American Airlines flights leaving the San Francisco area will soon be testing an in-flight program that eschews cash. From Sept. 10-Sept. 30, certain flights from the carrier will allow you to purchase cool stuff like $3 headphones and $[way too much] snacks using your major credit or debit card--and ONLY those cards. No legal tender allowed.

American Airlines actually has a position called "Vice President-Onboard Service." Lauri Curtis, who holds this lofty title, indicated that they chose San Francisco because "our departures from there cover an excellent cross-section of distances."

In other words, they want to see from which parts of the country people get more pissed when, from within the confinement of the tiny seat, they have to pull out a credit card, get it swiped, put it back, sign a name, etc. San Francisco is a good, central hub for making such determinations.

While it's nice that they already offer credit card service, taking away cash as a choice is a bad idea. Sometimes cash is a better option . . . And what about the children, man? How many kids, lonely little kids forced to fly alone from time to time, are gonna have a credit card? Plus think about the other passengers: it's very tempting to have one too many drinks if you have to pay on credit.