Never been to Atlanta then? Checking luggage is asking for a 45-minute delay. And if you are coming in from overseas, you will collect your bags, take them through customs, then have to check them again and wait another age at the main terminal to get them.
I’ve done a fair lot of traveling and been on both sides of this at different times, so I can sort of see both sides. When I travel I try to go light. When I camp, I want more stuff. When I’m going off for an afternoon, I probably bring more than I need.
I would say I’m definitely in the I don’t care crowd. I don’t care if you overpack and I don’t care if you think you’re more evolved because of your lack of luggage. I don’t feel superior to people who pack more but I do feel sorry for people who are overwhelmed in airports and train/bus stations.
Once, we were just arrived into Kathmandu, ringing the luggage go round with us were a motley collection of, how do you say, beefy, strapping, young climbers, awaiting their gear, like us.
We were standing a quarter turn from where the bags were coming down the chute. A few bags come off, and I’m commenting to my companion on how big they are. These bags are big enough to stuff my body into, while I’m not a large person, that’s still saying something.
Finally, after a dozen or two ginormous packs had come down, here comes my bag. My tiny little bag, spit out from the chute like something caught between it’s teeth. It’s appearance caused actual laughter among the strapping, beefy boys - and pointing! I was so taken aback and embarrassed I actually let it go all the way around once before claiming it and slinking off into the airport. Big, burly boneheads!
All our trips overseas involved returning with more bags than we left with, every time, bank on it. Textiles, ceramics, woodcarvings, trinkets, condiments, whatever! After several trips my companion begins loudly announcing that next time - we will take empty bags! What pish, what nonsense. Stupid hyperbole.
But no, come down to it, the bonehead really, like really, wants to go with empty bags! If I’ve learned anything from living with this bonehead it’s that you cannot push a rope, so I just give up and say fine, whatever, pretty sure it won’t really work out that way in the end.
But, come down to it, he’s sticking to the plan. And off we go, my pack folded up inside his pack, with our toiletries, and the clothes on our backs. Well the boy was in his glory. His plan finally comes to fruitition. He is bragging on his cleverness through every airport we pass on our journey into SE Asia. As we arrive in Bangkok, we are, by now, weary and just want to shower and change and grab some real food.
Problem, no clothes to change into, knucklehead! Yes, I wanted to spend the first several hours of my holiday, the jetlagged ‘I should be sleeping it off’ part, out on the street buying tourist tee shirts and Hello Kitty undies, grrr. Never again, what a knucklehead.
I don’t care how much luggage people check. What I do care about is when people have gigantic carry-on luggage that takes up way the hell too much space in the overhead bin. What’s worse is when people will just choose a random place to stash it and then wander over to their seat. Shit like that is the reason why I try to only take my purse as a carry-on. Then I can just put it under the seat in front of me.
And when I was packing for France in high school, I honestly had no idea what to bring. I knew there were the obligatory toiletries like a toothbrush and shampoo, and at least a set of clothing per day plus a pair of tennis shoes, but other than that, I hadn’t the first clue what else I’d need. I don’t wear makeup and I don’t blowdry, straighten, or curl my hair, so those things were all out. I also had a small camera and my toiletries were all small travel ones. It was because of this, I think, that my bag ended up being one of the lightest in the group. And I still felt like I’d packed too much.
It’s New York in January… I’d prefer not to have my vajayjay frozen shut on my honeymoon! Also, I really need a bra. I’m buxom enough that walking around New York without a bra would really put me in pain.
But there will definitely be plenty of undie-less moments!
Enjoy your moments! Best wishes from Australia.
No, never been to ATL, but I’ve been to Heathrow many times where I’ve had to wait over an hour for my luggage, and any number of other inefficient airports. In the scheme of things it still does not warrant me trying to cram everything into carry-on. Particularly when many airlines restrict carry-on to one small bag of 7kg. Sure, it’s almost never policed, but sometimes it is.
But that’s not the point. The point is, if I’m happy to wait for an hour for my 20kg (44 pound) suitcase (with wheels) why should that cause anyone to look down on me? To me, an hour waiting after a 24 hour flight prior to a two week stay is a minor annoyance, compared with other stuff I have to put up with when travelling.