A fresh start

 

‘Press here’ says the letter from the Council. It was to find out more information about road closures. Now that seems sensible except that this was not an email, it was a physical letter on paper. How could I click on a piece of paper?  It was not even a simple web site name, there were more than thirty letters and digits, and of course I could not copy and paste because it was not on my mobile. In this digital world we seem to have muddled real life with computer internet.

I have been using my computer to sell things. I am having a clear out and some items are too good to throw away and some are too big for the charity shops. But you must be careful. I ‘sold’ a lovely pine cupboard for the bargain price of £10 to someone online. He was coming to collect around 10am. Then I had a text asking if I would agree to bank transfer. I did not want to do a transaction on mobiles using banking apps with someone I did not know.

‘Cash please’ I tapped.

‘Ah OK. I’ve only got £5 with me…’ came the reply, he was on his way. Are your alarm bells ringing?

‘Sorry cash only’. I insist. ‘You must bring the money’

‘OK can’t do it then’

Later another message came.

‘Take £7?’

I said ‘no’ as there were lots of others interested. Now, this could have been a perfectly honest transaction, or it could have been a cunning way of bidding me down. I did not wait to find out.

But one internet transaction I did for the first time this week went surprisingly well. I was buying something online, it was only small and light, but the postage was around £5 which was too much I thought. However, when I scrolled there was another option. I could have it delivered to a local supermarket and pick it up from a locker. With trepidation I chose this and waited. I did not have to wait long before ‘Your parcel is ready for collection’ came up on my phone. I went to find the locker where there was a camera to read the code from my mobile and a door swung open and there was my parcel delivered for free.

Today we are back in the real world of our garden. It is mild so we do not need our new scarves and gloves. The bulbs are growing fresh shoots underground and without being told to ‘click here’ they have been pressing upwards through the soil. Their green leaves are already showing, with a promise of good things to come.

(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)