'Get the App' Gripes!

Brian Lehrer (0:09)

Brian Lehrer on WNYC, we're going to spend our last 10 minutes on the question of what's your biggest get the app gripe? What's your biggest get the app gripe? It's your cause on the never ending need to download an app and another app and another app and an app for everything. What's the thing in your life that didn't need an app and now does and makes you go, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, call or text? What triggered this call in is that one of our producers rented a U-Haul over the weekend. And instead of talking to the employees standing in the booth right in front of her, she had to check in on her phone by downloading the U-Haul app, which of course was being finicky. And it's not just U-Haul. Walk into a chain coffee shop, right? Or one of those fast casual lunch spots, and there's a good chance you'll be told to order on the app, rather than talk to the person behind the counter. Your household appliances now have apps too. There are toasters with apps, fridges with apps, washing machines with apps. And if you do laundry in a shared laundry room, you may have noticed the quarters in the laundry card being replaced by, you guessed it, an app. So, listeners, here's the question. We'll end today with what's the most ridiculous thing you've been asked to download an app for. Did you do it, or did you walk away? 212-433-WNYC. What's the most ridiculous thing you've been asked to download an app for? And, you know, not everybody has a smartphone. Maybe you don't have a smartphone. Obviously, most people do. But maybe you don't have any more storage space for one more app, or you just refuse to make another account with another password. What has locked you out? And what's your work around? What's your biggest get-the-app gripe? Or just the most ridiculous thing that you've been asked to download an app for? Call or text 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

I'll give you one of mine from just the other day. I already said I went to the Yankees Mets game on Saturday, where maybe I got exposed to Legionella from the Yankees Cooling Tower. But I went with a friend, transferred, I had the tickets, transferred his ticket to him through the Ticketmaster app. And then he got frustrated because he has the Ticketmaster app, and he accepted the ticket. But then it told him he needed another app. There were several he could choose from, but he needed another app to actually have the ticket display when he went to the gate. The Ticketmaster app wasn't enough. So who has a story?

212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

All right, they're starting to come in. So we'll take our break and come back and hear your most ridiculous things you've been asked to download an app for. Stay with us.

Brian Lehrer on WNYC, all right, your most ridiculous or most frustrating apps that you are required to use. And I see there's a category that's breaking out as number one on the board. And we're going to get Mary and Delray Beach to represent. Hi Mary on WNYC.

Mary (3:55)

Hi Brian, long time listener.

It is the parking app. It is so difficult for me. I have the parking app for Delray Beach, and it's all set up. Say I'm going 20 minutes away to meet somebody I haven't seen in three years, and the only parking is a public parking, and you have to get their app. I can't even see my phone in the sunshine, and I live in the sunshine state, and it's properly named. I can't even see my phone to download the app, you know, get a password, put my credit card in.

It's such a hassle, and I am 70, so it is a little bit of a handicap. So that to me is, those are the absolute worst.

Brian Lehrer (4:28)

Mary, thank you very much. And yeah, I'll just read one other on this, which says, parking meters, I live in Westchester, and it seems every town requires an app to park.

Meaning you go to a different town, you need yet another app. Okay, Virginia and Sleepy Hollow has one that's completely different from that. Virginia, you're on WNYC. Hi.

Virginia (4:51)

Hi, thanks for taking my call.

I will second the Westchester parking out. There's a different app for every town, but my recent frustration has been with my breast pump app. And I'm like, why do I need an app to operate my breast pump? And it's been very frustrating and unhelpful.

Brian Lehrer (5:07)

Do you actually need the app to operate the breast pump?

Virginia (5:11)