COA Sued Over No Cash Policy

Being jammed into a plane for 10 hours can certainly feel like being stuck in a foreign country. But that's not the reason Michael Rosen's U.S. dollars were rejected on a recent flight from Hawaii to New York. As many travelers know, dollars — the physical kind — are useless once you board an airplane in most cases. You'll need plastic to buy a headset, a drink or a snack. Rosen, a New Jersey lawyer, thinks that's discrimination, so he's filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing airlines to treat greenbacks, and consumers who carry them, with more respect.

A New Jersey state judge will hear arguments Friday to decide whether the case has any merit. Rosen is likely to get support from consumers who seem lodged in an endless battle with the airline industry, but he faces an uphill battle in court.

The case began with a situation that captures a typical traveler's nightmare: stuck on a 10-hour flight with no form of distraction and no way to buy a drink or a snack. Rosen's attorney, Nathan Kittner, said Rosen few from New York to Hawaii on Continental Airlines last year and purchased a headset with plastic. He was told the headset would work on all future Continental flights. So when he boarded his return flight, he checked his credit cards in his luggage and took the headset with him. He got bad news as soon as he sat in his chair.

Welcome to America, where suing is just as popular as baseball, cheeseburgers and Oprah.

I read about that this morning. Rosen has a point about the principle of the matter, but the court will probably deem this lawsuit ''frivolous'' and toss it. Even if by some miracle the court will hear the case, Rosen will have a very hard time proving discrimination. It's not like CO refused to take his cash because he was Jewish, or male, or what have you. Last time I checked, businesses have the right to require payment from customers in any way they want. If I stepped onto an L.A. city bus and tried to pay the fare with a cupful of pennies, the driver would probably say ''You cain't pay fo no bus fare wit pennies! Git off dis bus befo ah throw yo ass out!''

I remember the olden days where the airlines did accept cash, and pax in the rear of the aircraft often didn't get their headphones until after the movie started because the FAs were scrambling to make change for customers in front.

I'll post the rest. I really hope this ass gets his case thrown out. Just another example of lawyers being allowed to run rampant. Every class action lawyer should be hauled in and investigated for violations of the RICO laws.

 It wasn't compatible with that airplane,  Kittner said.  Now he's stuck for 10 hours.  Rosen tried to pay $3 in cash to get a new headset, but the flight attendant wouldn't budge. No cash.

 This is not a small thing,  Kittner said.  It was a very long flight. 

Most airlines went to cash-free cabins two years ago. Kittner thinks it's just another example of the industry forcing consumers to suffer through poor service.

This guy gives all Jewish lawyers a bad name.