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i   Oyster cards were first issued to members of the British public in July 2003; by June 2015 they will have been replaced by a contactless card payment system As we grow old these rectangles of blue plastic will fade into memory; they will become historical curiosities, representing little more than a transitional phase in the history of payment systems, weekend engineering works on our noble journey from the physical to the digital, from the actual to the virtual But let’s not allow the Oyster card to disappear from public consciousness unremarked upon; let’s take some time out from our hectic schedules and look up into the dim light; let’s take stock for just a moment, gulp in the close cold air, feel the dank wind of history on our faces, and contemplate the significant role this stored-value contactless smartcard has played in our everyday lives over the last decade or so     ii   Consider an example Let’s say you’re not a Londoner You don’t live here; you’re an alien We’ll sculpt you a bit more as we go along but, to begin with, let’s just say you’re an alien in London and see how that sits You won’t, don’t worry, remain undeveloped But everything in its time For now, enjoy the not-knowing, enjoy the formlessness, the weightlessness You could become anyone Think of the possibilities, the opportunities All we know, for now, for certain, is that you are, let’s say, an alien in London   You arrived, by plane, on a one-way ticket, say, your purpose, at the moment, dark to us You think nothing, once reunited with your suitcases at London Gatwick, having trudged with them through arrivals (and after everything that happened on the flight you might have appreciated some help), of taking a taxi to your hotel in Acton An indulgence, perhaps, but you are happy to spend money at times like these You’re not rich, you’re not profligate, but money is there to be spent You can’t understand people who hoard – people who save and save and save, knowing they will die with their accumulated wealth unspent, inactive, a