My roller bag has endured immeasurable abuse in its three continent, twelve-year service. The zipper pulls had fallen off on the cobblestones of Amsterdam ((Because I was too cheap to change currency and get a cab, I took a train. It was an interesting two hours of people watching before I found the Radisson.)) in 1999. On the way to Chicago in 2001, the zippers’attachment was fraying, often gunking up the toothy zipping mechanism. The wheels had been wobbly after an Austin trade show in 2005. Finally, on my most recent excursion, while hopping a curb, one of the wheels became irreparably bent, heightening the travel fun to be had.
It was certainly time for a replacement, but also, an opportunity to address something I’d always loathed about the bag (and most of my luggage): it’s black and looks like 95% of the other bags coming out of the baggage chute. People always paw at it thinking it’s theirs, then realize it’s not.
I enlisted an expert to go forth and find a bag fulfilling three simple market requirements:
- Beefy, Rollerblade-like wheels
- Stout zippers whose pulls are unlikely to fall off
- A bold color scheme. The more obnoxious, the better, as it will deter people from touching my bag.
She did well:
Its maiden voyage will be to Reno on January 6th.
PLEASE tell me you have a matching outfit. Or at least a snappy chapeau.
I think you need to set up a Twitter account for the sole purpose of recording comments you get about it on your travels. Lemme know when you do so I can add it to my follow.
My wardrobe is specially designed to emit a stealth field letting me walk into and out of meetings. That will certainly be negated when I’m pulling this thing along.
Re: non-black luggage
We have now two (not matching) turquoise and one navy-with-bright-green-piping roller carry-on bags. You’re right, there’s a real advantage in having a non-black color to your bags.
Awesome! You’ll spot that one a mile off on the conveyor belt. :) For the same reasons, I treasure my (subdued yet distinctive) floral-print suitcase.
Hmmmm.. You are gonna look pretty wierd toting around this pink piece of luggage.
I like to tie a ribbon around the handle of my black luggage. Normally, I can pick it out form the others, then. But hey.. This works, too. :)
Happy New Year!
TrackTheHelloKittyBagGuy is an available internet domain. If you traveled more frequently, I’d set it up and let people post pics and GPS coordinates of Jim-sightings.
I’m jealous!!!! I want a Hello Kitty Bag!!!! Will you sell it to me?! :)
[...] gave me this awesome luggage tag to complement the Hello Kitty bag. Now I need to find a business [...]
[...] guessing that it was run over by the same luggage cart it fell off. The Hello Kitty bag made it through with flying plaid. I’m liking that bag more and more. It radiates [...]
[...] fun. If the sender describes where they live, it’s like a mini-vacation without having Hello Kitty Bag lost in the luggage transportation [...]