Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Seeking refuge from the storm

‎You see fewer and fewer of these, and a part of me finds that a little sad. Parking attendant huts have always been like little beacons of warmth on an otherwise cold streetscape, but the advent of automated parking entry/exit/payment systems makes it easy to bypass the human attendant entirely. Proximity cards and automated payment machines: Welcome to our lonely, dystopian parking future.

‎And yet some huts still stand, defiantly, staffed by folks who I often wonder if they're watching the calendar and fearing if there's a robotic replacement in their future, too.

I hope not. Because when all the real people are replaced by machines, the world becomes a pretty‎ lonely place. I know the bottom line must be fed, but not having these oases of warmth - and maybe a little morning conversation - seems like too-high a price to be paid.

I guess I'm old school that way. What about you?

2 comments:

21 Wits said...

I totally agree! I see it here too, and have thought the same thing. I used to have the best conversations with complete strangers. Just another sign of life, where we are being unconnected. So sad.

darlin said...

Carmi we are losing way too much of our human contact, sad really. We have tons of ways to communicate, yet nobody communicates anymore... really connects. I too am old school and believe in the kitchen table conversation, a quick hello to a stranger, a chat in the line at the store and I fear what the next generation has in store for them, a sad and lonely place where little matters except the bottom dollar. I'm not saying all children are being raised this way, just too many of them in my opinion.