The Mobile Food truck at LAC only accepts mobile payments and cards but should allow students to use cash for those that don’t carry cards or have access to a bank account
This leaves students who wish or are restricted to only carry cash with no other option but to go somewhere else to buy food.
The college aims to provide inclusivity to all students but does not provide an option for students who don’t have or want to use their bank accounts.
Some students work jobs that are only paid in cash or rely on tips for their main source of income.
Various people on campus don’t prefer to use their cards or don’t wish to carry them due to security reasons such as theft or cyber attacks.
The campus offers several services for students including housing assistance, physical and mental healthcare, but limits the options for students who want food and only carry cash.
Most of the population on the campus are students who use financial aid, some of which have just graduated high school with no job and therefore have not created their own bank accounts.
Other factors such as high and unpredictable fees, lack of access to a nearby bank, or simply not having enough money prevent students from being able to open an account.
Going cashless may seem more convenient however there are several negative effects of relying on technology for finances.
Technology is not always the most reliable and can experience issues such as system malfunctions and having to shut down or reboot the system causing a wait time to be able to pay for food.
This can also lead to cyber attacks which leave data such as bank information and addresses vulnerable to being used for identity theft and even more severe crimes.
The mobile food truck going cashless creates more exclusivity to the campus which goes against the school’s role of being “supportive and inclusive” as stated on the school website.
The truck has never accepted cash, “It was the school’s decision and we had no say in the matter,” said Timothy Chin, who works in the mobile kitchen.
Students and staff should be able to contribute to making decisions such as going cashless to create an environment where all students feel heard and comfortable.