One of my travel gurus, Peter Greenberg, is just about to release a new book titled Don’t Go There: The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World. In preparation for the launch, he has created a website where people can contribute to the list of places NOT to go. It’s pretty funny so if you have a tip or a gripe, check it out!
This is my kind of website! As someone who takes pictures of everything when I travel, especially my dining experience (everything from the restaurant and the menu to the wait staff and the food), I really appreciate HollyEats.com. This website is dedicated to tasty food and is for anyone who prefers chowing down to fine dining. And it’s for those of you who will go the extra mile, bypassing familiar, bland chain restaurants and driving further down the road to a barbecue pit, a truck stop, a diner, a drive-in or a greasy spoon, which might very well become the highlight of your journey. The founder covers eating on the New England Coast, Jersey Dogs, Carolina BBQs, State Fairs, Festivals, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and more. WARNING: Exploring this site may make you hungry.
When the TSA announced that they were going to allow approved carry-on bags so travelers didn’t have to take their laptops out while going through security, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. Thanks to
Staples (the office supply superstore), who sent me one of their TSA-approved Samsonite Checkmate Business and Casual Laptop Bags ($79.99), I was able to test them out. The bags all have several compartments and they all have a designated laptop-only section that completely unfolds to lie flat on the X-ray belt. It makes airport screening so much easier. And all the TSA officers I spoke to said they’d heard about them but that this was the first time they’d seen one. So they were just as excited as I was. I thought they would ask me to take the laptop out but they didn’t.
In fact, I have used it four times now and have had no problems whatsoever. Although, I do get a lot of evil stares from travelers behind me who think that I’m going to hold up the line when they tell me to pull my laptop out. But each time I clear security, those expressions change to something more like, Dang, he’s way too cool! Where can I get one of those bags?
The reason these bags are TSA-approved is because the special designs allow for clear imaging of the devices when moving through the X-ray machine; the rest of the bag’s contents can be put in adjacent compartments. After you quickly pass through the security checkpoint, just quickly fold the bag upright and zip it up. It’s that easy.
Obviously, I definitely recommend this to everyone who travels with a computer, especially since it will not only speed up the security
line but you won’t ever leave your laptop behind or damage it like I have in the past.
Trying to shove your computer back in your bag while you’re making a mad dash for the plane isn’t healthy for the laptop.
FYI: Samsonite isn’t the only manufacturer to make these bags. There are others and Staples also carries Pathfinder and Targus brands.
NOTE: The bags will be available in Staples stores and online (Samsonite only) the week of November 16th.
