Vocal Voices

Bit of a scary one this.
It seems inevitable that we are being ushered towards a cashless society.
Recently a few people with non-woke views have had their bank accounts closed with little warning. Nigel Farage, Laurence Fox, Toby Young's Free Speech Union, Stuart Campbell the founder of the website Wings over Scotland, and the website Triggernometry. Also a Yorkshire vicar who asked the yorkshire building society why their branch was festooned with Pride flags.

It is pretty obvious that they are being cancelled because of their views.
But in a cashless society if your bank account is closed and no other bank will let you have one, where does that leave you? Up the creek without a paddle!

This is appalling behaviour by banks and building societies. They make the excuse that they have every right to issue a bank account or close a bank account. This is technically true and I can see why a bank would not want to be associated with criminal activity but this is straying into the realms of the political viewpoint of the account holder. Banks should be open and accountable, so it is not good enough to close someone's bank account without giving the reason and the account holder a chance to appeal the decision. We seem to be going down a slippery slope of not being able hold a political view, or any other view for that matter, which is different from the acceptable 'norm'. We are becoming like sheep and following the herd. Like the lemmings we will be over the edge of the cliff soon.

Cashless is on the way, but probably not in many of our lifetimes. It is called "progess".

I was reading some time ago that nearly eight million of us, for various reasons, rely on cash on a daily basis with some 1.7 million of us without bank accounts. That last number looks set to rise, especially for the poor and those in poorer areas. Why that is the case is a bit of a mystery.

One proposal I have seen is for the government to set up a national bank of last resort (BOLR) similar to the old GIRO system or the original TSB so that nobody can ever be completely locked out.

A much bigger immediate problem, as far as I am concerned, is with everything moving to phone apps. I will never use them for things like banking, insurance, shopping or NHS or council services where I have to divulge so much sensitive personal information.

I use credit cards and put my pin in every time. Some shops don't like this but I insist even though it means holding up the queue.

I will not have any bank details on my mobile phone. It is bad enough remembering where my credit card is.

it turns out that Nigel's account was not blocked because he is a right-wing freak, a political idiot, liar or a Berxit loon. It is because he is not rich enough. And some idiots voted for the German passport holder.

Bless.

Oh Frank, I just read about that and was going to post - you beat me to it

You have to be very rich to bank with Coutts I once had a hypnotherapy client in Avening up near Gatcombe Park who paid me with a Coutts cheque I should have framed it, as it's the only one I will ever see

I will not have a smart phone
I just use my kindle it's ideal for me
And my credit cards that i,pay in,full every month

I like cash

Workingman wrote:Cashless is on the way, but probably not in many of our lifetimes. It is called "progess".

I was reading some time ago that nearly eight million of us, for various reasons, rely on cash on a daily basis with some 1.7 million of us without bank accounts. That last number looks set to rise, especially for the poor and those in poorer areas. Why that is the case is a bit of a mystery.

One proposal I have seen is for the government to set up a national bank of last resort (BOLR) similar to the old GIRO system or the original TSB so that nobody can ever be completely locked out.

A much bigger immediate problem, as far as I am concerned, is with everything moving to phone apps. I will never use them for things like banking, insurance, shopping or NHS or council services where I have to divulge so much sensitive personal information.

The announcement of the closure of virtually all the railway ticket offices in England is a big step down the road to a cashless society. The accent is going to be on buying "smart tickets" online and / or holding them in an app in your mobile phone. Not all existing TVMs (ticket vending machines at stations) accept cash for payment, and ultimately the TVMs are slated to be phased out anyway (as they have virtually done in Sweden).

The railways - a form of so-called public transport, but for how much longer - will become inaccessible to the elderly and the disabled (who can't cope with the technology aspects) and the poor and those in poor areas who do not have access to a bank account or a mobile phone.

This is not progress, it is disenfanchisement.

Ossie wrote:This is not progress, it is disenfanchisement.

Ah, yes.

I always get my car MOTd at the same place. While it is being done I go into town for a mooch about. Last year no TVM at Bramley station but a warning that travelling without a ticket would get me a £xxx fine. It's a local commuter train with no ticket vendors on board.

I chanced it and at the Leeds exit gate explained the situation and bought a (delayed) return ticket. The guard just rolled her eyes as if to say "Yes, we know what you are going through".

Had they tried to fine me I would have challenged it tooth and nail as there was no other means of obtaining a ticket.

An interesting item on GB news this morning - when you leave a tip in a restaurant using your card, the bank gets a bit of that tip!
No wonder they want to get rid of cash.
It also annoys me that the excuse to go towards a cashless society is because of "changing customer demand".
No, it's because business wants a cashless society; it's easier and cheaper for them.