On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 at 22:36:00, Al wrote:

Anyone travelling to a country with a non-convertible currency (China,
Russia etc) would be go with USD. If the currency is convertible, it can --
by definition -- be converted at home.

My parents have just returned from a trip to Russia, and say that Euros
are now as acceptable as dollars there.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 18:13:51 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:


Arriving back in the UK from the USA requires me to
find a cash dispenser.

Requires? I know both countries have some strange laws but I've never
heard of that one

On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 21:34:40 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:



Hmm, I tried all five that I'm aware of at the north Terminal.


I think there are a few more than 5!

there's outlets where you can get cashback, there's travel from the
airport you can pay for with credit or debit cards,

But not taxis you've booked in advance.

but there are other places?

it's not disastrous if a couple of ATM's you found don't have cash in.

Five. And yes, the taxi was happy to stop at a cashpoint in the real
world later in the journey. But it's an unnecessary hassle.

You do seem to have a *lot* of trouble traveling around in this
country reading through your posts in UTL. Do you go out of your way
to find problems?

Roland Perry wrote:

In message , Al
writes
If I were going abroad
and wished to get money before I travelled, I would buy the currency of
that country.

So would I. Before travelling, unlike the OP.

I have plenty of the currency the destination country, inside a bank!

If it pleases you to think that way, then I'm not one to rain on your
parade. However, as well as the 'plenty of currency inside a bank' you
imagine you have, you also have 'plenty of risk inside a bank': that it
will be closed; ceased trading; suspended during a money-laundering bust;
have ATM phonelines down etc etc etc.

You are willing to spend not a penny of your cash ameliorating that risk --
nor will apparently spend a moment of your time planning against the day
one of those risks hit.

That's not a problem for me, of course: those are your pennies and your
moments to spend or save as you wish. But when you save all those pennies
and moments, don't be surprised when wiser heads than you meet your
complaints with the derision your decisions deserve.
--
Al

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 at 17:22:50, Al wrote:

Roland Perry wrote:

I have plenty of the currency the destination country, inside a bank!

If it pleases you to think that way, then I'm not one to rain on your
parade. However, as well as the 'plenty of currency inside a bank' you
imagine you have, you also have 'plenty of risk inside a bank': that it
will be closed; ceased trading; suspended during a money-laundering bust;
have ATM phonelines down etc etc etc.

Do you keep your money under the bed, then? I rather doubt that any of
the banks here - Barclays, Abbey, Halifax, Lloyds TSB, whatever - are
going to go bust any time soon.

You are willing to spend not a penny of your cash ameliorating that risk --
nor will apparently spend a moment of your time planning against the day
one of those risks hit.

So where do you keep your money? IN a sock under your mattress? Don't
forget the OP means he has an account in THIS country, not in some less
developed country which doesn't have such strict banking laws as we do.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

In message , Al
writes
You are willing to spend not a penny of your cash ameliorating that risk --
nor will apparently spend a moment of your time planning against the day
one of those risks hit.

Indeed, I'm acting just like any UK resident does when he runs out of
cash: I go and look for an ATM. Are you suggesting that all UK residents
should have a special reserve of cash, which they never spend, just in
case they encounter one of the risks you mention. They'd laugh you out
of town!
--
Roland Perry

In message , k
writes
Arriving back in the UK from the USA requires me to
find a cash dispenser.

Requires? I know both countries have some strange laws but I've never
heard of that one

If I took a taxi ride and didn't pay, isn't that still against the law?
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , k
writes
Arriving back in the UK from the USA requires me to
find a cash dispenser.

Requires? I know both countries have some strange laws but I've
never heard of that one

If I took a taxi ride and didn't pay, isn't that still against the
law?

The point is that in order to avoid paying exchange charges you chose to
rely on the ATMs at Gatwick in order to obtain UK cash. There is a
clear risk in doing so, as in any situation where you have to pay cash
and choose to rely on using an ATM immediately beforehand. What
happened to the UK cash that you had when you left the UK last time?
Most people retain some for their return journey.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...

My parents have just returned from a trip to Russia, and say that Euros
are now as acceptable as dollars there.

Back in the late 1980s, DEM and Finnmarks were very acceptable in Moscow. A
number of hard currency shops were Finnish-owned and liked to have them and
give them in change. Sterling was less accepted, but would be taken. The
illegal money-changers all preferred dollars.
--
Terry Harper
http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

"Richard J." wrote in message
...
Roland Perry wrote:

If I took a taxi ride and didn't pay, isn't that still against the
law?

The point is that in order to avoid paying exchange charges you chose to
rely on the ATMs at Gatwick in order to obtain UK cash. There is a
clear risk in doing so, as in any situation where you have to pay cash
and choose to rely on using an ATM immediately beforehand. What
happened to the UK cash that you had when you left the UK last time?
Most people retain some for their return journey.

Our local hire car firms take credit cards (and debit cards, no doubt).
Doesn't yours?
--
Terry Harper
http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/