Cash Divide

Cash is a burden on our society.
The other day I was in a big box store and was selecting a line in which to check out. There was a "Fast Check" for 10 items or less with 2 people standing in line and there was a regular line with one person and maybe 30 items. I wisely chose the fast check lane. Wise I say, because it taught me a lesson, and any time you choose to learn is wise.

Getting to my point, the person in the regular line was out the door and the next person with a large cart of merchandise was half complete before we started checking. As you have most likely concluded by the title of this story, cash was the reason it was slow. Or to be precise the interchange of a cash transaction when one or both parties are mathematically challenged was the issue. Two transactions with cash took longer than the quick swipe of a card.

In the William Gibson novel "Neuromancer" published in 1984, society had stopped using cash and had adopted a token that could let the inhabitants exchange monies electronically. With current technologies and applications such as Square Wallet and Paypal Here, we are technologically at the point where this can be a reality. There is a coffee shop near my work where I can walk in and tell them to use Square. They see my image on the screen which validates identity and they can debit my account. I don't even have to get my phone out. It's also possible to accept a credit card at your garage sale from your neighbor.

Technology is here but society is fighting it. Change is difficult for those locked in their 18th century bunkers.