. They should have options for people.

Create an album so you Can find it quickly. I have one called paperwork where I keep photo of DL, passport, villages ID etc Makes it easy to locate

Not at all. Anyone who is fooled into thinking The Villages is gated doesn't belong here in the first place.
Being a completely gated community would have also had the advantage of slowing down traffic, but it comes with a huge price tag in the form of street maintenance.

When we were up north we had transponders on the windshield if all resident. When you approach the gate it automatically opens, you don’t have to roll your window down and stretch to get close enough to reach the gate sensor. The transponder was small, less than a credit card and also almost paper thin. Very convenient!!

A fully gated community is not possible in Sumter Co
 

Besides the issue of slowing cars for golf cart safety, and the license plate picture, there is the issue that the roads in Sumter County are owned by the county. You can't legally make a fully gated community unless you own the roads. In Marion County the roads are owned by the CDD and could be gated but they chose not to have this for several reasons. One is that FEMA won't reimburse any clean up in a gated community.

Send an email to yourself and attach photo. Quick search on your name.

When did you move in?? They had a local veterinarian doing it at our closing, but we had a choice— didn’t want a barcode tattoo on my arm! All good. I don’t photograph well anyway. Just like EZ and SunPass- I think they’ll eventually be accepted as UNIVERSAL ID

some may like this...others will be happy with what exists today

I worry about losing it between the car and the golf cart. They should accept a picture scan just like the stores do for coupons.

I understand the gates are for traffic control & picture taking. But why are some of them manned? I'm asking sincerely, as I don't know. From observation, the attendants don't ever stop the people and ask why they are entering (at least have never seen them do it in the two years we've been here). They just look for golf carts and then push the button so the car doesn't have to slow down, while those of us using our card are stopped waiting for the card to lift the bar.

With regard to the ID card. I'm not sure of other reasons, but I know that when we rented our house out for a couple of months before we moved down here, we had to turn our physical cards in and they were returned when we moved in; you can't use the amenities and have them rented out as well (I guess unless your living in a second house within TV). Also - if you forget your card, the attendants at the rec centers are able to look you up on the scanner.

In a couple of the many histories of The Villages - I don't remember which ones - it was specified that the gates were manned basically for customer service. To reinforce the concept of America's Friendliest Hometown, where people greet you personally on your way in. It was also a way to help newcomers and visitors find the address they were going to - this was before GPSs, cell phones, and mapquest existed don't forget.

It is also an occasional convenience. Consider quick-moving storms, where they have to pull those gates up to prevent them from breaking off and causing damage or injury. Having someone there to do this is useful, however rare that occasion might be.

If it was like apple wallet it would do everything the card would (at this point in time) barcode and picture. Personally I think It would be 2020 thing to do. About the gates: I heard from an original villager that the red buttons at the gates were installed because of federal FEMA regulation, no other reason. I know from first hand experience that the resident only gates are being misused repeatedly by visitors- yes all they do is ignore the posted signs of RESIDENTS ONLY and push the red buttons to gain entry instead of using the visitors entrances posted with gate guards. Yes rumor has it that they snap a picture of the vehicle that uses the red buttons. Yes having a gate does allow for golf cart community patrons to regulate their driving more efficiently.
But, then again, the guards that are posted at visitor entrances DON’T do anything but wave them in thru as they press the gate up, not even considering the golf cart traffic as they do this.
There are flaws in TV security and I have never seen anyone trying to “protect and serve” the residents at the gates. Not even writing their car plates, nor documentation of the visitors purpose. For these reasons I came to the conclusion that TV is not interested in security of its residents. Which is why they super impose the “feeling” about the physical card on your person as a distraction from the real reason- they do not really care about our security or things would be a little more secure, especially at the gates.
It is up to us as individuals to protect ourselves and each other which is why we have some “resident busy bodies”always looking.
Just my 2 cents.

I don't understand your post. There was never any pretense that the gates were there to do anything except traffic control. The addition of the camera's can help law enforcement and help recover some money for those that don't know how to stop when the gate is down but they are there to manage traffic. You also know that the roads are County roads and not Villages owned roads? The ID's are to insure that the amenities are used by residents. Not always well managed but that is the intent. Sometimes I think people make up what they think should be done here, then get critical because the rules aren't changed to meet what the made up then come on here and complain. Hey, why take the time to learn right?

What you say about gates is true in many areas, but there are some area where they make no sense. Why is there a gate southbound on Morse before 466? There is no golf cart traffic there. Same as on Canal northbound going onto ODell.

On Chula Vista and 466. That has nothing to do with golf cart traffic.

I do see a need for gates in many areas but I also see a lot of places where they are unnecessary.