In article ,
"Robert Green" wrote:


My knowledge about the Mastercard/VISA rules is rusty at best, but I knew
that walking away with your card and license is just not allowed, especially
now that both card companies are being plagued with skimmers and other forms
of ID theft.

Walking away with both? I can't think of a time when the wait staff
did not have to walk away to run the card in the US.

I know that in Europe, they bring an imprinter or an electronic reader to
your table so that your card never leaves your view - at least in almost all
the places I dined at. Many of the credit cards there also have an RF chip
that makes skimming quite a bit harder. I assume from that experience
that's also your right in America, but honestly, that's something I am not
sure about and it seems that you'll be finding out about.

RFID readers exist that lets a Nefarious Person walk past you with a
reader and essentially pick your pocket.


One good reason, beyond the ID theft threat, not to hand over your ID is
that it often gets mixed up and people get the wrong cards back, sometimes
too late to do anything about it immediately because the other patrons have
already left with YOUR card.

Haven't had that happen except with my best friend. We happen to both
CCs from the same company. Of course, most of that is probably on us
after the cards come back (g).

--
People thought cybersex was a safe alternative,
until patients started presenting with sexually
acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz