Letter: You'll need a password to buy that sandwich

Letter: At a time when we are encouraged to shop online rather than use the high street - and indeed it is invariably cheaper this way - am I the only person to notice how increasingly difficult it is to buy goods and pay bills without the need for passwords, six-figure pin numbers and being told to choose from a list of personal questions (eg. what is the Christian name of your first husband/wife?) all in the name of security?

While I am not yet in the "silver surfer" bracket, I am certainly of an age where I can remember how we all seemed to muddle along quite well without any of this, thank you very much.

I understand the need for caution due to identity fraud but the trouble is we are expected to use a different password and pin number for each of these online schemes and simply commit them to memory, having been warned of the dangers of writing them down.

Now my memory isn't what it used to be and as I have 32 different online accounts for one thing or another, I've been forced to double up on some of them.

I think the crunch came when I visited a sandwich shop in Shrewsbury and was asked if I would like to start collecting points with a loyalty card towards free meals and drinks.

"Just go online to the registration form and fill in the details," said the girl, smiling helpfully.

As I am one who has an eye for anything free, I duly complied only to find (yet again) the same old passwords, user names and pin numbers syndrome. I object to doing this all for the sake of a "free" baguette.

It will not be long before we have no need to leave the house, as we'll be able to shop, work and perhaps even be spoon-fed into obesity with just the aid of a computer.

Mind you, with all the security questions, we won't have time for anything else.

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