• The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net
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    3 months ago

    One problem no one has mentioned, is that it also makes life a lot harder for homeless people. I guess they need to open a bank account and start writing their account number on a cardboard.

    This actually reminds me of when I went to a restaurant a while ago. I had some physical money to spend, so I figured I’d take it with me and pay with that. At the end of the meal, while my friends paid with a card, I asked if I could pay with cash. Immediately, the waiter’s demeanor changed and he looked almost… disgusted? I don’t even know. Then he asked me in a tone that matched his expression if I didn’t have a card, and I answered something like “Well, I do, but it would be more convenient for me to pay with cash, if that’s okay”. Then he, for some reason, repeated the question, and I answered similarly. He didn’t say anything and just avoided looking at me. While a friend next to me was paying I asked again, “so, can I pay with cash?”, and without looking at me, he just barely shook his head yes. So I paid with cash, and then I awaited my 3€ change back (in my country it’s not usually custom to tip because waiters actually get paid full salaries). Eventually he came back with our receipt, but no change. I just left without saying anything - at this point I wasn’t going to argue about 3€ - but I’m most definitely not coming back to that place.

    Still don’t know what the dude’s problem was, but it did leave me wondering how are homeless people expected to pay for anything, if even a person who isn’t homeless can receive such cold treatment just for choosing to pay with cash.

    • Glytch@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      One problem no one has mentioned, is that it also makes life a lot harder for homeless people. I guess they need to open a bank account and start writing their account number on a cardboard.

      And you need a permanent address for a bank account. Unfortunately, that’s a feature of the cashless movement not a bug. Anything to make the lives of people experiencing homelessness harder.

    • Wilzax@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      In Europe it’s so much more common to use cash than card anyway, that guy was a fucking weirdo

        • shastaxc@lemm.ee
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          3 months ago

          Then why does my map have a big blob on it that says EUROPE??? Checkmate. King me.

        • Wilzax@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Yeah but most of the continent is under a unifying government with a shared currency (with a few exceptions, but paying in euros implies OP is still under EU jurisdiction)

          Obviously nothing holds true for an entire region that won’t also hold true for the majority of the world, but I feel like businesses in countries that use the euro are FAR more likely to regularly accept payment in cash or even require cash than counties in any part of the Pacific hemisphere

    • Tangentism@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      One problem no one has mentioned, is that it also makes life a lot harder for homeless people.

      But to those who organise those systems, they’re not consumers with disposable income or a credit line to spend. They are happy for them to fall through the cracks and people not using cash penalises them further by eradicating charity and widening divisions.

      It is functioning as designed.

    • youmaynotknow@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      I would have ripped him a new one right there and then in front of everyone. And I would not have asked more than once, I’d just drop my share in cash on the table and be done with it.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      That’s wild

      I would of given that person a piece of my mind. I don’t know about different customs but to me that’s very disrespectful. They would’ve gone with no tip or a very small one. I only tip bigger when they pass the baseline of not being rude.

      • sunzu@kbin.run
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        3 months ago

        Not sure why you are being downvoted.

        I guess depends what you would have said…

        Either way, in the US you can just remind them they are legally obligated to take cash. Put down the cash, snap a picture and leave.

        If they call police, allow them to explain to a government official how they refused to accept the legal tender in this here country 🐸

        I generally don’t advise schooling staff but this one is disrepect of liberty, and I don’t care, they can get fucked for being a bootlicker.

        Shit is disgusting, your preference on my payment method is not a thing and you are beyond out of line with such behavior. Freedom ain’t free folks

    • ASeriesOfPoorChoices@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      There are more cashless options than using banks.

      In some countries you can use phones (and phone credit, more or less) as your payment option. Doesn’t even have to be a smart phone, though that makes it easier.

      Beggers on the street with QR codes printed out. Or their phone number on cardboard.

      And in other countries, you can use the local equivalent of the Uber app instead of a bank account.

      Cashless is good. Safer for the homeless (harder to rob) and still easy to give money to them.

      • eagertolearn@discuss.tchncs.de
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        3 months ago

        To use phones people need to first buy them and regularly recharge them. Homeless people already have hard time to find other necessities.

        Also in some countries you don’t have any option to get any sim card and use it without first registering to your name and your address.

        For the safety aspect yes, it is harder to rob them of their money but the phones are very easy to steal.

        Cashless is only good if you already have some base level of comfort and do not care about your financial privacy. Every cashless transaction you make is recorded, tracked and sold via however many middle man you use.

        I am not saying everyone has to use cash but people should have the freedom to choose how they want to pay.

      • sandbox@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Congratulations! You’re the winner of today’s most delusional comment award!

      • prism@lemmy.one
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        3 months ago

        Username checks out.

        Let me just pull my phone out, download this money transfer app with an abysmal privacy policy. Now let me register an account and input every personal detail known to man. What’s this? I need my government issued ID? I’ll inform the beggar I’ll just pop to my house to grab it. Got my ID, now I’ll complete a liveness test because god forbid that I might be a robot. I may as well send them an ass swab because they need to “know their customer” so well. I just need to link my bank account and enter an OTP that’ll take 5 more minutes to arrive. Finally, I can donate to the beggar after messing around with a poorly printed QR code on a cardboard sign.

        OR I can just pull out my wallet and hand them a $10 note. I’m going to pick the 10 second process with fewer steps over the 30 minute process any day of the week. Having options is important, especially if your phone dies for whatever reason. A cashless society is just a way for card companies and payment processors to continue making a quick buck in the name of convenience. Both card and cash have their uses, and it should be up to the consumer to decide which to use.