By Douglas Quenqua, New York Times

As 2018 looms, the dawn of a cashless society feels at hand. Don’t believe it? Try throwing a couple $20 bills on the table next time you’re splitting the check. Or better yet, ask anyone not standing behind a cash register to break a $10 bill.

While the rise of Venmo, Uber, Seamless and Bitcoin et al have made it practically gauche in certain circles to flash a wallet thick with bills, there are many urban workers for whom the shift away from cash represents a serious financial problem. Doormen, elevator operators, manicurists — any employee who relies on small, spontaneous cash tips — are finding themselves left out in the cold by an increasingly cashless world.

“These guys, they don’t tip like they used to, because they don’t have the cash in their pockets like they used to,” said Mark, an elevator operator at an upscale Manhattan co-op, talking about his building’s tenants. He asked to use only his first name because his union and employer forbid him from talking to the press.

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