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**PeterL**

Miguel Cruz wrote:
"rascal" wrote:
Despite what the "travel experts" may say, carry your bag for a
couple of miles or so getting out of the airport and wheels become
more attractive.

I cannot imagine a scenario in which a wheeled bag is more attractive,
unless it is so heavy that you simply cannot lift it - such as an
equipment container on 4 casters.

Wait till you are 50 yrs old Miguel.

I sometimes have to carry my luggage fairly long distances. For example,
last year I had to carry two bags (one large checked backpack, worn in
the back, one small carry-on backpack, worn in the front) from Istanbul
airport to the center of town because my ATM card had expired just
before the flight (who ever checks the expiration date on their ATM
card?), I didn't have any other form of money on me, and the only bank
that was prepared to sort me out was in the middle of town. Leaving
aside the stupidity of the situation I'd gotten myself into, it was
really no problem to do this - I just found some high ground, located
the coastline, followed it, and a few hours later I was in Sultanahmet.

With wheeled bags I wouldn't have made it out of the airport parking lot
before I was ready to hurl them under a passing truck.

My girlfriend travels with a large wheeled bag and it slows us down
tremendously (hope she's not reading this). It is faster for me to pick
her bag up and carry it in my arms while also wearing my large backpack,
than for her (or me) to drag it by the wheels. The whole principle
sucks. They suck on stairs, they suck in countries where everything
isn't wheelchair-accessible, they suck on bumpy sidewalks, they suck in
ice and snow, they suck if you have to run or jog, they suck when you
are getting in and out of vehicles, they suck on escalators where you
are the jerk who blocks the way so nobody can walk past. They suck.

Carrying a bag by a handle, so that it swings against your leg with each
step, and the weight of it compresses your spine, also sucks. Really
nothing beats a good - and properly-adjusted - backpack, especially for
business travel when you frequently have to deal with tight schedules.

miguel
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