From: wcs@anchor.ho.att.com (bill.stewart@pleasantonca.ncr.com +1-510-484-6204)
Date: Sun, 28 Aug 94 23:57:45 PDT
To: jdd@aiki.demon.co.uk
Subject: Re: DigiCash ???
Message-ID: <9408290656.AA25299@anchor.ho.att.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Jim Dixon writes:
> In message <9408281521.AA13945@ua.MIT.EDU> Jason W Solinsky writes:
> > > I would like somebody to explain how I would go about using an anonymous
> > > digicash system to buy a automobile?  [ new car at local dealer ]
...
> Do we care that you can't get it on the road without insurance in most
> states, and that the registration must be in someone's name?

Unfortunately, the government has gotten away with nearly banning
non-anonymous automobile use and ownership, for various reasons
including ability to tax, keeping insurance companies happy,
controlling the population's behavior, etc.
However, by the time digicash is well enough established that
a car dealer will _accept_ N thousand dollar payments in it,
if the rules for being allowed to own cars or money aren't much nosier,
you want to walk into the dealership on a rainy night in February,
offer them an annoyingly low price for the car, they accept,
you refuse the offers to lease or finance the car,
and they say "Foo Bar Holding Company?  We won't take your corporate
check without bank certification, but we'll take Star/Plus/Sanwa/Mac ATMs,
Western Union digicash, credit cards for an extra 3%, or
Federal Reserve notes for an extra 1% cash transaction reporting fee."

		Bill