Brian Holden: Imagine a wallet free of plastic cards

Fear not, guys - the days of the bulging wallet are numbered. Photo / Supplied

What was once hailed as a convenience has now become a curse - plastic swipe cards.

You've had all your groceries rung through or a new summer wardrobe purchased and after digging through your wallet or purse, you finally locate what you think is your bank card ready to be swiped.

"Whoops, sorry that's my library card I've given you there." Then you're asked for your loyalty card and perhaps Fly Buys. The cards I keep in my wallet at any one time are the essential little fellows, such as driver's licence, AA, and library cards. Even with the rest left stacked in piles on the shelf at home, my wallet is still around 5cm thick.

This cumbersome state of affairs has become so unwieldy; the techno giants are at last doing something about it.

Of course the idea of kissing goodbye to your wallet is not a new one. Way back (in technology terms) in 2011, readers of the digital tea leaves could point to a future where your money, house keys, library card and driver's licence will eventually be stored in one's mobile phone.

Doing away with having to actually swipe, near-field communication (NFC), lets your phone swap information with the point of sale device in a shop.

Convenient as it is, the first thing that comes to my mind is security - but fear not, we are told. With this new technology, you'll be able to keep your cards safely tucked in your wallet. And because you don't have to show them, you never reveal your name, card number, or security code to the cashier - or anyone.

This additional layer of privacy helps ensure that your information stays where it belongs. With you.

And even if the unthinkable happens and you lose your phone, or it drops out of your top pocket through the grill of a storm drain, it's not the end of the world.

There are now ways to remotely wipe your personal data and reload it on to a new phone. Despite being overwhelmed by all the unnecessary gimmicks and techno-communication rubbish being stuffed into smartphones, for my mind this is one application that can't come soon enough.

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Friends of ours have returned from yet another of their yearly escapes to the other side of the world. I'm sure that they spend more time over there than in their Rotorua home.

Being keen cyclists, they are no strangers to covering incredibly long distances on their two wheels when abroad and have gained ample fitness to take on rugged mountain passes and no doubt up and down the odd cliff here and there.

This - as fit as - couple loves to see the wonders of the world as nature intended, albeit through watery eyes from time to time no doubt.

With the costly hiring of bikes not being a sensible option, they always have a few machines on hand when the need arises.

Right now they have six (three sets of two) bikes in France and another couple in Britain, with helmets, pumps and repair kits to match.

"You can never have too many," they say.

On arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport on their latest trip, they were greeted by a taxi strike. It was not only thousands of taxis blocking all four lanes on the motorway, but the railways had gone out in sympathy and Paris was in gridlock.

Strikes, or "greves" as the French call them, are forever in process in the country.

With no option but to unpack their newly purchased velos and assemble them on the pavement in view of curious onlookers, these two Kiwis were soon off and away, pedalling to their destination.

But not before the innovative disposal of the huge cardboard boxes that the bikes came in.

Cycling holidays can be great fun, but after some of the stories I hear, for me, seeing the sights by car would be a far more favourable option.

• Brian Holden has lived in Rotorua for most of his life and has recently celebrated 10 years of writing And Another Thing.