By Scott W. Winchell, SUA Editor-In-Chief

At some point, we all encounter a moment where cash is no good. Take a flight these days and try to buy an adult amber colored fluid to soften the bumps of a crammed flight in bad weather with cash. Nope, no can do, we do not accept cash on flights anymore.

Cash is no good? But a credit card or ATM card is good? Well the excuses are many, often ranging to one or more of the following:

1 – Dirty, cash spreads germs;

2 – Its bulky, and in confined spaces it is cumbersome;

3 – Cash can be easily stolen, or pilfered because there is no record;

4 – Employees can be tempted to skim off the top;

5 – Its easy to make mistakes;

6 – Correct change is always difficult…

So what is the story? The real story. Well I can understand these problems, but they are vendors, and often you are a captive spender, especially on a flight. But what if you are without credit cards, or ATM cards? Well you are out of luck, and the law does not mandate that the vendor accept cash, only dollars. They can set reasonable rules on payment methods.

Then why do we have cash? Why bother with the expense of printing notes and striking coins? The quick answer is, follow the golden rule. he who has the gold, makes the rules. Yes, our Federal Reserve System that is actually a consortium of banks, and you guessed it, they make the rules.

Well, it is completely wrong, and your liberty is being taken from you at the cash register, or should I say, the card slot or UPC reader. That allows for records to be kept, and that means someone can monitor you, all for the sake of convenience. Easy sell to a fast paced society of spenders. But ask yourself this question: In this failing economy, with the fear of a second dip into recession or depression, do you trust all your financial information to a plastic card and a computer?

Is cash still king? In most places and in most hands it is, but we are on a slippery slope leading to a cashless system where someone will be monitoring your transactions. All of them. What did you spend at that restaurant, how many drinks did you have? Maybe the police will soon be able to use that information to prosecute you in court for drunk driving. A quick subpoena, and poof, you are in prison, or at least in jail for the night.

Where did you stay the other night? Was it in a hotel? With a mistress? Does it show on your monthly statement where and who you stayed with? Maybe the hubby or the wife will use that info in court at your divorce hearing. It is not a good moral thing to do, but as a citizen, with cash, try to get that hotel room. You are being tracked now, imagine a government that passes looser laws about acquiring that data after cash is gone? You have lost your liberty.

Try to rent a car with cash. It takes months to get on the allowed to use cash list. You cannot. They need your Credit Card so they can prevent you from stealing the car because they now have a paper trail to ensure you do not. That forces you into a cab, at exorbitantly higher prices to get where you want without a card. As this economy tanks, a great deal of people are now on a cash basis, and no bank is going to give them credit, or allow you to open a checking account to get an ATM card. Your are now a victim of a rigged system. They have you, and you do not have a clue.

If you are in a sad state of financial affairs, you may as well go live under a bridge, because the system is not here to help you, it is here to control you. If you do have funds in a bank, expect to get reported to the Fed if you transfer $5,000 or more anywhere, anyhow. The Patriot Act sets a voluntary reporting level, and a mandatory reporting level on such transactions.

Again, you are being observed.

On the dollar bill, it says: “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private” but that holds zero weight, and soon will likely be totally void. So I ask you, Do you feel comfy now?

It is simple, as a United State Citizen, it is nobody’s business what I spend money on, or how. I guess we have given over the ship to the financiers of the world. Soon, cash will be gone. Hell, the UN already wants the world system to change base currencies from the Dollar standard. Feeling comfier now?

Time to get rid of the Federal Reserve System! When cash is no longer good, you have no more liberties!

The almighty Dollar, no longer so almighty!

Here are a few complaints on the internet. Expect many more as we move into the corral of the banking barons. Here’s your leash folks, snug up that collar now, and stay in line at the trough coming your way!

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Found on Yelp, it is unknown if true or false, but is not uncommon.

Brian S. says:

Ok,

I cannot believed what happen today to me I went to the HSBC bank in Fremont to pay my credit card bill at lunch and when I gave them cash to pay my bill they refuse the cash and wanted a check from me! But it is their credit card I have no problem with B of A or Wells Fargo. Has anybody had this problem.? I talk to the manager and she look at me like I was an idiot or something that made me real pissed.. anyway I am going to transfer card to another bank and tell HSBC to stick it were the sun does not shine !!

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From CBS13

Brenda Naron doesn’t thinks its fair AT&T isn’t accepting cash, debit or check cards to pre-order the new iPhone. They are only accepting major credit cards.

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Your cash is no good here

Posted by Caitlin on NextAdvisor

A popular Manhattan restaurant has issued a press release announcing its new “credit cards only” policy:

Carrying around cash is a thing of the past. Leave it to Commerce, Harold Moore’s West Village hot spot, to modernize and go “paper-free,” now only accepting credit cards as a convenience to its patrons. With robberies on the rise in the West Village, owner Tony Zazula also sees the switch as a safety precaution. It will eliminate the dangerous situation that employees face when walking to local banks with large sums of cash. So forget about that last-minute trip to the ATM and head to Commerce for a relaxing meal.

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From Daily Finance

Next time you’re flying coach on Delta Airlines (DAL), and you want an almond butter and grape jelly sandwich or a grilled chicken gyro, you’d better have a credit or debt card handy. The jelly sandwich is $4, the gyro $8—and cash transactions for food will soon be history.

In the wake of the September 11 terror attacks eight years ago, airlines cut their free food service, citing financial woes. We’ve all gotten used to that. But at least they used to take cash. Now they’re increasingly declining to sell food or alcoholic beverages unless you’re carrying plastic.

See full article from DailyFinance

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From Consumer Confidential

LOS ANGELES—Beginning Feb. 1, your money’s no good on American Airlines.

The carrier is the latest to go completely cashless during flights, meaning that if you don’t have plastic, you won’t be buying food, drinks, duty-free items or whatever.

“The implementation of cashless cabins on select flights last summer has simplified the in-flight transaction process for both customers and flight attendants,” Lauri Curtis, American’s vice president of onboard service, said in a statement.

“For this reason, we look forward to going cashless on board all American Airlines flights.”

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From the New York Times

By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ

My husband and I recently got back from a nearly cashless vacation.

We flew to Cabo San Lucas from San Francisco on United Airlines, which didn’t accept cash in the cabin and required customers to use credit or debit cards to pay for snacks and alcoholic drinks. Then, the hotel we stayed at, Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa, also had signs up around the resort about its “no cash for purchases on the premises” policy. (No one stopped us from giving out tips in cash.)

The no-cash policy is fine by me, since I rarely carry cash anymore and tend to use my debit or credit card to pay for everything anyway. Still, the policy seems to be spreading everywhere, from airlines to hotels to restaurants, so we thought we’d check the laws (if any) on the subject and gather a list of places where our greenbacks have been turned away.

First, as to the question of legality, it appears that no-cash policies are perfectly legal in the United States.

According to the United States Department of the Treasury site, there is no federal law requiring that businesses accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. In fact, according to the government Web site: “Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large-denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.” And it seems that few state laws mandate accepting payment in cash.

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