I just checked with someone I know who often travels with a lot of cash (some people do when buying antiques and such but that is just one example). This person says they have, fortunately, never ever had a problem with cash disappearing from carryon, even when it has been searched.
You’ll have a very hard time in Japan if you don’t have cash.
According to several friends who just visited Germany, you’d also have a very hard time getting around even in major urban centers outside of touristy areas if you don’t have cash.
And according to several friends who have attended, if you’re interested in attending the annual Munich Oktoberfest and are clueless enough to come with only a credit card, good luck getting served.
It’s easy to get cash from ATM’s overseas. That is a separate issue.
There’s hundreds of ATMs in Tokyo alone. You’re coming late to the conversation. If you’re traveling to Japan, there’s zero reason to bring the the equivalent of 10k+ USD in physical currency through customs, as one poster’s relative did when going to Russia.
I travel all over the world . It is rare that I need cash at all – I do business trips to three countries and spend no cash at all. There are a few places without ATMs. There are usually ATMs at airports and in cities. And, typically, you get better exchange rates at an ATM than using cash at local banks.
As a tourist in developing countries, it is easier to go to places where credit cards aren’t accepted and ATMs are infrequent, but even there, you can get whatever cash you need in cities. I think in Cambodia and Vietnam as tourists it was helpful to have cash. My impression is that a lot of banking is done in Africa by mobile phone – I think the equivalent of Venmo. I wonder if that would be easy to do as a tourist.
Sometimes it’s not convenient or practical to go to an ATM at a cash venue location even if they’re available. Do that at an Oktoberfest tent and you’re highly likely to risk losing your first-come-first serve seats and they tend to fill up fast. A big deal considering the wait-staff have a strict policy of not serving folks who don’t have a seat.
Also, ATMs do break down or run out of cash and going to the bank to get cash in some countries can take a huge bite out of one’s day due to long lines and ridiculous amounts of bureaucratic red tape.
OK, as ppl rarely take € with them, they have to get it somewhere…ATM. I go all the time with less than 100USD on me. You get it from the ATM at the airport if need be. If you need thousands in cash, then yes, as jym says, you need to take it with as ATMs dont give that much.
Back to the original post, perhaps a better title would be, “United customer accused of being drunken racist for seeing something and saying something”…it’s not always about race.
@roethlisburger - I go to Japan at least once a year, and I always find it best to bring a bunch of cash. When friends go for the first time, I tell them to bring cash and they universally thank me later when they find how card-unfriendly Japan can be. ymmv of course, but I’m not speaking from a position of inexperience.
As for “no reason” to bring cash, well, who needs a reason? No reason to bring a toothbrush either, right? I mean, they sell them everywhere. Cash is personal property with a million uses, and it’s odd that you’d think people travelling with cash should have to somehow justify their choice to do so.
Why do you need to bring cash into the country? Why can’t you get it from any one of the hundreds of ATMs available in all the major cities? Jumping into a conversation at the end, you seem kind of lost. One poster’s relative had over 10k usd stolen by customs, when they entered Russia. One way to minimize how much you can lose by theft or government confiscation is to carry less on you. If you want to take that risk or are rich enough you don’t have to worry about losing a mere 10k, then go ahead.
One summer we were travelling in Japan and had used a lot of american cash on the first part of the trip, and IIRC when we were in Kyoto we wanted to get some yen. Don’t recall if we were cashing in dollars or something (can’t recall) but we did go to a bank to complete the transaction. It didnt take long, but they had the most spectacular, huge ceramic pots. Simply gorgeous.
The relative who had the cash stolen was gifted it from a client in the course of the trip, shortly before it was stolen. He had not intended to travel with such a huge amount of cash and generally I would not think it’s a good idea to gave that much cash, personally.
In general, I tend not to travel with much cash, nationally or internationally. I like having credit cards, ATM cards, and a few small bills in local currency (if outside the US).
@roethlisburger - Why do you need to blame the victim? The person who legally brought his or her own cash is not the one to blame. The person who stole it is to blame.
DId the student notice the $1000 missing right after they went through screening? If so, they’re are many cameras in the TSA screening area that could have caught a culprit.
I am just about the only person in China who still uses cash. Smartphones pay for everything for most people.
If I and one of my kids travel to Canada( dual citizen) without my wife I have to show a letter from my wife. This is to prevent child kidnapping…usually the kidnapper is the ex in a broken marriage without custody rights. I did get caught one time w/o a letter and would’ve been turned back, but was able to get a couple of people on the phone to corroborate my story. Since my kids are of mixed race, and tend not to look like me, it heightened the suspicion in my case(s). A parent with an adopted child would have some s’plaining to do also.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The OP should be writing headlines for tabloids…might need a mention of aliens and Brad Pitt here and there, but otherwise good stuff.
I sympathize with the parent, and have been in a similar situation, but really what else was hurt but his pride? If it can save a kid from being kidnapped then then it’s worth it.
I really don’t have the details about the $1000 that was stolen from my nephew by TSA. It was years ago at this point.