. >> reporter: there's a good chance you know a guy like william greenlee. >> if you like the good old steak we can go here. >> reporter: chatty, salt of the earth type, the guy who slides up to a register. >> one lemon. >> reporter: and still pays cash. >> thank you very much, sir. thank you. >> reporter: and so when greenlee found a coffee shop right downstairs from his philadelphia office that wouldn't take cash, well, that just rubbed him the wrong way. >> everybody comes into center city, business, employment, entertainment, whatever, but not everyone can buy a coffee and not everyone can go in there and buy a basic product. >> reporter: the thing is, greenlee is a philadelphia city councilmen and so he proposed and passed legislation making philadelphia the first city in the country to force retailers to take cash. >> unfortunately, philadelphia has been called the poorest big city in america, which means that, you know, there are people who do not have credit. telling people who do not have the ability to have credit that you can't buy a basic product is not treating people fair