An old lady in Seattle couldn't understand how to pay for parking using confusing parking apps.
The author helped her, but the process was complicated and not user-friendly.
He guided her through scanning a QR code and using parking apps, eventually helping her pay with the Park Mobile app using her credit card.
People are spending vast amounts of time fiddling with shit that doesn't work.
We not only have created a complex society on all levels, but now a very difficult world to live, even the most simple events is now a pain in the ass.
From restaurants to small markets, you now pay for a robot, you don't have a human to support you.
things that were simple, became full of friction, all to collect our data.
I always wonder who comes up with these full of friction "tech innovations".
Last time it took me about five minutes to order a soda from one of those machines in a hotel. It even required a phone number to complete the order.
Another day that machine failed mid transaction but charged my card so I had to email the hotel's accounting department to get a refund about a week later.
Omg. This is so stupid.
The same with parties/festivals: you have to create accounts to buy a fucking ticket, then you pay a "convenience fee".
That is, in addition to providing your data to a platform that you did not ask for, you still pay for the "convenience" lol.
So finally when you arrive at the party, then you have to pay for a "credit card" that works only in that place, where some 3rd party collect your data again.
Edit: The parent has been edited since I commented.
I agree with the author, I just write it in a shorter way.
It's: multiple competing apps, QR code scanners, advertisements, buggy apps, buggy payment taking.