The fruit vendor who refused my card payment at Pike Place Market last month

He told me he'd rather lose a sale than let the bank track what he spends on his own family's groceries. Do we really want a system where some guy selling apples has to sacrifice his privacy just to keep up with modern payments?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.angela8d ago

The trick is to keep a small emergency stash, like a $20 bill tucked in your phone case or an inside pocket. That way you're not forced to buy something you don't want just to break a big bill. For the pickpocket worry, I split my cash between two spots - wallet and a sock or jacket liner. Lost my wallet once with $60 in it, learned that lesson hard. Also, most vendors at markets will work with you if you're nice about it, like offering to hold your item while you run to an ATM.

blair_nguyen8d ago

Same thing happened to me at a farmer's market last year. I just started carrying cash specifically for those spots, worth it to keep their business alive.

claire8728d ago

I get what you're saying about keeping those businesses alive, but I actually push back on the "carrying cash specifically" idea. I've had too many times where a place wouldn't take card and I ended up stuck buying something I didn't really want just to use up my cash. Plus, carrying a lot of cash feels risky, like if I lose my wallet or get pickpocketed, that's just gone forever. Do you ever worry about that when you're carrying cash around?