I have just been bullied by my local U3A into paying my subs by standing order because they don't want to accept cheques because they are being phased out 'in the near future'.
Follow that by only being able to access my bank by Internet to set this up and then being forced to have a mobile phone so they can text me a confirmation code and my piss is beginning to boil.
And then I turn on the 'Click' programme on the BBC to be confronted by some asshole telling me that the new generation of phones is going to replace just about everything. Apparently, it will hold money and act as a credit card - using, God help us, 'contactless technology'. Then they are saying it will act as our car keys and house keys, and God knows what else. 'The complete electronic wallet is coming soon' they tell us.
Well, that's fine for geeks, but lets look at it from a practical point of view. 'Everyone has a mobile phone' they say. Well, no actually. Mrs D doesn't have one and won't even use mine. I have a basic pay as you go that I bought 10 years ago when I was working and agents used to ring me about contracts.
The only reason I don't bin it is because I have a 16 year old car and I keep it in the glove box in case I break down. Otherwise I would have no use for it.
Two years ago, I out £10 on it - and I still have £4.36 in credit.
So, I am out with my electronic wallet and the battery fails, or someone nicks it, or I lose it, or - shurely not - it just stops working. That leaves me no car keys, no house keys, no money, no credit card and, of course, no way of ringing anyone for help.
Like the NHS computer system, it's a turkey that will never fly...