First, our system is supposed to be protective of the innocent. Carrying cash is very very far from being a violent crime or any other type of police emergency. There is never a case based on safety for confiscation.

Second, there are, for example, antique fairs where sellers are not going to take a check from random unknown buyers rom all over the country. Also, some people, notably some immigrants, of which there are a historically large number now, do not trust banks or bank instruments, or simply do not know which bank instruments would be trusted for which types of deals.