It's that wonderful season again, when all the assholes are out in force, and people feel obligated to purchase merchandise to give to each other. For various reasons, I don't believe in credit cards, and yet, trying to pay for something by personal check at the local Hecht's, they either *require* a credit card, or go through the Nazi check-warranty company Equifax.

Why not just carry sufficient cash for your purchasing needs? Irrational fear of muggers I guess is the primary reason not to carry around, say, $500.00 cash. But if you were mugged for that much, wouldn't you feel worse about the mugging itself than the actual loss of the money? I doubt the mere carrying of greater amounts of cash makes someone more likely to be mugged than someone carrying nothing. So it boils down to whether you think it's better to use the inconvenience and invasion of privacy of credit cards and/or checks and getting them stolen over convenience and privacy of cash and getting an anonymous $500.00 cash stolen. (You also can *sign* your cash to help trace thefts. I used to do this when hanging around disreputable charactors. Hell, drug dealers will accept your money if you wrote down his identification and "Crack Bill of Sale" in magic marker on every bill.)

Is it legal to require credit cards?

Yes. BTW, my uncle was mugged at Provo Park for thirty five cents and my front windshield of my car was smashed in for the fifty cents in open view between the passenger seats. You know those ancient mono AM only radios that are almost always broken down in old cars? Yep, had a window smashed and the worthless radio stolen. In another vehicle that was even shittier looking I never locked the doors and nothing was ever stolen; the radio and cassette player actually worked! Merry bloody crassmus. -- Cheers!