Photo credits : Le Parisien / BETC pour Leclerc

Little by little, through small touches, elements of our daily life disappear, erased by an urge for modernity. These losses follow one another discreetly so as not to alarm anyone. Voices are hardly even raised.

Several weeks ago, the Parisian subway ticket started to announce its disappearance (finally delayed because of the current shortage of electronic chips…). We remember when it was yellow, sharp and chic, then green, to fit with the times. Later, it became purple, then white. It will soon be dematerialized, as if it took up too much space. The French train ticket is also disappearing (ah, ah, ah). Try to print yours at one of the terminals located in the railway stations. You will receive a voucher. The French railways are so concerned about customer service that they think they are a supermarket. Forget the cardboard coupon you used to show to the inspector and that sometimes (often) ended up as a bookmark. Remember… Yesterday, the train ticket was a promise of departure, from now on, it announces the return to normal life.

The purchase receipt, precisely, is in the news, as we talk a lot about purchasing power. For a week, rumors have been circulating that it is next on the list.Disappearing by default. With our consent. If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it. You are in charge. Waste and environmental impact, endocrine disruptors (contained in the paper). Reasons are not lacking. Consumer councils are concerned. For them, the sales slip is a “tool for managing the family budget. It allows them to check the accuracy of the transaction amount”. We could not say it better. Above all, it is a simple and accessible way to remember which products were purchased and how much was spent. As if we wanted to remove all evidence of inflation… 

Since the health crisis,  ghost kitchens and dark stores are flourishing in big cities. Partly dismissed from reality. An aesthetic of disappearance is at work. We imagined the world of tomorrow to be less congested and, perhaps, more frugal. But was it necessary to erase the footprints of the world of before?