Originally Posted by polonius

Because that individual may be visiting the U.S.A. from somewhere else and may not be aware of the prejudice against cash in the U.S.A., or even if they are aware, they may not want to adopt the American way of paying, just as Americans overseas often insist on using their credit cards. Having such a preference should not result in their being subjected to heightened harassment at security checkpoints, any more than wearing a full beard or a turban should.