Let's all join the 21st Century!

I try to keep this blog to only amusing stories from home, since amusing/annoying (can you tell the school year is almost over?) stories from work would make this blog A LOT longer than it already is. But today I'm really annoyed by something at work and I'm going to vent.

We are wrapping up teacher/school board negotiations for a new contract covering the next three years. I'm not directly involved, thank goodness, but yesterday we received a notice about the contract changes we will be voting on. As expected, salary increase was not great since the school district has spent all year saying they're broke. Regardless, I have confidence in our negotiations committee and believe its the best we're going to get. What I could not believe was what many of my fellow teachers that I eat lunch with were upset about. Are you ready for this injustice?

The school district is forcing everyone to have their checks direct deposited. That's right, no more paper checks that you have to go to the bank to cash/deposit.

This was an outrage to many of the people I eat lunch with. Several of them are women who are about 15-20 years older than me and still have to teach even though they are above usual retirement age since they took time off the stay at home with their kids. And they are bitter about this and make certain to get in their "I don't know how you leave your kids in Day Care all day" comments to make themselves feel better. But their bitterness is a whole other topic. This post is about them living in the stone age.

Anyway, these people do not trust that new "Internet" at all. Anyone will be able to see all of their personal information if their money goes directly to the bank. Why would they need to have their checks direct deposited if they have to go to the bank to get cash anyway?

Cash? Who needs cash anymore? Honestly, if it wasn't for the kids' school lunches and allowances we would probably never have cash.

But if they need cash to feel secure, I pointed out that we get cash using the cash back feature at just about any store you visit.

That's not safe, I was told. Okayyy...

I also pointed out that Ben and I have been taking advantage of direct deposit since we started teaching 15 years ago when it was a pretty new idea. And no one has ever "taken" our 2-week salary. Ben and I even now get out direct deposit receipts online and can store them in our e-mail archives. No paperwork and more easily accessible.

And when I mentioned I do all my banking online, they acted as though I might as well be posting my SSN and bank account information on a billboard for anyone to see. I told them I helped my Mom get set up with her online banking and she loves it now (You do love it, right Mom?).

These people don't even shop on the internet.

I know that I married a bit of a technology geek and we may be more dependent on technology than most people. But fighting direct deposit? And voting down a decent contract because of it? Come on.