Time Trave Tips

Looking at the rain advancing on us is not particularly conducive to travel.  Rather the reverse - get the wall heater going, turn on the ceiling fan, nuke some popcorn and wriggle deeply in My Chair and read would be more appropriate for a day like today. 

But before it disappears, there's something that may prove a fruitful read - the Sunday travel  (latimes.com/travel.)  It's two full pages of letters from the public giving hints on how they now travel easily.  Some made sense; others seemed rather obvious ("never be separated from your medications") and a few raised my eyebrows for ingenuity or "needs more work."

Here are some examples:

If you're standing up during a flight, stand, turn and reach for your own seatrest to pull yourself up or to steady yourself before venturing on out into the aisle. 

Type a list of the names and addresses of people you write postcards to and, if inside the US, buy a sheet of 20 postcard stamps.   Put them together in your purse or backpack.  (I used to make labels, but too often I ran out of them or wound up with 15 labels for my sister and no one else.  It won't kill you to hand-address a couple of postcards.  We have spent some very pleasant hours in a bar writing postcards.)


In foreign lands, where you don't speak the language, take a brochure for your hotel or the little notepad in the room , business card -- anything with the name, address and photo of your hotel.  (The photo part, I think, is critical because many people routinely pass the same building on a daily basis and have no idea what's inside of it.)

A Chinese guide told a couple that if they got lost, to quickly find a young couple and ask them.  The guide said, "The guy will be willing to help; just to impress his girlfriend!"  The letter writer recommends using this idea in any country!

Under the category "Perhaps needs a little work" - Enclose your bag in a sweatshirt.  I put the handle through the neck opening and then close the drawstring around the bottom.

I would counter,"Where are the sleeves?  Reversed inside the sweatshirt?  Or flapping in the breeze which is very definitely not a good idea.

The underbelly of any major airline is a maze of  conveyor belts, electronic and human scanners and baggage handlers.  Bags have to be yanked off for their final destination which requires more than a languid pace.  The last thing you want is a belt catching a sleeve and ripping the sweatshirt and your bag to pieces.

I must say though it would be hella good way to recognize your bag at baggage claim...