Will you go

We've only had a few weeks of this and I'm pretty sure that old instincts will take over as soon as is feasibly possible. 

We bought somebody some food yesterday and the old lady wanted to give my wife a hug to say thanks. Those things are natural and sooner, preferably a bit later, these actions will return.

Until such times as a vaccine is developed though we'll keep a safe distance and forego the hugs.

Might be interesting to return to this subject in 18 months or so and see how we all have changed our habits.

I work on the basis that where there is a Will, there is a Way!

Now I do recognise it might not be as simple as that. Perhaps there is a complication over something like VAT. Perhaps it's a complication over tax. However if the Club recognise that Wardens provide provide a very useful service to members by what they sell in Reception they could work together to provide a solution. If that is not through the Club's point of sale system it might be by an arrangement whereby the club provide card terminals via their supplier which should reduce the cost compared to wardens having to set up from scratch. I am pretty sure that there are an increasing number of companies offering lower cost card terminals, often via mobile phone apps. For example when I have my haircut ( in normal times!) I can pay by card should I wish by scanning my card against his phone. One of the frailties that COVID 19 has exposed is that to reduce the possibility of infection we need to look at all manner of things that in the past we have just taken for granted. Why not turn that to our advantage and look at different ways of doing things?

David

Our local veg shop didn't have a card reader to start with as it was expensive. However he now has a little touch pad / display that links securely to his phone, which is much less expensive and allows contactless payments.

I take it that for the app, when loaded onto ones smart phone, for it to be of any use the phone must be connected to a WiFi signal, be it from the phone signal provider or an external source. The contract that we have on our smart phone only carries a very small WiFi allowance so the wifi only switched on when we wish to look something up, and not continually. Hence the app would not be of any use trying to trace our contacts.

I'm a bit worried that our £10 PAYG from Asda may not be up to snuff.

I don't think it needs the 4G except to check against the database to see if you had been close to anyone who later tests positive. The actual proximity information is gained using the phones Bluetooth. Once the phone locks on to your home wifi, it will be able to do its checking then. If it always needed a 4G signal it wouldn't work where there wasn't one. Obviously not possible once away in the van. However, unfortunately I don't think you need to be concerned about that for some time. Although even if it turns out it needs 4G switched on, I would think it worthwhile to increase your allowance for the benifit it could bring.

I don't have Bluetooth turned on but I just tried and it tells me to "tick this box to make visible to other devices". Presumably if I download this app (if and when it's available) I will have to do this and keep it (bluetooth) on permanently? 

(Sorry if that's a dumb question but it's coming from someone who, until recently had to phone home and then do 1471 to remind himself what his mobile number was!  )

Some of you know the chain of a dozen shops across Cornwall and Devon in the Whistlefish company - they sell good quality locally produced greetings cards and artistic things - or did before the shops were closed. As banks began closing branches in the area those shops stopped accepting cash two years ago and all purchases in the shops moved over to card payments only. Of course Club sites and wardens could do that too. 

I think you're right, Steve, and Bluetooth doesn’t rely on an internet connection. My Fitbit is B/T enabled but does not connect to either Wi-fi or 4G. Similarly, B/T loudspeakers have no internet facility.

That’s the box needed for hotspot tethering/connecting wirelessly, M. Please don’t ask me for details 😂😂😂😂