Mum's Monday: Should I be made to feel bad for not having a Smart Phone?

Earlier this year I booked tickets, over the phone for a show in London. They asked me when I booked “To download the Website App on my Smart Phone so they could send me the tickets”. I told them I didn’t have a Smart Phone capable of downloading said App. So they suggested that if I take my bank card and some form of I.D, which I opted to take my passport, then everything will be linked to that and basically, “my card is my ticket”.

Imagine my surprise when I then received an Email near to the Show date saying “Your tickets have been sent to your Smart Phone”. I panicked, where had they sent my tickets? And some venues don’t re-issue tickets once they have been sent out. So I phoned the number I had booked with. They proceeded to re-assure me “my card is my ticket”.

The day of the show arrived, although I changed bags and purse I was sure to slip my bank card, the information I wrote down while I was booking tickets, which included the Email conformation, and made sure I had my passport as well, into the handbag I took to the show.

I arrived excitedly at the venue and went to the box office, I showed them my Email and they couldn’t find my tickets. She then proceeded to notice on my Email and said “You can download the App” I look alarmed and said “I haven’t got a phone capable of that”. She then said “Your card is your ticket, all the information is linked to your card, that will get you in”. Yes, it was probably my mistake that I forgot this and went to pick up actual paper tickets, but I just wanted to get in to see the show.

After a tea time meal happily waiting to see the show, we went to wait in line for security bag checks and the like. When it got to the point where they swiped my card, as with technology, it isn’t always reliable, the message came up on the device that my card couldn’t be found.

After using another device, and still my card could not be found, the supervisor was sent for and he looked at my Email and was able to connect all my information to the reference number. My tickets were saved, printed out and it was an amazing show.

Sadly, technology is taking over. So where does it leave me and a few others who just want lovely night out and only have the nerve to just use their phones for texting and a few phone calls? In future I will pay extra to have my tickets printed out to be picked up at the box office. Yes, not using tech can be more expensive but peace of mind is great to have.

I just wish technology, the use off, even in leisure, would slow down and not make me feel like a dinosaur at an age of less than 50 years old.