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Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

No reason is necessary. It’s their property. Perhaps they don’t trust banks, or are buying something at auction or a vehicle that requires a cash payment (second hand septic pump truck, for example).

We don’t ask folks to declare other financial instruments (cashiers check, money orders) or jewelry on domestic flights. Cash is no different.

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> second hand septic pump truck

That is waaay too specific for you to have come up with it right off the top of your head; I sense there's a story here.

Sat next to someone on a flight carrying ~$100k in cash to buy one second hand and drive it back to the origin because it was much cheaper than buying a new one. A story for sure, but a boring one.

Woah! The idea of carrying that much cash is giving me a lot of third-hand anxiety. Did the person seem overly anxious? I can't imagine sharing that information with someone I just met!

Nope, calm good 'ol boy having a mini gin and tonic. Lots of interesting folks out there waiting to be met.

Did you see the cash?

I wouldn’t have shared the tale if I hadn’t.

I find it amazing that someone carrying that much money would show it off like that.

I carried a $20k diamond ring on a transatlantic flight. At the time I was the definition of paranoid because it wasn’t insured at the time. Looking back it wasn’t that big of a deal

You have to be one kind of stupid to casually travel with that much cash and a whole 'nother kind of stupid to tell the person you're sitting next to that you're doing so.

Civil people don't care, and would wish the person success in their business endeavor.

You're civil, aren't you? Or were we just caught thinking with that side of the brain again?

Contrary to popular belief, there are in general perfectly reasonable people out there to talk business with in transit.

Very true!

Upvote me if you think you would spend the entire flight thinking of a way to pocket $1000.

Here's the thing, though. It's not the civil people you have to worry about. It's the bad apple. Just like you shouldn't walk down an alley in a bad part of town wearing a suit. Sure, most times you'd have no issue... but it only takes one time to ruin your life forever.

>Civil people don't care, and would wish the person success in their business endeavor.

Not every person you meet will be "civil", despite appearances.

On board a flight sounds like the worst possible place to mug someone, IMHO.

You certainly have to wait for the right moment away from the airport, but people have done much more for much less than $100k

Like perhaps the weekly takings of any number of small businesses? It woukd be odd, but i dont see it as strange for people to wind up on planes with that sort of cash. Maybe they are just in a hurry and didnt get to the bank after work and plan to make the weekly deposit after the flight.

And dont forget that, at least for some people, 100k is chunk change. Maybe they are heading to a big poker tournament with other 0.1%ers.

Being stupid is not a crime. Having money is not a crime. Taking money that is not yours is a crime.

Best to just get a private jet to take you at that point... what is a few more grand to save you the TSA hassle if you want to fly like a rich person you might as well go all the way.

100k for a work-truck isn't rich people money. It's grind it out small business owner money. Maybe still a millionaire but private plane money is ... a lot.

I have a difficult time believing this story. Did they show the cash to you? How you do know they weren't lying?

I tell it because, for your typical HN audience, it's so incredulous and yet incredibly normal for the people who do it. I hope you enjoyed the story regardless, because I enjoyed getting to meet Rory (the gentleman in question) and having him share with me how he made his wealth off of pumping other people's shit (his words! "black gold"). I still have his very non PC business card in a keepsake box somewhere.

Life can be stranger than fiction, and I love a good story.

So, uh, he's a septic tank cleaner?

Anyway, I call shenanigans unless he showed you his suitcase full of cash.

There is a border patrol show I caught one episode of when visiting family - some guy declared $400k when crossing into Canada. All in a carryon backpack.

Was shooting a movie and had too much trouble setting up a Canadian account so decided to pay everyone cash.

Cash was counted and returned to him.

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