Five minute friends?

 There is a short piece in the paper about "five minute friends" which perhaps more people should read. It might not be quite what they think. 

The writer is talking about the rising use of "self-service" and the lack of human interaction. It is something I too have been thinking about recently. 

That concussion from the bang on the head has led to me being at home for the past couple of weeks. I am under strict instructions not to pedal anywhere until the end of this week - and then only to take a short ride up and down the street or around the block. I am not talking to people the way I usually do - or not as many people. 

For me this means simple things like saying no more than "Morning!" to the person pedalling past me in the opposite direction and "How are you?" to an oxygen dependent man who can no longer walk to the end of the street but often sits watching for me. (I did ask his wife to tell him what had happened.) Talking on the phone is an effort for him and, really, we have nothing to say to each other apart from the greeting.  There are several elderly people who live alone and I had to let their neighbours know that I wouldn't be doing any of their usual errands. One neighbour told me, "He's missing you just saying hello." Yowl! I don't like that.

I have not been in and out of the library. Middle Cat has returned and picked up books for me but that is not the same as a quick chat and a question, "Have you read....?" or "What would you suggest for....?" from the staff. 

Our favourite supermarket has not yet gone self-service. Middle Cat and I think it is because so many older people shop there. They can get help. We can talk to the check out staff - indeed I know many of them by name. Thankfully the greengrocer we go to as a matter of choice has no plans for self-service and his staff know many of the customers by name. I have missed that interaction too.

Middle Cat can chat to anyone. There are times when I am reduced to prowling around as I wait for her but those interactions are often as important for them as they are for her. "How do you know her?" or "Where did you meet him?" I will ask and it will be "in a shop" or "at the bank" or "getting something for S....(her partner)" or some other location. 

I am not as able to do that but I will do it in a more limited way. I try to be meticulous about saying "thank you". I have yet to use self-serve in a supermarket - and don't believe "nobody is losing their jobs because we are putting them behind the scenes". 

All this is just the same as losing the interaction and the service of the railway staff I mentioned yesterday. People are losing jobs because of self-service. The world is not as friendly or safe when you are looking at a machine rather than a face. Taking that interaction away is not an improvement.

The only growth industry that might involve human interaction is likely to be the mental health services - or maybe we will be faced with machines that dispense mood pills?