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D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

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Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#291

Post by jdietrich »

Chris2048 wrote: post #258
jdietrich wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

It isn't just for infra failure. When your credit card provider cuts you off for "unusual activity" that they won't go into detail about, and you realise they are free to refuse you business as they feel like - you'll appreciate cash while rushing to find a new provider as existing debts still loom.

I'm not even sure if it's possible to pay most bills in cash in my country. I have had a bank account frozen due to identity theft; it took me less than 10 minutes to open a new account and get a new debit card in my Google Wallet. The bank transferred my funds within a couple of hours and all of my recurring payments were automatically switched within a couple of days.

Maybe my experiences are atypical, but my impression is that consumer banking in the US is quite dysfunctional.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#292

Post by dgfitz »

klodolph wrote: post #172
jmopp wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. Masks are a lot more acceptable in public than they were 5 years ago. Given the mass surveillance going around, I'm surprised more people aren't in favour of regular mask wearing in public.

I think there’s too much overlap here between the people concerned about surveillance enough to wear a mask, and the people who don’t want to wear masks because it was the government who told them to do so in the first place. At least in the US.

As a data point, I hate wearing masks because, and maybe its just me, it's much harder for me to breathe wit a mask on. Makes me really, really out of breath.

Also, if this counts as social media, this is the only one I use, because I don't want to give any information away about myself within my control. So given the option of mask/fedora/sunglasses or nothing, I'd take the former.

If you see someone passed out in a fedora/sunglasses/mask outside, it may be me or someone like me who just got really dizzy because of a lack of oxygen.

On the breathing thing, I am quite tall and have a large lung capacity, I've always wondered if that had anything to do with my mask struggles.

I guess my point is, masks aren't a political thing for everyone, just the loud ones.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#293

Post by atlasunshrugged »

Hnrobert42 wrote: post #265
jdietrich wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

In that case, it might be wise for you to withdraw some cash now (depending on your financial situation). I keep a couple hundred in crisp bills of varying denominations in a go bag.

I second this, although I'm not as well prepared but I like having an extra $80-$100 in cash around the house for "just in case" situations... you never know when you'll need it.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#294

Post by xmcqdpt2 »

saagarjha wrote: post #274
Hnrobert42 wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In that case, it might be wise for you to withdraw some cash now (depending on your financial situation). I keep a couple hundred in crisp bills of varying denominations in a go bag.

How long would that last you, though? I’d go through that in a week…

If there is like a hurricane and your whole city is out of power for a week and you can't leave, there will be distributions of water and food pretty quickly.

IMO you need the cash more to make the first day or two easier, or if there is a card payment outage as happened last year here in Canada,

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Rogers_Communications_o...

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#295

Post by nisegami »

throwaway9870 wrote: post #281
jdietrich wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

Have you never walked into a store and they said you can't use a CC because their reader is down? It is nice to have a few dollars in your pocket for times like that.

I have literally called ahead to order food then arrive to pick it up and be told that the card reader has not been working all day. Had no cash so I just ended up leaving.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#296

Post by elzbardico »

nonrandomstring wrote: post #162

Almost every comment is about politics, choice, privacy, rights, markets and percentages. There's a completely different take; Civic resilience From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. Therefore cash in circulation acts as a buffer that provides economic stability and continuity of operations. Also,…

I think it is sensible to keep a few hundred dollars at home. Our infrastructure, while reliable, it is not absolutely impervious to failure. While very improbable, scenarios of a multi-day payments system outage due to ciber attacks or maybe planned downtime in preparation for a major solar flare are possible. And if you think about local outages they are a bit more probable. But this precaution goes down the drain if no business is ready to accept cash anymore. Also, having some spare cash with you is useful if you want to help someone who has been robbed or a homeless person.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#297

Post by brightball »

jdietrich wrote: post #254
nonrandomstring wrote: post #162

Almost every comment is about politics, choice, privacy, rights, markets and percentages. There's a completely different take; Civic resilience From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. Therefore cash in circulation acts as a buffer that provides economic stability and continuity of operations. Also,…

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

I think you might be surprised by how many larger stores and grocery stores especially are prepared to operate in low power or no power conditions if necessary.

Another side effect of this DC rule will be to ensure that more are prepared too.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#298

Post by mindondrugs »

throwaway9870 wrote: post #281
jdietrich wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

Have you never walked into a store and they said you can't use a CC because their reader is down? It is nice to have a few dollars in your pocket for times like that.

I dont think I have ever encountered this in my adult life honestly. A more common occasion is encountering a business that is cash only (usually small market stalls) and is infinitely more annoying as I have to go and take out a amount of money greater than the product I want to buy, leaving me with a rather annoying amount of loose change.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#299

Post by elzbardico »

op00to wrote: post #280
dodyg wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the 2nd week at the beginning of the Khartoum war, the bus companies started to refuse electronic payments and only take cash because they didn't trust the banking system will remain working.

I will be sure to remember to hit the ATM during week one of a horrible war.

Good luck with the long lines and I hope by the time you finally get to the ATM it will still have notes.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#300

Post by seanhunter »

kgeist wrote: post #239
seanhunter wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you referring to a specific incident here? Do you have a reference?

In my country, we have a similar system like in India (in fact, we copied it from them) and I've experienced this situation: a government-run gas company mistakenly claimed I owe them money, and the bank withdrew the claimed amount without due process, because they have some sort of mutual agreement that all their claims are legit unless I bring the issue to court. I won and they had to return the money.

How would that have been different had shops and local merchants been forced to accept cash?
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