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Everything has to be digital and fast. Restaurants say that QR codes are practical. No hassle with menus. Always up-to-date. Less staff needed. But that’s precisely where Anne sees the problem.
“The human element disappears. Nobody comes and asks how things are anymore. First, you stare at a screen for minutes. That’s hardly cozy.”
She sees it everywhere. At the bank. At the doctor’s office. On public transport. « And now in restaurants, too. As if a phone were more important than a person. »
As if you were a nuisance. The reaction hurt Anne the most when she said she didn’t have a phone. « They said maybe someone else at the table could do it. As if I was a nuisance. As if I was the one making a fuss. »
She didn’t feel welcome. Unseen. « So I just left. I didn’t feel like apologizing for not having a smartphone. »
Just going back to normal. Anne isn’t demanding a revolution. She doesn’t want to ban technology. She just wants a choice. « Put out some menus. Or just let a waitress take your order. That’s not old-fashioned. That’s just normal. »
She falls silent for a moment and then says: « I don’t want a QR code. No scan. No hassle. I just want to say what I want to eat. And for someone to write it down. With a pen. On paper. »
And perhaps this isn’t nostalgia. Perhaps it’s simply humanity.
