Life on Tapp: Driven mad by the latest tech to widen the generation gap

By The Newsroom
Published 11th Apr 2023, 08:25 BST
Updated 11th Apr 2023, 16:49 BST
Oh, for the days of an old fashioned parking meter. Photo: AdobeStockOh, for the days of an old fashioned parking meter. Photo: AdobeStock
Oh, for the days of an old fashioned parking meter. Photo: AdobeStock
We are regularly told that there is an ongoing, bloodless war being waged across this country - I am, of course, referring to the battle of the generations.

Blaise Tapp writes: I have long regarded this as agenda driven codswallop, and while there are definitely some generational gaps developing in society, there isn't the constant friction between young and old as some would have us believe. I do, however, have sympathy for those who feel that they are being left behind by the relentless march of technology.

The latest bugbear of those who like to moan about progress is the once humble car parking machine, which much to the frustration of Generation Cash are beginning to be phased out and replaced by an app-only service.

I have a parking app on my smartphone, which I am beginning to use more frequently due to the fact that coins seem to have gone out of fashion, but I don’t like it one bit, mainly due to the fact that it costs me more than the advertised hourly rate if I were able to pay in cash.

These apps have also put an end to the great British tradition of making a song and dance about giving away a used parking ticket to a complete stranger, who are usually very grateful until they realise that the ticket in question only has 25 minutes left on it.

I’m sure this must have crossed the mind of council types when they took the decision to phase out machines - the cost of kindness must cost local authorities a fair whack every year.

Councils say that they are removing machines due to the cost of maintaining and updating them and also because, in some parts of the country, they have been targeted by thieves.

Old people’s groups and charities say the move to phase out payment machines is a disaster for those older folk who don’t have a smartphone. It remains to be seen whether or not the warnings that app-only car parks will deter more senior members of the community to stay away from local high streets and shopping centres which, let’s face it, can do with all the help they can get.

While society always needs to advance and evolve, it’s vital that those who simply can’t keep up with advances in technology are not left behind, otherwise we really will have a bona fide generation gap to complain about.