No wheels equals "weird"

In this ABC News story on the invention and 40th anniversary of the rolling bag we learn that no wheels is just not normal.

 “It’s almost strange to imagine luggage that doesn’t have wheels,” (Briggs & Reilly CEO Richard) Krulik said.

Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a major airline who writes a popular blog about flying, calls the rolling bag “the best thing to happen to travel.”

“To me, it’s weird not to see somebody not rolling a bag,” she said.
 

And we learn that wheels are what killed chivalry.

“At this time, there was this macho feeling. Men used to carry luggage for their wives. It was like the natural thing to do, I guess,” (wheelie bag inventor Bernard) Sadow said.
 

Not necessarily. One of the reasons I went with a convertible bag years ago was to help my tour leader wife. My free hands meant I could carry my bag and roll hers, thus leaving her free to watch after the students. And everyone knows that if you carry it on your back or shoulder you begin to be conscious of the weight, and you carry less and less and less.

Update on October 5, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Comments

[Frank II]

In today's business section of the New York Times, Joe Sharkey in his "On the Road" column, praises the invention of wheeled luggage:

"So here’s a toast to the inventors, and especially to Mr. Sadow on the 40th anniversary of his rolling luggage. But let’s also give three cheers to the flight attendants — the early adopters who showed the rest of us how to carry a suitcase sensibly.

Now if only someone could find a sensible way to stow that bag on an airplane."

Exactly. Wiith more demand for overhead space, chances are a wheeled bag will be checked before a non-wheeled one that can fit underneath the seat in front of you.

It's not surprising that the Richard Krulik made his statement. He's actually CEO of U.S. Luggage, the parent company of Briggs & Riley. U.S. Luggage used to be owned by Bernard Sadow, the man who invented wheeled luggage. (BTW, the first piece of wheeled luggage was not the rollaboard but a full sized suitcase. The Rollaboard did come about until the late 1980's.

As for Heather Poole, well, if you're a flight attendant, and guaranteed to have space for your bag, and all you do is go from car to terminal to plane to hotel and then the reverse, then wheeled luggage might make sense. If you watch her "packing videos" and see how much stuff she crams into a carry-on sized bag, you'll understand why she wants wheels. No one in their right mind would want to carry it. (My packing motto is somewhat different: "Just because you can take more, doesn't mean you have to. ")

For those of us who travel beyond the typical terminal-plane-hotel itinerary, a non-wheeled bag gives the freedom to not have to worry about it being taken from us and then charged because the airlines want to increase the $2.7 billion they've already made on checked bags. It means not getting the sore shoulder typical of dragging something behind you. It means not having to maneuver something on streets that may not be made of flat, smooth concrete. And lastly, with a convertible bag, you usually have three ways to carry it: handle, shoulder strap or backpack straps. If one should malfunction, you still have two. If a wheel or the telescoping handle breaks on a wheeled bag, your only choice is to carry it. Not exactly a lot of fun considering the extra weight the wheels, handle and hard shell added to the bag.

[Paula S]

Next year, I am torn between getting a roller like the Baggalini (very small) or something like the small Samsonite spinner or taking a shoulder bag again.

http://www.baggallini.com/product1.asp?collection='trav' &product='RTC269'

http://www.jet-setter.ca/en/brands/Samsonite/Xion_Two_Spinner_Tote.html

Tentative trip planned to take my 76 yr old mum for a week in England, she can do carry-on no problem but I may end up carrying her bag most of the time, in which case, do I want to carry two shoulder bags or have her bag attached to my roller? I have to think about my back in this situation, I don't need to be straining it. She can't pull a roller, her poor old hands are too arthritic.

The nice thing with that Baggalini, it fits under the seat, the unfortunate thing is the weight....5.5 lbs!
I'm going to have to think hard about this.

I must admit, I notice at airports when someone is carrying a bag rather than rolling it.