Published on 12, July, 2020
I had a meeting with someone who's there to help people with tech, smart phones and the like, it didn't go well, I found out that whatsapp is a place where you can share emails with a group, only I'm not part of any groups, she tried using an advert as an example of something, I don't watch adverts, I think it was about holidays, I dont' go on holiday. Then she said that as I can use email, the rainforresty place and make calls and texts I don't need anything else, I couldn't get through to her that although I don't want a smart phone it's becoming increasingly difficult to live without one and I need to know how to use things like car parking apps and QR codes. It didn't help that the library where we were meeting has no phone signal anyway and the computers are ancient and the speeds practically dial up levels. She didn't engage with the number of things I've crashed and how I don't know if it's me or the device, nobody seems to engage with that one though.
I had to leave the session early as I was feeling overwhelmed and spent the rest of the evening feeling concussed from the big grey wall that is tech that I'd been banging my head against for an hour. Does anyoone else feel like they have big walls in front of them with things they don't understand that when they run into them leave them feeling sort of concussed?
TThis morning I realised it's easter next weekend, the start of the annual invasion of tourists, there's been so many sinse covid, herds of them cluttering the place up, leaving litter and doing really stupid stuff, like parking in front of peoples drive ways. I find the rudeness of so many of them really really difficult, I've come close violence a couple of times, things like when you get told that Welsh laws dont' apply to them as they're English, they only apply to those of us who live here. This was really bad during covid, the police were finding people going to their second homes and sending their luggage by courier so as they wouldn't get stopped at the border, they leave gates open, let thier dogs *** everywhere and won't keep them on leads. Now we have a 20mph speed limit in built up areas, many locals don't like it, but tourists are going mental, they already treat the roads like thier personal racetrack.
II'm dreading the summer and I want to be able to enjoy it, not feel like I'm braving a siege everytime I leave the house.
I feel stressed out already, the only potential high point is that heard that many second home owners and itinerant pensioners in their caravans are selling up and leaving because they don't like the 20mph limit, if only!
I feel for you. Both about the tourists, (Although they do bring money as well as aggravation to your area) and the increasing tendancy for people to think of a smartfone as indispensible.
FWIW, I drew my lne in the sand at phone "apps".
I tell people "It's a TELEPHONE, not a computer" and refuse point blank to run whatsapp etc.
Tourists bring short term, low paid insecure jobs in the "hospitality" sector, which now finds it hard to recruit staff, party because of Brexit and partly because many ordinary people can't afford to live here because tourists buy houses as second homes or as holiday homes.
The thing with smart phones is that everything is becoming geared towards them, even something as simple as a menu in a cafe, many don't have physical menu's anymore, you have to scan a QR code. I'm told by my family that I couldn't use the trams in Manchester because all the tickets are phone based, no phone, no travel, the drivers dont' take cash or cards.
I just tell people I don't have a smartphone. They usually have back up alternatives. If they haven then I don't want to be a customer. What if you had simply run out of battery? I'm younger than you but I'm getting more resistant to all the tech mumbo jumbo. I know it'd probably make my life easier but something within me resists. I think it's a slippery slope.
Then I am out of touch and am happy to be so.
The world is mad.