ianpspurs
Oracle
I agree I'm blessed and sympathise with you and others who need the services which are rapidly disappearing. I have relatives who are or were on their own for decades and have been unable or eventually told to stop driving. I know how much they needed physical services and social gatherings. Judging by grocery, takeaway food and Amazon deliveries in this close few actually use physical retailers much. Bearing in mind the sheer number of US service people working shifts this area has an above average number of drive thru and delivery outlets. As far as I can tell anyone relying on public transport in this area is stuffed.You are very lucky @ianpspurs
I was a single mother of 3 children (my ex was more interested in elsewhere), and so it was literally living within the pennies in my purse, and bargaining. That kind of lifestyle you describe was never within my reach.
Also with being deaf, I never had the luxury of using the telephone, which was essential in those days, and still is. I literally had to walk, catch the bus to hospital and doctors and everything else etc etc just to make an appointment. It was always assumed everyone could use the telephone. And if I did get my friend D to ring on my behalf, it was often said to her, that she (me) has to make the phone call, they (whoever they were, the bank, whatever) could not deal with my friend D, because of security reasons. So, I ended up having to physically walk the 5+ miles there and back to town, just to deal with the bank.
It was the same when J was with me. They (whoever they were) would not let him telephone on my behalf because of security reasons again. This would be bank, gas board, electric board etc etc etc.
There was text relay then, 1990's, but it was different and involved a separate physical telephone, but there was always problems with the Baud rate, and instead of words scrolling on the phone, it degenerated into unintelligible symbols. Also the banks and other organisations refused to deal with me using that text relay, because it involved a real life human operator, in between me and them, to read the messages I sent to the organisation into the spoken word. And they said it was not secure and refused to accept the call.
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