[epolanski]

This.

1. My bank doesn't allow to go in person without an in-app taken appointment.

2. My nephew can't play football in his team, because the team has an app to book/signal your availability. No other way.

3. Half of restaurants in my area do not have non-QR code menus, they just don't.

4. McDonald's will make me pay the scam pricing you get without the app.

5. My doctor gives documentation only and exclusively in digital form, on a special application that doesn't even have a desktop equivalent.

6. My fiance's office badges are smartphone-based. You cannot enter otherwise.

7. All the software she uses at work requires frequent Google/Apple/third party authentication.

8. Increasingly more European airlines exclusively accept in-app check in and documentation. You cannot print it. Ryanair's one of them.

I could go on for longer.

[medvidek]

1. I don't know any bank that does, but in any case voting with your wallet is always an option.

2., 3., 4. Voting with your wallet once again.

5. That would be illegal in many jurisdictions, some countries even have a centralized systems for doctors to upload documentation (that you access using your ID as an authentication token).

6., 7. Unless the employer provides said smartphone, that would be illegal to require in most countries.

8. Vote with your wallet, also all such airlines can print a boarding pass for free if you do the checkin on the website.

[epolanski]

Half of the voting with your wallet are blind to the fact that you can't vote anything else.

My village has one football team, not N. There's one burger place, not two.

For the rest, appealing to legality is pointless, I ain't bringing my family doctor to a tribunal over this, this is real life and me being petty for not wanting to use a phone. Being right years from now is beyond pointless.

[iamnothere]

Sounds like you have given up without a fight and deserve whatever you get.

[pbgcp2026]

epolanski@ is, unfortunately, right. You may try to "walk away" if you are not interested in the end result. If the fact of walking away for you is more important / feels better than actually doing what you came for. (And don't get me started on how girls look at you when you start fishing for petty change in your pockets - that seriously limits your dating pool LOL)

[iamnothere]

As someone with a long term partner who shares my use of cash, at least for some things, you don’t want to date people who look down on you for your choice of payment. Red flag. Waste of time.

Have some self respect. Don’t date people who aren’t mostly aligned with your values.

[pbgcp2026]

"Have some self respect". Sure. Which hand respects you more: right or left one? ;-)

[epolanski]

Ain't life simple as you make it?

[ssttoo]

I recently skipped a concert at the YouTube theater in LA because my phone is too old for Ticketmaster or Hollywood Park apps. Even though you can go and buy a ticket at the box office they have to send you the ticket to the app. No option to print it or any non-app way.

[epolanski]

Oh that true!

I've been in multiple clubs/events that you can enter exclusively after having downloaded the app.

[gib444]

> 1. My bank doesn't allow to go in person without an in-app taken appointment.

What about other banks?

> 3. Half of restaurants in my area do not have non-QR code menus, they just don't.

That's crazy. I don't think I even saw 50% during COVID. Must be barely 5% of places that are QR only in the UK.

> 4. McDonald's will make me pay the scam pricing you get without the app.

Isn't it a scam even with the app pricing? The quality is so so bad these days I feel scammed even paying £1.50 for a burger.

> 5. My doctor gives documentation only and exclusively in digital form, on a special application that doesn't even have a desktop equivalent.

> 6. My fiance's office badges are smartphone-based. You cannot enter otherwise.

Are those compatible with disability laws?

> 8. Increasingly more European airlines exclusively accept in-app check in and documentation. You cannot print it. Ryanair's one of them.

That is not true for Ryanair.

https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12889016882065-Ca... :

"You can check in on the Ryanair.com website or on the mobile App"

"If you checked in but cannot present your boarding pass on the app when you arrive at the airport, you will receive a free of charge boarding pass."

(This it is more difficult as their appears to be even fewer staff around than before)

Also:

"You can check in for your flight at the airport, but you will have to pay an airport check-in fee per passenger to cover the extra cost of the airport check-in service. Please see our Table of Fees."

(Admittedly very very expensive)

[medvidek]

I flew with RyanAir several times after they introduced a "mandatory" app boarding pass, never had problems with check-in agents just printing the boarding pass for free (after doing the web check-in). Had to pretend my phone died once, in all other cases they just printed the pass no questions asked.

[jodrellblank]

(Depending on whether you mean "can't exist without a phone" or "can't exist without an Apple/Google monopoly ecosystem")

3. you don't need an Apple or Google account to scan a QR code and open a web page.

4. Why is it "scam" pricing? You're getting a discount from giving them your information with an app. Like Kindle charging more to remove adverts. Dislikable, scummy not scammy. (i.e. they aren't taking your money and providing nothing and then disappearing).

6. I think in the UK / Europe the employer would have to provide your fiancee with a company phone so she could access her workplace, and could not legally require her to have a personal phone with an employer managed/controlled app on it.

7. Does Google/Apple authentication require a Google/Apple app? I see "sign in with Google" on web pages on my Windows desktop. Google Authenticator app is a fairly standard OTP passcode app which can be done in many other programs, password vaults and browser plugins.

8. Ryanair says you can check-in on their website: https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-us/articles/12888891271953-Ho...

[aembleton]

> 8. Ryanair says you can check-in on their website: https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-us/articles/12888891271953-Ho...

Last year I could check in on their website, but needed the app for the boarding card. They might have changed that, but that article doesn't make it clear.

[epolanski]

But the boarding pass you need in app.

Or you're free to queue at 5 am for your 8.30 am free for an hour+at their counter.

[spankibalt]

First and foremost: I'm sorry for you. Living in a participation-dictated-by-app hellscape sucks. But most people only realize this when the magical one or two steps happen that force them to "touch grass".

With regards to specific points that match with my reality:

> "My fiance's office badges are smartphone-based. You cannot enter otherwise."

I worked for a company where that was a thing. Easy fix: They issued me (and others) a smartphone for that. And that slab never left the workplace either; I fetched/returned it before/after my day by notifying the security desk.

Everything else on your list is either irrelevant or unnacceptable to me, or simply illegal where I live.

[pbgcp2026]

You would be PIP'd next week today. Nobody is dealing with that anymore. Is it suppressing our rights? Yes. Absolutely. And it will get worse. And no, people will not revolt. And you will be left behind, on the other side of the gates, after all your team has gone through. Happy to do it? Rich enough to do it? I'm not ...

[troyvit]

> 3. Half of restaurants in my area do not have non-QR code menus, they just don't.

Not knocking this list, the shit is real. But I just had a lovely imaginary conversation with a server asking them what they would recommend and then trying something brand new.

[SoftTalker]

When I go to a restaurant that has QR-only menus, I won't make a scene about it, but it lowers the mental rating I give the place and I'm less likely to return.

[jjav]

I suggest making a scene about it.

I've never encountered such a restaurant but will definitely make a scene about it if it happens.

[pbgcp2026]

If you do make a scene - please do not order soup. LOL

[chias]

I've had this conversation for real. The server's recommendation was that I scan the QR code.

That was my last time going to that restaurant.

[stavros]

That's happened to me a lot, to get a 503 service unavailable from a restaurant server.

[zephen]

Joke's on the server. The robot that will replace their job soon will be more than happy to regale you with any hallucinated information you would like about the subtleties of the menu.