Armored car

     Sometimes you notice something and realize: "Haven't seen one of those in a long time!"
     Like this armored car that pulled up at the entrance of the Chicago Botanical Garden as my wife and I were leaving Monday.

     I'd noticed the price for specialty cocktails — $17 —and figured there had to be a joke in there somewhat. "Must be raking it in with that spiced rum hot wassail concession."

     But rather than say that — shutting up is an art form I struggle to master —I fell to musing on the subject of armored cars. I used to see them all the time. Then again, I used to be walking around the Loop five days a week. There could be one on every street corner, for all I know.

     Still, I couldn't remember last time I'd seen one. My automatic assumption is that a decrease in cash usage has led to increased demand for armored cars. 

     Not true, according to an initial AI gloss. I asked if the armored car business suffered because of decrease use of cash:

"Yes, the decreased use of cash due to digital payments puts downward pressure on the demand for traditional cash-in-transit (CIT) armored car services, forcing companies to diversify into handling high-value goods, documents, or investing in technology like smart safes; however, cash still remains vital for many, so the industry isn't disappearing but evolving with new security needs. 

     Seeking to back that up — you cannot trust AI — I found this marketing report, that suggests steady growth for the CIT industry, thanks to that diversification.

     Which got me curious — just what do they charge for hauling cash around. How much, for instance, to transport $1 million in cash five miles across Chicago? AI said that it depends on the route and the level of security provided, but anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $1,000 on bonded services like Loomis or Brinks.  

     My final question, of course, is should I be using AI to answer these questions, or tracking down the original sources? It seemed to boil down to a question of expectations. The first answer differed from what I thought —armored car companies are suffering — so I had to confirm that it was correct. The second answer, about the cost of armored car services, had what I call the "tang of veracity," so I trusted it.