A new policy being used by at least one major credit card company judges a shopper not necessarily by his credit purchases and payments alone, but also by the fiscal behavior of the fellow shoppers in the stores he visits.

And in some cases, the bad repayment history of the guy behind you in line at your local megastore could result in a reduction of your credit line, which, in turn, could lead to a reduction in your credit score — all because of where you shopped.

Kevin Johnson, 29, of Atlanta, says he got caught in such a financial headlock.

Johnson is, by all accounts, the type of customer most credit card companies want.

He runs his own public relations firm in downtown Atlanta. He owns his own condo in a nearby neighborhood. And he knows how to manage credit wisely.

“My dad worked in the credit industry. So talking about finances was a common thing in our household,” Johnson said. “I learned from an early age not to abuse that type of access to money.” (Read more at: ABCnews.go.com)

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{Photography by Bird Eye}