Buddy, can you spare a dime?

I live in the "Silicon Valley" of the South, in the most industrialized country in the world, at the beginning of the 21st century. And because of this I sometimes take the conveniences and comforts of "civilized" life for granted. One of those conveniences is the debit card.

For two decades now the American banking system has spent the GDP of a mid-sized European country in convincing us of the necessity of credit and debit payments, and it's route to an "easier" life. They were so successful it spread to other countries, to the point that the only people who now routinely carry cash for daily needs are Jersey mob bosses, waiters, street vendors, and strippers. (Ok, maybe I'm going a bit far here, but I'm frustrated by the following story.)

I don't know if it is the recent economic woes or a general rebalancing of societal norms (or possibly me stretching this way out of proportion), but it seems the pendulum has begun to swing back in the other direction. Several times in the last couple of weeks, I have been confronted with cash only payment scenarios. To the extent that by last Thursday I was tapped out (since I am not use to having to pay attention to how much cash I have on me).

Which brings me to my trip to the doctor's office last week. I left my appointment, got in my car, and proceeded to the parking attendant's gatehouse to pay for parking (yes I know, the issue of my doctor not validating parking is also post-worthy, but I have chosen to let it go). As I handed the guy my debit card, he politely informed me that they only except cash and check.

(Ok, short aside. Cash I understand, but check? Who still pays for daily expenses with checks? Who even regularly carries checkbooks with them anymore? Am I completely out of touch on this one.)

In turn, I politely informed the nice man that I was not packing a checkbook and had exactly one dollar in my wallet. At which point he stepped out of his little tollbooth building, took down some information from my vehicle registration sticker, had me fill out a little address form, and handed me a bill for $3 dollars. Yep a bill for $3. Even better I had to pay it by mailing it in. Checks, bills, and mailed payments all in one day. What is this 1928?