Luggage

Visitors to the American Museum of Natural History in New York can now explore the mysteries and marvels of planet Earth in the new Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth, or HoPE for short. This permanent exhibition is an 8,830-square-foot tribute to the planet, broken down into five exhibition zones exploring how the Earth evolved, why there are ocean basins, continents and mountains, and what causes climate and climate change.HoPE, which debuted last month, features re-creations of five ocean floor regions, more than 38 tons of rocks and a collection of videos and interactive computer programs to help visitors understand how scientists go about studying Earth's systems.

Thank heaven for little wheels.These days, you'll find them on everything from backpacks to duffel bags, as well as those ubiquitous boxy suitcases no well-equipped business traveler seems to leave the office without. Increasingly, traveling families -- including mine -- swear by them too."With the kids holding on to their own luggage, I've got a hand free to hold on to a kid," explains Brian Beihl, a New Hampshire dad of three who checked out more than a dozen kinds for his new Family on Board travel products catalog.

Alice Adams, 72, a longtime short-story writer for The New Yorker and a novelist whose "Superior Women" became a best seller, died Thursday in San Francisco. Ms. Adams, who wrote 10 novels and had five short-story collections, had been treated for heart problems earlier in the week and apparently died in her sleep Thursday, said her editor, Victoria Wilson. "Superior Women," which traced the lives of five Radcliffe women, became a best seller in 1984.Ed Peterson, 78, inventor of the alarm that beeps to warn people when trucks and heavy machinery are backing up, died Wednesday in Boise, Idaho.

When flights are delayed and the airport concourse looks like the subway at rush hour, with children crawling among luggage and lines winding to pay phones, anxious travelers yearn for surcease. Alas, an airline club may not be the haven it is supposed to be.An on-the-fly examination of airline clubs in the United States shows a consistent result: If flights are held up at a major hub, the clubs are only slightly better than the public waiting areas. It's hard to find a seat without asking someone to move a briefcase, the phones are busy, the receptionists have their hands full and the ambience is harried.

FROM A distance, we thought luggage had spilled out of the overturned van, all over the shoulder of Interstate 95 near Columbia, last Sunday morning.We were not terribly concerned, except that the traffic slowing ahead might keep us from getting to our destination on time. The bubbly, shallow sounds of the Beach Boys -- "Rev it up, rev it up" -- blared from the CD player. Our 3 1/2 -year-old bounced and sang along.Then we saw that it was not luggage that littered the road. "They're all children," my husband said.

Isn't that your suitcase on the luggage carousel?The one with the yards of duct tape holding it together and the handle that's half torn off?Looks as though it's time for a new one.Though packing a suitcase is a grim but unavoidable part of traveling, shopping for that suitcase can be fun.You've no doubt noticed those confident travelers who breeze through airports wheeling neat black bags that glide smoothly over tile floors, asphalt parking lots, even...

Bill gives redress for discriminationAn unusual opportunity exists to improve the civil rights environment in Baltimore County as it relates to strengthening the enforcement of anti-discrimination in employment laws.We applaud the administration of County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger for proposing such an enlightened legislative initiative. We are pleased to note that the county's Senate delegation has responded favorably to Senate Bill 347.The Baltimore County branch of the NAACP is in support of Senate Bill 347.It would permit persons who believe they have been discriminated against and who work for companies with fewer than 15 employees to file suit in circuit court 60 days after filing a complaint with the county human relations commission.

WASHINGTON -- Travelers in Maryland who pause at rest stops, bus and rail stations and airports gained further protection from police searches of their luggage yesterday when the Supreme Court turned down the state's appeal in a drug case.Without comment, the court refused to hear Maryland's request to revive a heroin and cocaine prosecution against a New Jersey man. The Maryland Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, had voided the conviction in the fall.The state court ruled that someone's property, such as luggage, is not available for police searches just because its owner does not claim it then.

A Southwest Baltimore man was arrested yesterday and charged with stealing luggage from the baggage claim carousels at Baltimore-Washington International Airport as part of what police said was a ring operating for more than a year.Norman G. Alt, 62, of the 1200 block of James St. was charged with 10 counts of felony theft and two counts of conspiracy to commit theft. He was released on $7,500 bond.Maryland Transportation Authority Police said they are unsure of how much luggage was taken, but that they found 40 pieces of luggage filled with jewelry, clothing, books and personal items in a raid at Alt's house July 17.They delayed making an arrest until they matched items seized in the raid with reports filed by passengers who said their luggage was stolen, said Lori Vidil, a police spokeswoman.

Last year I married a handsome, successful lawyer I met skiing. But after our whirlwind romance I discovered there's a downside. He has an "A"-type personality and can be quite manic. When we travel, he insists that we pack only carry-on luggage so we can run off the plane and catch a cab.Before we married, I always changed into something pretty when I went out to dinner. Now with my luggage restrictions I can't. What can I wear that's elegant enough for a fancy restaurant and functional enough for a 747?

Name: : Pack-Flat Back-Up Bag, by Travelon What it is: : A blowfish of a polyester bag that zips shut to less than an inch thick for easy packing in your luggage. How it works: : It's the rare traveler who doesn't come back with something from a trip. That's where the backup bag comes in; it's thin and light enough that it doesn't consume precious space in your primary bag. It swells to 19 by 13 by 10 inches, so you can use it as a carry-on. The good: : I tried this on a trip to Italy.

Name: : Wordlock luggage combination lock What it is: : A combination lock that uses letters instead of numbers, allowing you to set whatever four-letter combination (a pet's name, a profanity) you want out of about 10,000 possibilities. Because the Transportation Security Administration has a key that will open it, you can use it for domestic travel without fear of having it cut off if your bag is inspected. How it works: : You can spell any easily remembered word to use as a combination, which is much more convenient for the brain than a series of random numbers.

It's the time of year for giving and, in this economy, for saving. If you have any travelers on your list, thank them now, because finding an affordable gift for globe-trotters is not too hard to do. Here are a few quick ideas, all for items costing $25 or less: * This year, baggage fees became a weighty issue for many fliers. A digital luggage scale from Balanzza is the perfect gift for those pack rats on your list. It's stylish, compact and easy to use. All you do is attach the strap to your luggage, lift the bag by the strap, wait for the beep, put the luggage down and read the weight.

Recently on the blog, we talked about traveling with a laptop. Business travelers are familiar with the routine at the airport security checkpoint - remove shoes from feet, coins from pocket and laptop from case. But last month, the Transportation Security Administration began allowing laptops to pass through X-ray screening while still in their case or bag. The catch is you have to have the right bag - the new, so-called "checkpoint-friendly" laptop bag. After testing several prototypes by a variety of manufacturers, TSA came up with some standard do's and dont's for luggage makers, with the goal being to get a clear picture of what's inside the laptop bag. TSA screens laptops to make sure the electronics have not been tampered with - say, to trigger an explosive device.

I recently traveled between Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C., on Delta with a single piece of luggage. At curbside check-in in Charlotte, the check-in guy barked, "You have to remove 8 pounds from this bag right now or go inside and pay $50." Because of a bad back, I said I would pay the $50 rather than hassle with the bag. In flight, I discovered I had been charged $80. I was outraged and want my money back. How can this type of thing be avoided? Either by packing lighter or getting the price of fuel under control.

We're flying to Miami, then taking a cruise on Celebrity out of Fort Lauderdale. Will the cruise line transfer our luggage from the airport to the ship while we sightsee? Cruise lines don't offer a luggage-only service, primarily because of security-clearance issues. However, Celebrity offers a transfer service that will transport you with your luggage from Miami International Airport to the ship. If you purchased your airline ticket through the cruise line, it's already included. If not, you can purchase a round-trip transfer between the airport and cruise port from Celebrity for $56. At the end of your cruise, you can take advantage of Celebrity's "Luggage Valet" program, which allows guests to check their luggage and receive airline boarding passes and baggage claim checks while still on board.

For a vacation to Italy in June, Dominique Linchet had packed everything she thought her family of four would need when they arrived: toiletries, bathing suits, dental retainers. But when they stepped off their Alitalia flight in Rome, the suitcases they had checked were missing. After filing a claim with the airline and being reassured by an Alitalia employee that they would be reimbursed for half of the expenses incurred because of the delay, the family frantically shopped for bare necessities.

If you plan to fly this summer, you're already steeling yourself for long lines at the airport, security hassles, endless delays, etc. But that's nothing compared with the horror that awaits when you land. I speak, of course, of the baggage carousel. Something happens to the human psyche, something dark and troubling, when a person arrives at the baggage carousel. There's a buzz of anticipation from the de-planing passengers that is way out of proportion to what's about to take place.

For sixth-grade teacher Robin August, learning doesn't stop in the summer. Last month, the Deep Creek Magnet Middle School math educator was named 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year by Baltimore County public schools. Next month, August, 39, is off to Colorado to learn about gender differences in brain development and how that affects the way kids learn. She's also writing curriculum for Baltimore's math department during the break. Her favorite part about school? "Being in the classroom with the students and watching their spirits come alive as they learn," says August, who lives in Parkville and has been teaching for 17 years.

It was probably an omen that the subject of luggage came up long before takeoff on a vacation flight when the gentleman of the house suggested the trendy new practice of shipping bags ahead. Contrary, as usual, the wife scoffed at such foolishness. Mailing suitcases to a Caribbean island! Bags must be kept close, she argued. New security rules make carry-on-only difficult, not least because they don't allow even a week's worth of sunscreen. Checking a bag, though, offered the silver lining of bringing along extra stuff.