COLUMN: Cash is king – unless you want a driver's license

Life is getting more complicated with every passing day. Things that seem simple and should be simple are being smothered in more and more complications and red tape. Answers to straight questions are rare and lead to a growing sense of frustration. Trying to get someone to answer a phone is almost an impossibility as dreaded answering systems take over and encourage the caller to press different numbers for different services.

Whether one wants to phone the bank, get a better price for car insurance or check why there's no water in the taps, there's never a human on the other end of the phone. Public service certainly doesn't do what it says on the tin. Of course, sometimes the simple reason for this is under-staffing and recruitment moratoriums, but that’s of little consolation to the caller.

Another worrying aspect of this growth in complication is the continuing erasure of cash from our society. Personally, I’ve contributed to this movement away from coins and notes by almost always tapping my bank card or phone whenever I have to pay for something. However, lately I’ve tried to reintroduce cash to my daily existence in order to have some semblance of privacy, otherwise some lad sitting at a lap-top in the bank will know each and every movement I make in my daily life.

Sometimes it’s hard to avoid the sensation of constantly being watched. I know that sounds disturbingly paranoid, but when one is blessed to come from the wondrous kingdom of Ballycroy where the sight-lines stretch to the horizon, the opposition to any type of oversight is stark.

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Therefore, I was stunned to learn this week, that Mayo people will be prevented from driving unless they have a bank card. That’s a slightly extreme and simplistic statement, but it’s basically true. Last week, a family member made an appointment to have her driving license renewed in Castlebar and all was good with the world. She was given a very prompt appointment and took time off work to drop into the National Driver License Service office to get the job done.

She went through the process with a very helpful, friendly and efficient staff member - answered questions, ticked boxes and had her picture taken. When, payment was required she produced the required cash, and that’s when the whole thing ground to a halt. Cash wasn’t acceptable. Only credit/debit cards, Google Pay/Apple Pay, or Payzone vouchers could be used to pay for her license.

She didn’t have a bank card, but had more than enough cash in her hand, ready and willing to pay for her driving license, yet she might as well have magic beads clutched in her fist. The process could not go on, she could not get her license and had to leave and go back to work after an utterly fruitless exercise. Of course, it was not the fault of the staff member who was embarrassed by the stupidity of the situation.

Since when did cash become obsolete when paying for a public service? Why will our nation not accept money for a service to a citizen? Why is this utter stupidity allowed fester and grow?

I was stunned by the stupidity of it. If one follows this madness to its conclusion it simply means that a person without a bank card cannot drive a car in Mayo. I know that’s a very simplistic view of the situation, but the madness of refusing cash for a public service is hard to fathom.

Once again, this shambolic situation was no fault of the staff in the office. They must be embarrassed having to deliver the restrictive news to people day after day. One can buy anything from a burger to a bungalow with notes and coins, why are citizens of our nation not allowed pay for their driving license with cash? Can anyone give me a logical answer?