LAX

[the_traveler]

I'm wondering what they'll do when someone rides from LAX to Union Station (you pay upon arrival traveling that way) and gets to the booth saying "I don't have a card!"...

That's just what I said in post #15! What would they do?

 

[VentureForth]

Ana, you may want to invest in a Visa gift card once you get to the US. But even those have a $5 fee associated with buying the card. They are available in $50 or $100 increments and are as safe as travellers checks.

There are two issues, though. If you buy gas with them, they could put a huge authorization on it that could last for days before coming off (mitigated by prepaying at the window), and I don't think you get a PIN to use it as a debit card. I also don't know how they compensate for needing a zip code for verification, but I'm sure someone smarter than me has that figured out. Go check out visa.com.

 

[leemell]

Actually I have seen this many times. These places are usually ones that have security issues.

I hadn't thought of that, but you could be right that the cash was creating a safety liability for the people in that little kiosk. But then again, that whole area is saturated with law enforcement as both the LAPD and Sheriff have facilities adjacent to Union Station.

The multistory building on the east end of the tunnel is the HQ for the LA Sheriff's Transplantation Services Bureau. They are the folks who supply law enforcement for all of the Metro Rail and Buses and Metrolink Trains including LAUS (now owned by Metrolink).

 

[gswager]

The multistory building on the east end of the tunnel is the HQ for the LA Sheriff's Transplantation Services Bureau. They are the folks who supply law enforcement for all of the Metro Rail and Buses and Metrolink Trains including LAUS (now owned by Metrolink).

Actually, it is owned by Metro, not Metrolink.

 

[leemell]

The multistory building on the east end of the tunnel is the HQ for the LA Sheriff's Transplantation Services Bureau. They are the folks who supply law enforcement for all of the Metro Rail and Buses and Metrolink Trains including LAUS (now owned by Metrolink).

Actually, it is owned by Metro, not Metrolink.

You are right, I get those names confused, I wish someone would change. Actually to keep them separate in my mind, the new monicker Metro is still the MTA for me.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Actually I have seen this many times. These places are usually ones that have security issues.

I hadn't thought of that, but you could be right that the cash was creating a safety liability for the people in that little kiosk. But then again, that whole area is saturated with law enforcement as both the LAPD and Sheriff have facilities adjacent to Union Station.

Another reason places don't like cash is because handling cash is labor intensive. It is cheaper to handle credit/debit card numbers.

Another reason is that if an employee rips off cash, the company loses. If an employee rips off a credit card number, it is the customer who loses, as they get to deal with the problem, even if the card issuer covers the loss.

 

[George Harris]

I wonder how it would go if somebody made a legal challenge, or maybe somebody already has, of the "no cash" restriction. After all, every piece of US paper money has on its face, "THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE"

 

[D T Nelson]

I wonder how it would go if somebody made a legal challenge, or maybe somebody already has, of the "no cash" restriction. After all, every piece of US paper money has on its face, "THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE"

Yes, but a debt is not the same as a payment. A debt is something you owe a creditor. As the US Treasury Department says, "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."

 

[bombcar]

However, if you don't pay until after the trip, it's now a debt.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

I think it is just to stop riff raff with no bank accounts joining the "jet set" on the cheap...

Then again, maybe they don't trust their employees to hand over the cash taken...

or maybe it's a way for "The Man" to trace who is riding the bus?

The idea that these services should be easy and convenient for passengers to use seems to be the last consideration!

Here in the UK many businesses no longer accept a cheque under any circumstances, cash still seems popular though.

Ed

 

[Ana]

Ana, you may want to invest in a Visa gift card once you get to the US. But even those have a $5 fee associated with buying the card. They are available in $50 or $100 increments and are as safe as travellers checks.

There are two issues, though. If you buy gas with them, they could put a huge authorization on it that could last for days before coming off (mitigated by prepaying at the window), and I don't think you get a PIN to use it as a debit card. I also don't know how they compensate for needing a zip code for verification, but I'm sure someone smarter than me has that figured out. Go check out visa.com.

Thanks for the tip VentureForth! You reminded me that I got one of those cards on my last trip. I checked my balance and there's $13 left on it so that will pay for one trip - yay!