The Hudson Valley is Using Cash Apps to Celebrate Strangers?
These days most of us have some sort of cash app connected to our bank accounts, right? Venmo, Google Pay, Zelle, PayPal (how ancient) , and there's even one that's actually called Cash App. I use Venmo all the time - it makes splitting the check at a restaurant super easy, i've received concert ticket payments, and even went in on a baby shower present with some friends using it.
Anyway - the other day I was driving to work on Rt. 9 and was a few cars behind a vehicle that had chalk writing in their back window, I saw the word GRADUATION in big letters across the bottom. Now, having been guilty of writing on my own car back in the day when I graduated, I smiled and continued on my way. It wasn't until I got closer that I noticed, above the word graduation, was someone's venmo name...
"Greg graduated, help him celebrate" - next to it, Greg's venmo information.
Excuse me, what?
When I wrote on my car windows way back when, it was something stupid like peace out Fishkill, i'm college bound, and honk for the graduate - but now, people are asking for donations from strangers?
But wait, there's more. This morning I was catching up on weekend Instagram posts and noticed that a friend of a friend was at a bachelorette party. We all know it's very common for the bridal party and bachelorette attendees to have matching shirts or accessories, but these accessories were different. All of the girls that were participating in the bachelorette party had matching necklaces with little credit card sized tags hanging with a QR code to buy the bride a drink.
Again, what?
Typically, it's pretty obvious a bachelorette party is happening - matching outfits, veil, phallic blow ups and straws - i'm assuming one would know how to find the bride if they wanted to buy her a drink. I certainly didn't have any issues getting drinks at my own bachelorette party.
Now that I think about it, i've seen cash app information on people's birthday IG posts too. Like, you didn't invite me to come out and celebrate your birthday but i'm supposed to send some $ to buy the next round - it's a no from me, man.
Am I officially getting old, or is this new trend of advertising cash apps a bit...tacky?
Some googling brought me to a Washington Post article from the end of June that pointed out that this trend has become more popular lately thanks to, you guessed it, TikTok. Apparently people have been using this type of 'crowdfunding' to help finance their cross-country road trips (even one celebrating a divorce), help with closing costs on their homes, weddings, babies, and so on - yes, with donations from complete strangers. One person even noted she had made more than $3,200 on her bachelorette road trip from Tennessee to South Carolina.
I just can't wrap my head around it - call me old fashioned, you can even just call me old, but this is one TikTok trend that I just can't get behind.