Traveling with large sums of cash
This REALLY doesn't take a lot of thought or planning, - doesn't matter if you're from the big city, or from Farnsworthville, Alabama.
1. If you're driving out of state, or more than a tankful's distance (~350 miles), you really shouldn't be driving this distance. Why? That's a little suspicious alone, to be driving 800 miles with enough cash to hire a private plane. And to put miles and its wear on you and your car? Probably for more in costs anyway. Fly, or take the cheapie bus between LA & LV, or take Amtrak, really.
2. If you DO drive, then take a look at your car, inside and outside. Do an inspection, eyeball it. Can you find things, or things that are out of place? Does it look like your living room or bedroom, in terms of getting a little "Cheech & Chong" sloppy? Because that's how every cop looks at you when pulled over, at a minimum.
3. CASH. If you don't walk around with $40,000 in cash on you, then why should you drive around with it? The fact of the matter is there is NO good explanation to a cop for driving around with more than what you'd have from cashing your paycheck. If you were caught with let's say, $1,500 in cash, then "cashing your paycheck" is a plausible explanation. Not $40,000.
4. Debit Cards, ATM cards, Bank cards, etc., are also plausible. Most people have 'em. You can have $100,000 in checking or savings, and what is a cop pulling you over going to do? Say to you, "Okay, I pulled you over for going 41 mph is a 35 zone, so we're going to have to check your various bank accounts and credit cards to empty the damn things...." I don't think so. But getting caught with a "Breaking Bad" bundle of cash under the driver's seat, then yeah, it's a problem.
5. If you need to travel with multiple thousands, then wire the thing to yourself or whoever needs it. (If you're hiding it from the IRS, then you're really not on the up-and-up in any case.) If for gambling, then talk to your host about wiring to a cage account.
I just don't get it.
Share your tips on this again.
money belts. Being over the age of 55 helps a lot. You're officially
an old fart and get a lot of leeway from cops. Always be nice to
the police, it goes a long way to getting you on your way.
Quote: EvenBobI never use my own car, always a rental. Cash is why god invented
money belts. Being over the age of 55 helps a lot. You're officially
an old fart and get a lot of leeway from cops. Always be nice to
the police, it goes a long way to getting you on your way.
It does. Here's the video of a guy practically yapping constitutional rights and that he does not have to show ID or tell him his age.
He's technically right, but really pissed off this cop - for no good reason, really.
If a cop asks you your age, or to see id or a driver's license, I don't see the point of protesting or acting like you are somehow "protecting the constitution of the United States" by refusing a reasonable but unnecessary request.
Speaking of money and cops, TREEvon Martin is scheduled to be back soon. Wonder if he ever got his money back? lolQuote: EvenBobAlways be nice to the police, it goes a long way to getting you on your way.
Depends. If the cop's just trying to be a jerk, I probably wouldn't show it either. (Granted, that's never happened to me though)Quote: PaigowdanIf a cop asks you your age, or to see id or a driver's license, I don't see the point of protesting or acting like you are somehow "protecting the constitution of the United States" by refusing a reasonable but unnecessary request.
plain and simple. Do that in a sincere way and it works
wonders. Don't ask them if they watch the show COPS,
don't make a donut joke, don't say anything unless
asked. It's really very easy.
Quote: EvenBobdon't make a donut joke,
Is that a donut in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
Quote: rxwineIs that a donut in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
Exactly! Say that to the cop next time you get
stopped and see if he laughs. Or especially if
it's a calorie challenged female cop. I had some
dire run in's with them when I had the cab co..
Quote: Paigowdan
1. If you're driving out of state, or more than a tankful's distance (~350 miles), you really shouldn't be driving this distance. Why? That's a little suspicious alone, to be driving 800 miles with enough cash to hire a private plane. And to put miles and its wear on you and your car? Probably for more in costs anyway. Fly, or take the cheapie bus between LA & LV, or take Amtrak, really.
Man, you really are from out west. How about Wilkes-Barre PA to South Bend IN?
Flying: $1069 per person. The flight is 3.5 hours, and includes a change of planes in Detroit. Leave at 6AM. Figure an hour on each end of that to get to the airport and then from the airport, the hour and a half you spend getting strip searched and herded around, you'd better wake up at 3AM! Add in three days rental car, figure airport parking, too.
Amtrak: The Lake Shore Express stops in South Bend, but the closest it gets to Wilkes-Barre is Syracuse. That's a four hour drive. But it's okay, because you don't have to leave the house until late afternoon, because the train leaves Syracuse at 9:30PM. Oh.. it's an 11 hour train ride that gets to South Bend at 8:30 the next morning! Aren't sleeper cars romantic? Cost: $138 per person. Don't forget to rent a car once you get there!
Bus: $158, 23 hours. Or go red eye, 17 hours. Nope.
Car: 8.5 hours, 2.5 tanks of gas, $20 in tolls. Take up to 4 people comfortably. Plus the freedom to move about, stop, stretch, whatever. Change plans midstream, if that's how it works out.
The rest of it, I have no idea why someone would legitimately want to transport $40000 cash from Wilkes-Barre to South Bend. If I were to want to use it at a Midwest casino, I'd be better off depositing it in the bank and getting casino credit and markers.
Quote: Mosca
Car: 8.5 hours, 2.5 tanks of gas, $20 in tolls. Take up to 4 people comfortably. Plus the freedom to move about, stop, stretch, whatever. Change plans midstream, if that's how it works out.
The rest of it, I have no idea why someone would legitimately want to transport $40000 cash from Wilkes-Barre to South Bend. If I were to want to use it at a Midwest casino, I'd be better off depositing it in the bank and getting casino credit and markers.
Say the person is crazy and wants to visit 20 casinos in the midwest. Still might be better off with plastic and a withdrawal or withdrawals at the casinos, but it's easier to see why carrying some cash is a good call.
If that is true, you have a bully with a badge ! ! !
Quote: MoscaMan, you really are from out west. .
Dan is from the East, he's forgotten that we have
to drive everywhere. It costs an arm and a leg to
fly 600 miles and often takes longer than driving.
Just rent a car and say 'screw it'.
Like when I go to AC. 10 hour drive in a rental car.
Flying is about the same length of time altogether
and costs about $800 RT. And that only gets me to
Philly. I don't think so.
Quote: rdw4potusSay the person is crazy and wants to visit 20 casinos in the midwest. Still might be better off with plastic and a withdrawal or withdrawals at the casinos, but it's easier to see why carrying some cash is a good call.
Sure, some. But $40k? That's an amount worth preparing for.
Quote: Paigowdan
3. CASH. If you don't walk around with $40,000 in cash on you, then why should you drive around with it? The fact of the matter is there is NO good explanation to a cop for driving around with more than what you'd have from cashing your paycheck. If you were caught with let's say, $1,500 in cash, then "cashing your paycheck" is a plausible explanation. Not $40,000.
4. Debit Cards, ATM cards, Bank cards, etc., are also plausible. Most people have 'em. You can have $100,000 in checking or savings, and what is a cop pulling you over going to do? Say to you, "Okay, I pulled you over for going 41 mph is a 35 zone, so we're going to have to check your various bank accounts and credit cards to empty the damn things...." I don't think so. But getting caught with a "Breaking Bad" bundle of cash under the driver's seat, then yeah, it's a problem.
5. If you need to travel with multiple thousands, then wire the thing to yourself or whoever needs it. (If you're hiding it from the IRS, then you're really not on the up-and-up in any case.) If for gambling, then talk to your host about wiring to a cage account.
I just don't get it.
For me, on a typical gambling trip to Vegas, there's just no other substitute for cold, hard cash. And usually I bring between $10-20K. There are lots of reasons why nothing else will work.
1) Anything involving a casino cage is a non-starter for an AP. That's the end of that. For a recreational gambler, this is probably the best course of action. Either a wire transfer or bring a cashier's check (and fax them a copy ahead of time so they can start clearing it). But either the wire or the cashier's check in going to cost you. Bringing greenbacks is free.
2) Usually I'm arriving or leaving on a weekend, so that rules out getting my money from the bank. In addition, my bank doesn't have a branch within walking distance of the strip. I almost never rent a car in Vegas, so getting to the bank to get my money out is a pain in the ass, assuming I arrive on a weekday during banking hours.
All that being said, I have stopped bringing what I would consider my entire "trip bankroll" with me, as long as I know I could have reasonable access to the bank during the trip (i.e. there are some weekdays scattered in there). I bring about 60%, and if I hit a bad run and lose all of it, I can always withdraw the balance and keep playing.
For flying with these sums of money, I follow a couple of precautions. The money is in a money belt, not in a plastic baggie or wrapped up with rubber bands. The money belt goes in a locked briefcase which goes through the X-Ray machine. Yes a TSA agent or thief could grab my briefcase and run in the 20 seconds it is out of my possession, but that is the most acceptable risk I am willing to take. If you take the money belt with you through the metal detector, you have to hold it over your head (I have heard this; I have never tested it myself). I'd rather not make myself a target.
In the briefcase I usually have other bits of gambling paraphernalia, like a couple decks of cards and a BJ book or two. I want to make a plausible case as a serious, if not professional, gambler. Since that's the truth. Also I have a printout of a page on the TSA website stating that disclosing large amounts of cash is ONLY required on international flights.
That's all I've got. More at bj21.com.
I don't routinely drive with this amount of money.
Quote: IbeatyouracesYou guys are getting robbed on those plane costs.
I could wait until next Tuesday to check, but by then the topic will probably be dead. The cheapest flights are: drive from Wilkes-Barre to Philadelphia, fly to Chicago, drive to South Bend. That is usually between $2-300 (per person). But there's four hours of driving, a 3 hour flight, and the hour and a half of humiliation from the TSA. Where are we now? Same time, more hassle and more expensive.
Quote: IbeatyouracesI paid just over $200 round trip from Detroit to Vegas earlier this month and I bought my tickets only a week in advance.
Major city to major city. Once you get to the podunks things get expensive fast. And WB/SB is podunk to podunk. Like I said, Phl to Ord is usually between 200-300, and might be less right now because gas is down. But all the other numbers I got from the websites, and Expedia.
Quote: IbeatyouracesI paid just over $200 round trip from Detroit to Vegas earlier this month and I bought my tickets only a week in advance.
Yesssssss, but I would never drive to Vegas, it's
2000 miles. But say to Fl, or NJ or LA it's less
than a thousnd miles and airfare is just out of
sight. Car is the only way.
Quote: AcesAndEights
1) Anything involving a casino cage is a non-starter for an AP. That's the end of that. For a recreational gambler, this is probably the best course of action. Either a wire transfer or bring a cashier's check (and fax them a copy ahead of time so they can start clearing it). But either the wire or the cashier's check in going to cost you. Bringing greenbacks is free.
For this application, I can definitely see the need for cash. But some of the news articles are about people driving out of state to buy their uncle Jed's farm for $200,000 cash and smoking a doobie on the way there. NOT smart. Sheesh, consult with the Farmer's Credit Union.
Quote: AcesandEights2) Usually I'm arriving or leaving on a weekend, so that rules out getting my money from the bank. In addition, my bank doesn't have a branch within walking distance of the strip. I almost never rent a car in Vegas, so getting to the bank to get my money out is a pain in the ass, assuming I arrive on a weekday during banking hours.
I like Chase - Nationwide, in Vegas, and Saturday banking hours.
Quote: AcesandEightsAll that being said, I have stopped bringing what I would consider my entire "trip bankroll" with me, as long as I know I could have reasonable access to the bank during the trip (i.e. there are some weekdays scattered in there). I bring about 60%, and if I hit a bad run and lose all of it, I can always withdraw the balance and keep playing.
For flying with these sums of money, I follow a couple of precautions. The money is in a money belt, not in a plastic baggie or wrapped up with rubber bands. The money belt goes in a locked briefcase which goes through the X-Ray machine. Yes a TSA agent or thief could grab my briefcase and run in the 20 seconds it is out of my possession, but that is the most acceptable risk I am willing to take. If you take the money belt with you through the metal detector, you have to hold it over your head (I have heard this; I have never tested it myself). I'd rather not make myself a target.
Travel with a "light" teammate who's a minute in front of you in the scanner line, also a good idea.
Quote: AcesandEightsIn the briefcase I usually have other bits of gambling paraphernalia, like a couple decks of cards and a BJ book or two. I want to make a plausible case as a serious, if not professional, gambler.
Ah, camouflage for the traveler!
Quote: A&8I don't routinely drive with this amount of money.
I never do, just as a precaution. Not wealthy, but wise to keep what I have
The wealthy know - they travel "plastic and penniless."
We, the rest of us, can use things like Credit Union debit cards, "one shot" debit cards, and even Western Union.
Quote: PaigowdanI just don't get it.
Share your tips on this again.
I get the point of your OP, but it needs to be said...
Who gives a fuck-all?!
That's not to you, PGD, but this just gripes me hard. Our buddy TreeTop, it appears, had no case, and is not who I'm refering to in this mini rant. But if I decide to drain my bank account for whatever reason my damaged brain decides, and let's pretend my bank account has 5 digits and not the 3 it actually has, and I get pulled over for (insert mild traffic infraction here), then all that goddamn matters is (insert minor traffic infraction here).
Mr 5-0 thinks it's suspicious? I can see that. Feel free to look up my license, ask your questions, here's my CCW, I'm in the system. Yes, those pills are mine, the script is on the side, it's an original container, Mr 5-0. No, Mr 5-0, I'm not packing, I don't have my UTAH class license yet. Road side sobriety check? Good enough for me, I needed to stretch anyways. Why do I have 5 digits on me? Maybe I'm going to buy a hotrod off Craigslist. Maybe I'm heading to the casino and want to front as a baller even though I'm playing $10 Pai Gow. But really, wtf I'm doing with my money I made at my work is my own damn business.
Feel free to ask your questions and investigate the matter. If a 15 minute traffic stop turns into 45 just so you can be sure, so be it. But the day anyone tries to confiscate MY money for no other reason than "I have too much" is the day I'm on the news getting shot by an overzealous cop.
Quote: IbeatyouracesI paid just over $200 round trip from Detroit to Vegas earlier this month and I bought my tickets only a week in advance.
There is a lot to be said for flexibility! I'm assuming you weren't dead-set on those dates and took a cheap fare that came up.
Quote: AcesAndEights
For me, on a typical gambling trip to Vegas, there's just no other substitute for cold, hard cash. And usually I bring between $10-20K. There are lots of reasons why nothing else will work.
If you can keep your cash below $10K, then I would print out the instructions on form 8300. Begin giving the policeman a long speech about how you are a gambler, and you weren't sure what the legal amount of cash would be to bring, but your friend assured you to look up form 8300 and amounts of under $10,000 in cash payments were legal without reporting to the IRS.
FAQs Regarding Reporting Cash Payments of Over $10,000 (Form 8300)
Reality is that the IRS has no rules about carrying cash unless you are on an international trip. Then you are required to report carrying cash or it's equivalent in amounts over $10,000. The IRS rules are technically about making purchases in cash over $10,000.
But at least you have something to talk about. If he begins correcting your understanding of the law, listen to his explanation carefully. At least it saves you from going into more confrontational discussions, like he has no business questioning you about your private business.
I think most people can function with under $10,000 and wire transfers.
There is no law that says that a policeman is required to confiscate cash of any amount. There is a law that says you must report cash transactions of over $10,000 in cash or if you are carrying that much on an international flight.
Quote: FaceI get the point of your OP, but it needs to be said...
Who gives a fuck-all?!
That's not to you, PGD, but this just gripes me hard. Our buddy TreeTop, it appears, had no case, and is not who I'm refering to in this mini rant. But if I decide to drain my bank account for whatever reason my damaged brain decides, and let's pretend my bank account has 5 digits and not the 3 it actually has, and I get pulled over for (insert mild traffic infraction here), then all that goddamn matters is (insert minor traffic infraction here).
Mr 5-0 thinks it's suspicious? I can see that. Feel free to look up my license, ask your questions, here's my CCW, I'm in the system. Yes, those pills are mine, the script is on the side, it's an original container, Mr 5-0. No, Mr 5-0, I'm not packing, I don't have my UTAH class license yet. Road side sobriety check? Good enough for me, I needed to stretch anyways. Why do I have 5 digits on me? Maybe I'm going to buy a hotrod off Craigslist. Maybe I'm heading to the casino and want to front as a baller even though I'm playing $10 Pai Gow. But really, wtf I'm doing with my money I made at my work is my own damn business.
Feel free to ask your questions and investigate the matter. If a 15 minute traffic stop turns into 45 just so you can be sure, so be it. But the day anyone tries to confiscate MY money for no other reason than "I have too much" is the day I'm on the news getting shot by an overzealous cop.
Classic, great rant.
Quote: IbeatyouracesThe dates I went were absolutely mandatory to pick up my offers I had. I got lucky I guess.
I'm sure you guys already knew about the free flight junkets from a lot of places east of the Mississippi.
The Riverside in Laughlin and I believe Harrah's also fly's people in very regularly. It's an hour drive to Vegas, scenic.
I just assumed they will fly you into Vegas as well?
Quote: petroglyphI'm sure you guys already knew about the free flight junkets from a lot of places east of the Mississippi.
The Riverside in Laughlin and I believe Harrah's also fly's people in very regularly. It's an hour drive to Vegas, scenic.
I just assumed they will fly you into Vegas as well?
I get flight junket offers from Harrah's into Laughlin every couple of months; very rarely to vegas. I'm a small fish (not sure what the slang should be) living in Florida. I do get nice offers for other things in Vegas, but it's been more than 3 years since they offered to fly me there. Never been to Laughlin; maybe they want me to start going there.
And it is indeed better to deposit the money in your bank and wire it to the casino, but if you really want to travel with large sums of cash on your person, feel free to charter a small plane. Its cheaper than you think. And cheaper than hiring a lawyer to fight a seizure in Nowheresville.
Quote: petroglyphI'm sure you guys already knew about the free flight junkets from a lot of places east of the Mississippi.
The Riverside in Laughlin and I believe Harrah's also fly's people in very regularly. It's an hour drive to Vegas, scenic.
I just assumed they will fly you into Vegas as well?
Edit
I meant to say West of the Mississippi, but it looks like East works also?
Quote: beachbumbabsI get flight junket offers from Harrah's into Laughlin every couple of months; very rarely to vegas. I'm a small fish (not sure what the slang should be) living in Florida. I do get nice offers for other things in Vegas, but it's been more than 3 years since they offered to fly me there. Never been to Laughlin; maybe they want me to start going there.
I get those same flight offers into Laughlin and I'm also a small fish. Some day I'd like to do it just for the hell of it.
Quote: DRichLast week I was asked to meet a person at the airport and pick up a large amount of cash (six figures) and deliver it to another location. The person I was to get it from I had never met and he didn't know me either. It turns out the guy was at the meeting point outside smoking a cigarette and had the money in a burlap bankers bag just sitting on the ground at his feet. Not exactly how you would expect someone to be treating that amount of money. From there I drove about 40 miles with the cash to deliver it. I really wasn't concerned at all, but it also wasn't my money.
I think that is a great way to carry it actually - draws almost zero attention...
nobody notices a guy with a canvas or paper bag whereas they do notice the Gucci or Louis Vuitton briefcase
Quote: DRichLast week I was asked to meet a person at the airport and pick up a large amount of cash (six figures) and deliver it to another location. The person I was to get it from I had never met and he didn't know me either. It turns out the guy was at the meeting point outside smoking a cigarette and had the money in a burlap bankers bag just sitting on the ground at his feet. Not exactly how you would expect someone to be treating that amount of money. From there I drove about 40 miles with the cash to deliver it. I really wasn't concerned at all, but it also wasn't my money.
Sounds like the setup for an action movie. Please do elaborate!
(yeah yeah, I'm sure they wouldn't find it too funny, might even be some sort of crime)
But you know, if it's going to be nearly impossible to reclaim it why make it useful to someone else.
Were you compensated for your labor?Quote: DRichLast week I was asked to meet a person at the airport and pick up a large amount of cash (six figures) and deliver it to another location. The person I was to get it from I had never met and he didn't know me either. It turns out the guy was at the meeting point outside smoking a cigarette and had the money in a burlap bankers bag just sitting on the ground at his feet. Not exactly how you would expect someone to be treating that amount of money. From there I drove about 40 miles with the cash to deliver it. I really wasn't concerned at all, but it also wasn't my money.
I've had a lot of medical problems in my life. Sometimes they cause pain. Rarely these days, but sometimes. For example, I used to get a kidney stone every 3 months or so. What I did was, every time I got a scrip for hydro- or oxycodone, I took whatever I needed for the pain, and ratholed the rest. So I had a pretty decent sized stash. And because no one knows when a stone might hit, I took to carrying some of them around with me.
About a year ago, I was involved in a traffic stop that involved cops drawing guns on me, having me walk backward with my hands behind my head, etc. And in my pocket, with all my other medications in a pill case, were 3 painkillers. All of which had been prescribed, but none of which had been prescribed recently, let alone in the original containers.
The traffic stop eventually sorted itself out; I have no issues with why it happened, or how it was conducted, it was all legit. But if I'd been searched, and had my pockets turned out, I could have gone down for that. In fact, I took a few painkillers to Las Vegas with me, on our last trip, along with a few thou. And I could have gone down for that, too.
Thing is, those drugs are OTC in most of the world. I've never had a problem being hooked on them, and most people don't. The pain stops, you stop taking them. Next. I've been on morphine pumps. When the pain stops, you forget to hit the pump, and then they take it away. But they could be used as an excuse for seizure. That is dangerous.
Quote: AcesAndEightsSounds like the setup for an action movie. Please do elaborate!
There is no great story. I was just a trusted source that could facilitate the delivery.
Quote: SanchoPanzaWere you compensated for your labor?
No
I'll probably be spending a week in AZ, probably staying at the Talking Stick Casino in Scottsdale within the next 6 weeks. Either this or WA.
Got me thinking about the drive from LV to Scottsdale, 5 hours.
- Las Vegas (not just Nevada) plates.
- Drug courier highway.
- carrying cash? Debit cards I'll put it on.
- I'll be pulled over for sure. "Tail light out," I can see it now.
Dan's beat-down. There'll be cheering on this here board.....
But...flying Las Vegas to Phoenix, $150 RT.
Quote: Paigowdan
But...flying Las Vegas to Phoenix, $150 RT.
That's because you live in Vegas. A comparable
flight for me would be from GRR to Indianapolis.
Two good sized cities with big airports, about the
same distance and LAS to PHO. Prices start at
$500 and go to $750.
Quote: PaigowdanHmm.
I'll probably be spending a week in AZ, probably staying at the Talking Stick Casino in Scottsdale within the next 6 weeks. Either this or WA.
Got me thinking about the drive from LV to Scottsdale, 5 hours.
- Las Vegas (not just Nevada) plates.
- Drug courier highway.
- carrying cash? Debit cards I'll put it on.
- I'll be pulled over for sure. "Tail light out," I can see it now.
Dan's beat-down. There'll be cheering on this here board.....
But...flying Las Vegas to Phoenix, $150 RT.
Hope you don't get raped by mile marker xxx like treetopbuddy. Be safe brother.
Quote: KeyserSozeHope you don't get raped by mile marker xxx like treetopbuddy. Be safe brother.
I am concerned; it's not like traveling between Edmonton and Calgary. ("Your tail light's out, eh?")
For $75 in gas versus $150 airfare, why risk it (and this is aside from 10 hours behind the wheel over that time.)
