I had my wallet stolen last week. Pretty weird experience, especially as I didn't notice until hours later. I had lunch in a cafe in London, leaving my bag for a nanosecond to get a spoon. I walked on to a meeting in East London about helping young homeless people to look after their money better.
I then used my Oyster Card to travel across London to Embankment to the Commonwealth Club where I planned to have a coffee and relax for an hour or two before catching the train back to York. At the door of the Club, the very pleasant receptionist asked me for my membership card. I couldn't find my wallet. I said I couldn't find it, could she just look me up on her system? She did and I went downstairs in the warm and comfortable Club to search my bag for the missing wallet. It wasn't there. I then used my mobile to check where I had been to see if it had been found - no luck. I cancelled all my credit cards and then caught the tube back to Kings Cross to return home. I had no money, no ID, no nothing. However, I had my ticket home and found I also had a voucher for a 3 course meal on the train, so I used it and cycled home from York Station.
This is how we live. The relatively affluent can move around the earth- over 200 miles- in warmth and comfort, using stored assets of accumulated wealth - vouchers, tickets and other bits of plastic priviledge, stating who we are and expecting to be given what is due us. And we are given it with no proof other than steady eye contact and a confident tone. Danielle
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