One of the things I’ve become quite jealous of while in Europe, and particularly London, is the use of contactless cards by other people.
Contactless cards are simply credit/debit cards that a shopper just taps on the contactless card reader at the checkout, and Bam! they are ready to go. The technology works in hundreds and hundreds of retailers, and it is amazing to watch it in action.
When it is finally my turn at the checkout, I know I am going to be holding things up. Part of the delay can’t be avoided, and that is because every time I use my card I have to sign the receipt. I believe it has something to do with me not using a local bank.
As I’ve experienced this a few hundred times over a two-month period, my frustration has grown and grown.
Why can’t the U.S. promote 3 hour waits?
PAUSE
OK, I was literally starting to doze off there, and I do not know where the sentence before the pause came from or what it means.
Anyway, back to this contactless thing.
Why can’t the U.S. adopt such a technology? It seems like it would make it easier for everyone involved, from the retailers to the consumers.
Could it be that since the U.S. was not the first to make mini-golf friendly in such an enviIs it becuase we were not the early adopters, thinking that perhaps teh new technology would never catch on since it didn’t originate in the U.S.?
PAUSE – what am I doing? This nodding off must be a sign it’s bed time, and it is, but I want to finish this post first.
Let me try that previous sentence again.
- Could it be that since the U.S. was not the originator of the idea, no one seemed interested in adopting such technology.
- Is it because it would be too hard to come up with a universal standard for contactless cards and readers across so many banks and devices?
- Is it because Americans, on average, are less adept at using technology compared to the rest of the world?
Whatever the reason may be, it’s time to stop making excuses, and start placing contactless card readers at every terminal.
PAUSE
I fell asleep again. Not sure what I mean by terminal, perhaps register?
Anyhow, that’s all I’ve got to say on the matter.
Contactless cards.
Just do it, U.S.A.
And now it’s time for bed.
First I have to fix the picture I posted with this blog – it’s a picture of the soap from yesterday’s post. I really need to start working on my blog earlier int he day…
Borden's Blather 