Sometimes we rely on technology too much. For example, let’s take the ‘credit/debit card’ fever.

Now, almost all Romanian companies pay their employees using this system. They say it’s good because they don’t have to carry a large amount of money once a month to the company’s address (and that amount it’s quite big for the large companies, with 1000–2000 people). It’s much cleaner using ‘electronic’ methods. Also, the employee doesn’t have to be extra careful because of the ‘large’ sum of money he has to carry it home.

Now what are the disadvantages? For each time you interrogate your card, you pay a small amount of money. (You don’t pay this amount when you ‘interrogate’ your wallet). Although a lot of people have credit/debit cards, you can’t use them in all the shops (though, the situation has improved in the past years). Also, you are too tight to the ‘electronics’.

Today, for example, I wanted to buy a train ticket to Budapest. It didn’t cost too much, but I had only half of the money. I said, don’t worry, you have your debit card. You can get the rest from the ATM, or in the worst case, you can used it to make the payment. Well… I was wrong. The first ATM I tried, rejected my card. Don’t know why. Second ATM I tried was out of order. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to check the next ATM, and didn’t remember a closer one, so I said, I’ll pay with the card. Well… tough luck, their POS was out of service also.

Luckily, I could borrow some money from a friend.