A catch-up with friends very nearly descended into chaos on Thursday.
Having finally made it to the front of the queue of a busy bar, there was a problem.
“Our card machine is down,” the bartender said. “We can’t take card payments – do you have any cash on you?”
It’s a far cry from the usual interaction at London bars. “Card payments only” has fast become commonplace in shops, eateries and pubs.
So much so that it’s very easy to get through the week without coming into contact with a single note or coin.
Until Thursday.
Under the premise of ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’, thankfully, I had withdrawn £20 from a now-extinct bank branch some time ago, purely for cash-only emergencies.
I had broken the note earlier in a corner shop the other week, to the delight of the shopkeeper.
“If we don’t use cash, we’ll lose it,” he told me, as he handed me the change.
Thankfully, there was still some to spare in the pocket of my cardholder.
Unsure whether we could afford the full round without a debit card, I delivered the drinks order one by one.
Fast approaching the cash-imposed budget of £19.60, I resorted to requesting half pints for the remainder of the party.
“It’s come to £17.80,” the bartender said, just as another friend joined the queue.
Sadly, they would either have to wait or track down a cash machine nearby.
Soon enough, the card machine was back up and running, a welcome relief for a parched friend.
Returning with the round of drinks made up of various half pints caused great amusement, but also the realisation of the need to protect payment choice.
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Chip and PIN and contactless payments definitely have their strengths, but we can’t put all our eggs in one basket.
An out-of-order card machine wouldn’t have been the end of the world for a small social gathering, but what if we couldn’t pay for food or medication?
We need to protect cash as a form of payment.
The best way to do it? I think it’s by putting your money where your mouth is and continue using cash where you can.