Originally Posted by
RichardKenner
So if I'm wearing an expensive watch on the street and you ask me if I've stolen it and I refuse to answer (which is what I should do in such a situation), you "have every need to know what's going on" and I have to prove that I bought it someplace?
What's the difference between that case and carrying a lot of cash? In both cases, it's perfectly legal unless I didn't do something (in one case, buy it and in the other mail in a form).
You're missing the context.
In an airport, especially in an international terminal, there's an above average chance that someone is going to leave the country with a sum of money that is prohibited without notification.
If it was on the street, it may be unusual and another rung in the build up to PC, but it's not the same context as in an airport.