Michael Gurski <mgursk1@umbc.edu> writes:

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.

So don't. It's another idiotic American custom that I don't follow.

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. However, it doesn't stop there...only SOME departments seem to have this requirement (Electronics/Luggage not requiring). Is it legal to require credit cards?

They're welcome not to accept checks if they don't want to. Why should the gubmint tell anyone whether it's "legal" to reject checks from potential crooks? "Cypher punks" and "libertarian" are such fucking statists. If you don't want to use a credit card, pay cash. --- Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps

I am glad that someone has raised this issue. Two things for myself. Years ago I had both a checking account and a Visa card. i did not want the interest on my Visa so I asked the clerk at Lechter's to take my check with the drivers licensce and they said I had to show a credit card. Then the bitch wrote my whole life's hiustory on the check. The dirver's licensce number, my home phone number , other stuff and all the information contained on the credit card(incidentally some inluding I think Lechter's want at least 6 months left on the card.), I hit the roof . They had enough information for anyone of the dozens of bank,store or business people to really do a job on my life. I just walked out . Then they refused me another time because there wasn't enough months left and eventually wouldn't let me use the card at all because it had expired(though I and my ID hadn't). Scenario number two was recently at the Software Etc store in Scranton ,Pa where much to my consternation I found that the store had written my date of birth on the check. And there is a cute younger guy there that I like to talk shop to. SHIT.).I think that this stuff has really gotten out of hand. Maybe , the answer to all our problems is to draft a privacy bill in varous forms and stages and each member of the list submit it to his or her representative,congressman or senator. That is something that can legally be done and it is practical. I say stages because what we want will never pass the first time in its entirety BUT we could conceiveably get something started. Anybody interested email me personally as I am willing and albe to do a share of the work. I will be unavailable from late Christmas eve until at least the 31 December . I will be at the cuervocon at the FT.Brown Hotel (Holiday Inn side) for the conference that Friday and Saturday(see Cuervocon page). Thanks in Advance Jappy Jolidays Deirdre A. Greene xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x No success can compensate for failure in the home. x x x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx