Flashback Friday...Expensive Baggage

I pride myself on being a pretty efficient traveler.  A week business trip in one carry-on bag, a three week trip to Asia in one suitcase...my belt, shoes and jewelry off and plastic bag in hand before I get to the front of the screening line...not to mention my fancy bag that means I never have to take my laptop out of my bag.

I love Timbuk2 and this bag is the BEST! Well, almost the best.  The handle detached and I had to send it back for repair, so I'm missing it right now.

Hopefully they can get it fixed and back to me before my next business trip!

For your own bag, visit www.timbuk2.com you know they come highly recommended!!


All of that said, you can imagine my horror....and my embarrassment when I got to the counter before my two week trip to California a few weeks ago when I learned that the bag I wanted to check weighed in at 56 pounds...6 LBs above the maximum.  The charge with Southwest for a heavy bag?  $75 smackers.  Well, that wasn't going to happen....so I tell them that I'll just take a few things out...this is where the comedy started.  With everyone around me silently judging me for taking time and space...(I know they were...I've done that to others) I unzipped the top and started pulling things out one at a time to put into my carry-on bag. As I watched the display get 1lb lighter at a time it hit 50 pounds, I zipped it up and went along my way.  When I got to the gate and had a minute to reorganize my carry-on baggage I realized that I now had, in my hands, 1 cowboy boot, 2 pairs of flip flops, a spring jacket, a couple of shirts, and one running sneaker.   I must have looked like a giant mess to anyone and everyone walking by as I tried to reorganize myself.

Lesson learned....Southwest will let you check 2 bags for free...that's what I did on my way home.  And I won't ever secretly judge the poor person at the front of the line trying to pull their belongings together.