A little due diligence & history will reveal the real hidden reason. Check on who invented the chip card, and read the media in the US at the time the cards were issued in Europe. The truth is there. If not invented here, or from a particular EU country, it must be shunned... Check the US banks which were against the chip. Yet AmEx tried the chip in it's Blue card, and read carefully what happened.

Yet the chip is used in the US by many security concious organizations. FWIW, the NYC parking system uses the card.

In a similar vein, we also have the phone issue. Most EU phones take a pin card, what do we do here? Punch or read a lot on numbers...... along with all the errors and frustrations, and the peekers on location. Same with US ATM cards.

Anyway, we have to pay the price, and it's come due. Wait until Canada does the switch in 2011.

Besides after hours or lunch time no attendant gas stations, we have the Hamburg subway, many EU metro lines, AND Etap (Motel 6 style) hotels - after hours check in that require a pin card to get a room and open the door.

Learn history and politics.