Life is a whole lot harder
Now we’re stuck in this pandemic,
And technology isn’t helping,
Even although it is now endemic.
We used to get a bill in the post,
And write a cheque to pay,
But now we have to go on-line,
For there is no other way.
We go and switch the computer on
Which requires a secret password,
So we type the one we’ve used before
Which is certainly not a buzz word.
“Tis not the one you’ve used before”
The indignant computer writes,
“Do you want to set a new one?”
At which point we lose the fight.
If it wasn’t for this pandemic
We’d go to the shop and pay,
But Covid is still on the rampage,
So we leave it for another day.
But now the bill is getting old,
And we HAVE to take some action,
So back to the computer now we crawl,
Worrying about its reaction.
Will it accept the brand new password
Or even perhaps the old?
Will the Company’s website open?
Doubtful; if truth be told.
But finally we locate the invoice,
Our details we then type in,
This action causes a qualm or two,
Lest a scammer finds our PIN.
All this has taken an hour or two,
Yet technology claims to be fast,
A cheque would have taken just five minutes,
And we’d not be feeling aghast.
We next await acceptance
That the money reached the firm.
And hasn’t been re-directed
By a human form of worm!
When it comes to paying for our energy,
The meter has to be read,
So we had a “smart” one fitted
Then the supplier could read it instead.
You can guess what might be coming next…
The meter doesn’t work!
So bang goes another techy thing,
Along with this hoped for perk.
There used to be a man at the door,
A meter reader no less,
But Covid has made him redundant,
Which is why we are now in this mess.
The chap is possibly still out of work
And has probably gone on the dole,
Adding to unemployment figures,
With ourselves still stuck in a hole!
Carparks now are another annoyance,
Embracing new technology,
We used to park and collect a ticket,
But now you need horology!
You have to know what time you need
And add the car’s registration,
Then when you leave you pay by card,
Typing in details just adds frustration.
But car parks have their different systems,
Nothing standardised here!
You have to read instructions each time,
Else you’ll end up paying dear.
Perhaps the answer is to use the bus?
But the pandemic keeps us apart,
Every other seat has to be vacant,
At which point you surely lose heart.
The pandemic and technology together
Are not an ideal mix,
Without them we got on much better,
And rarely got into a fix,
We bought in the shops instead of on-line,
Usually paying for things in cash,
But now even that comes from ATM’s
Which causes our teeth to gnash.
Lorna Minton
