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ISLEOFMANEXAMINER WORD ON THE STREET

www.iomtoday.co.im Tuesday, September 14, 2021

opinions@iomtoday.co.im

Doyoustill usecash? It is predicted that only seven per- cent ofUKshoptransactionswill be madewith cashby 2024. KathrynNashandAnnQuilliam DylanGeorge by Paul Hardman

Whenwespoke toDylanGeorge, 21, Peel, he told us that he did carry some cash as precaution, but very rarely used it and mostly relied on contactless. He said this was because of ‘con- venience and safety’, because ‘espe- cially with covid and everything, I don’twanttohavetotouchtoomuch stuff’. ‘I worked in a bank, so I very much noticed that the use of cash went right down. ‘I mean it’s still relevant to some people, but it’ll be out by 2030,’ Dy- lan said. He said he thought a move to a cashless society would have ‘nega- tiverepercussions’ forsomepeople, but that overall it would be a posi- tive thing.

David continued: ‘If they [the business] doesn’t have contactless, Idon’tevengothere, Igosomewhere else. ‘Buteverywherehascontactless.’ Asked if not carrying cash was something that came about during thepandemic,hereplied: ‘It’samod- ernthing–whydoyouneedtocarry cashwhenyoucantapyourphone?’. ‘It’s not a pandemic thing, it was already happening, the pandemic just accelerated it,’ Nigel added. David also explained that they don’tusecashinhishouse(withfour children), they just transfer money between accounts. ‘They hate cash, because they have to travel into Douglas, put it in thebank, andthenbackdownsouth again.

changed her habit of using cash, Kathryn said: ‘Clinton’s refused cash, during the lockdown. ‘So I had to leave my stuff – only onprinciple! ‘I had a card, but because they wouldn’t take my cash they didn’t getmy business. Ann said she would likely never switch fully to card, because ‘I like my cash, I like to knowwhat I’ve got inmy purse. Nigel Morris, 53, Onchan said that the ‘vast majority’ of the pay- mentshemakeswerewithhis card. And David Gooberman, 54, Port StMary, does not even carry a card, making all this payments using his phone. ‘I’m still old school, I’ve got my wallet,’ Nigel joked.

pingtrolleys–youneedyour£1coins in some places. ‘So a lot of people have stopped carrying cash and they get caught out.’ ‘I thinkalsoyouneedtobeaware that you check your statements more often and accurately’. Ann Quilliam, Onchan, over 50, said: ‘I liketohavecash, [and] Imost- ly pay in cash. ‘I bring my card in case I see something large and expensive.’ ‘Cheques, they’retryingtogetrid of those as well – it’s only now and againthatyouuseacheque,’Kathryn Nash,West Baldwin, added. Asked if the pandemic had

We asked people on the street whether they even still carry cash, and how reliant they are on card/ contactless payments. Caroline Bennett, 53, Ballasalla, toldusthatnowshe ‘veryrarely’ car- ries cash. ‘I douse contactless anawful lot, but I have to say I feel sorry for the elderly, and people who are getting leftbehind–there’snobodybringing themup to speed,’ she said. ‘So let’shope that something can be done tohelp them’. Speaking about the progression toward a cashless society, she said: ‘But it alsoneeds to be continuous. ‘Because for instance the shop-

CarolineBennett

DavidGoobermanandNigelMorris