I ended up withdrawing cash at ATMs and going that way. Every ATM I tried accepted my cards without issue. I never tried using a card at the point of sale ("swiping" in the local parlance), but it seemed to be a frequent option.

Remember that hands-free laws vary greatly from state to state, and even city to city. If you want to be certain, there are a lot of laws to look up. That said, I've never had a problem with my phone on a phone mount.

My challenge is that "be glad when you can draw cash with one" doesn't ensure that I'll be able to access money when I need it.

It was crazy, for sure.

To confirm Patric's comment, my story happened in 2009.

@user1242321: There may be a difference between passport countries, or perhaps the dates of our respective visits. What I do know is that the stamp in my passport clearly stated that it was a visa, with a handwritten expiration date (the next day).

@PeterWone: The meanings of words can vary from country to country. In the US, if you use the word "toilet" with the meaning you give, it's doubtful anyone will understand you correctly. Perhaps in a literary sense there's more flexibility in meaning, but in normal conversation, the term only means the porcelain fixture.