My Wheelies Died!

Phooey-ptui!  I need my little "office on wheels" - and the wheels died.  Just gave up the ghost, shredded to bits. 

It has not - to my mind, at least - seen excessively heavy or hazardous duty.  Neither TSA nor baggage handlers have gotten their mischievous mitts on it.  Yes, it gets used daily, but hardly any excessive duty or rough handling.  It goes from car to library, car to home, and has run over nothing rougher than carpet, flooring, concrete sidewalks and asphalt parking lots.  Not all that far for any trip, either.

So I'm very disappointed with this wheeled computer bag.  Granted, it was used when the previous owner gave it to me.  The zipper enclosing the retractable handle had broken, but that was no problem as far as I was concerned.  The bag itself showed little to no wear at all.  The wheels looked fine - and sturdy. 

I love all its little fitted pockets.  The front compartment holds all my "diddlies" - both phone rechargers, pens, recharger for AA batteries and a pack of 4 AA batteries, a small notebook for photo captions when I'm on a photo shoot, a deck of 3" x 5" index cards.  The center section is padded for my 'puter, and I keep a portable CD player, power supply for the laptop, and the computer security cable on the other side of the computer cushioning.  The back compartment holds a couple of slim file folders, a pair of legal pads, and odd papers. 

It just holds the essentials - your basic business equipment on the road or to the office.  It's not some big legal briefcase laden with massive legal briefs and petitions for a court.

But after only six months of daily use, the wheels have absolutely shredded.  I'm dragging it on the metal bearings inside the rubber (or whatever substance they use for wheels).

This is not a durable bag.  This is really unacceptable for any Road Warrioress who needs a traveling office.  It does not compute!  So I'm very unhappy with the makers, Western Pack, and sorely disinclined to choose any sort of bag from this maker.

The Road Warrioress needs bags which are durable and stand up to their heavy travel usage.  A bag which cannot make it to the office or library every day for a few months is not worthy of the long-haul traveler.

May your road rise to meet you - and long may your bags endure!
Ann

Protections from the Thieving Scumbag Association

CBS caught them in a 2004 baggage theft sting.  New York Police caught them at NYC airports.  Baggage theft rings have been busted in St. Louis, Missouri, Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, Australia, and airports scattered literally around the world.  While airlines say bag theft is down, and TSA says they screen their searchers, police say bag thefts are rising.  TSA says it's airline handlers; airlines say its TSA.  Both are harboring some scurrilous thieves, both include bag theft rings.


TSA knows what you pack in your bag!  They X-ray it all.  If you have a laptop, jewelry, anything of value, they know what you've got.  And they make you leave your bag unlocked or use locks for which they have duplicate keys.


Do NOT pack anything valuable in your checked bag. Your carryon must hold:
* laptop & peripherals,
* camera gear,
* CD player,
* iPod,
* Kindle or similar book reader, and
* all your other costly little electronics everyone might want - and someone is likely to steal.


You also need to hang onto your jewelry, eyeglasses & sunglasses, money, credit cards, important documents (personal and business), prescription medicines, anything containing personal data like SSN or home address, anything fragile, anything valuable.


And you'd better take at least one change of clothes and your little Ziploc baggie of toiletries.  TSA & the airlines battle over who pays claims most of the time.  So at least have some clean undies!