Tab Campaign: Get contactless payment in Tesco Metro

We all know the feeling. 4.50 on a Sunday.

You’re in a rush. The curry using the recipe your mum gave you is on the hob, but you don’t have ground turmeric. That one precious spice that saves your afternoon slaving away in a dirty, sweaty student kitchen from turning from a culinary masterpiece of a delicious blend of herbs and spices to a stinking mass of shit that you wouldn’t serve to your dog.

You dash out of the door, not even time for shoes as you sprint down Hawthorn Terrace, dodge traffic as you cross the road, down Crossgate, and up to Tesco metro. 4.57, just in time.

The burley northern security guard begrudgingly lets you past. You make the spice rack just in time, and go to pay. Your heart sinks, in your rush you forgot your wallet. But it’s okay, you have your phone, and this is 2015, you can pay for using contactless right?

For some reason, and god knows why, Tesco Metro, probably the most congested supermarket this side of the Watford Gap doesn’t have contactless payment.

After six hours of listening to your corduroy-wearing lecturer chime on, the last thing you want is to hang around waiting any longer. Has anybody actually ever thought that maybe the queue for the self-service check outs – because who wants human interaction  – wouldn’t reach all the way to the party hats in the back corner if, instead of fumbling with your wallet, you could just tap your phone or card on the scanner?

It’s not even like they don’t have the technology for it. The self service machines even have an option where you can select contactless, but as if to mock our medieval market city, the option is greyed out, mocking us every time we pay.

But they just don’t have those four glorious green lights on the card machine. Four lights that signify just how far human progress has come since the proliferation of currency, but will never illuminate in such satisfying succession as you exercise that beautiful tap, swipe, or rub of the machine.

Just think – no more awkward conversation you’d have to make with the till worker if you didn’t have to wait to put in your pin. No more “so how was your days”, or “big night then?” Just sweet freedom.

So that is why, the Tab is taking a stand. We ask you, nay Durham, beg you, to join our latests campaign: Get contactless at Tesco Metro in Durham.

Just think how easily we’ll be able to buy our hummus.

The Tab asks you in way of a petition to fill out this form, and share your reason why you want contactless in Durham.