Where I live, it’s been right around ten degrees — and windy — for most of this week. Someday the temperature will rise, and it will be OK to be outside for more than a few minutes again. Spring will come, and a lot of people’s thoughts will turn, if not to flights of fancy, then to flight itself. Traveling time will be here again!
These days when I think of travel, I’m almost always thinking of the horrors of TSA. Getting through security lines has become an appalling test of stamina for nearly everyone.
There’s very little that can be done to mitigate the experience, especially in the absence of any kind of thoughtful human accommodation. During my last miserable half-dozen experiences at domestic airports, I longed, if not for complete relief, at least for someplace to sit during while waiting interminably on line.
I think I may have found a solution. Bring some support along. Magellan’s sells a carry-on suitcase that weighs only seven-and-a-half pounds, but that can support up to 200 pounds if used as a seat (according to the inventor; Magellan’s site says 300 pounds). Magellan suggests that this is a great seat “in a pinch.” If you anticipate more strenuous use, take a look at the Smart Cart version (on the Walkin’ Bag website) — it comes with a built-in, fold-down seat which can hold up to 300 pounds — but do check it out, as the seat may be too small or too low to be truly comfortable for an extended period.
The Walkin’ Bags have a number of travel-friendly features, too — there are four swivel wheels under the bag so that it can glide upright by your side, meaning that you don’t have to drag it behind you as you move onward. The inventor, who once had polio, claims that it takes one-sixth the effort to move his bag, compared to similar two-wheeled bags. The handle is designed to provide cane-like support for those of us with weary knees, legs or backs.
At 15 x 13 x 8″ the model Magellan carries should meet virtually all carry-on restrictions — so, it seems, do most of the bags on the Walkin’ Bag website.