Baaaahhhhston

July 1, 2015

My recent trip to Boston was technologically inspirational. Seriously. First of all, my dream for a mostly cashless society is being realized. I reserved and paid for my flight and accommodations online, bought tickets for the T, and paid for my meals and sundries without taking out a single dime.

Second of all, can I say UBER?! I absolutely loved my cashless transactions for personal chauffeurs who arrive within five minutes of clicking a button on my phone. Talk about very cool apps! Every driver I had raved about how much they loved working their own schedules, getting 80% of the fare, and not having to pay a company to drive. As a passenger, I loved the ability to summon a car to me, rather than having to wave one down on the side of the street. I also like being able to rate my driver--and for them to rate me. It keeps me from getting cranky. ;-)

The third thing I loved was in Harvard's COOP. Because I was flying and had far expanded the contents of my suitcase far beyond what is considered a carry-on, I didn't have room for books. On the shelves, however, there was a solution: QR codes to purchase the e-version of the book.

Oh, there were other life-saving apps, too, Like when we walked back from the beach and lost our way. Google maps showed us that we have no sense of direction. Checking the forecast to determine what to pack, reaffirmed what we already know: the forecast is usually inaccurate. And making reservations without speaking to a haughty host was a definite plus.

So while all this technology was anachronous while standing next to Paul Revere's house, it's definitely something I can live with.