Maybe its because I live in a semi-rural part of the Midwest, but I've never even heard of Venmo.

> Ms. Pennoyer agreed and recalled childhood taxi rides, when two adults would fight to treat the other

That still happens around here. (Well, we don't really have many Taxis around here, but it happens with meals at restaurants and such. I can recall occasions not too long ago where friends and I would all try and sneakily pay for the meal before the others noticed.)

My wife and I lived in SF for a while and stuff like that is part of the reason we came back.