And as his reward, Dave has now partnered with Richard Hue of Harbour Capital Management Group to form Gripevine a platform to help companies manage customer service. They've raised $1 Million in seed funding. Again, way to go, Dave.
WELCOME TO
This is the place to share your favorite travel stories of the mayhem and destruction that the airlines (or hotels, trains, buses or the like) have brought down on your luggage. My goal is to collect the best baggage annihilation stories from around the world in one place. Eventually, I’d like to compile enough great tales to make a book, preferably a hardback with a cover that is already bent and dented, not unlike a pair of pre-stressed jeans.
So I ask you to share your best stories. Submit them as comments to any post. I’ll review them and post them on the blog. And here’s the QUID PRO QUO (I used to be a lawyer so there had to be some Latin somewhere). The Quid – if you send me your story, you agree to let me use it on the blog and in any future books/publications that might surface some day in the future. The Pro – if I am lucky enough one day to get a great collection of tales, find a publisher who likes the idea, actually deliver a publishable manuscript, yada yada, yada, a book will spring forth. The Quo – if you send me your email with your post (promise I’ll only use it to contact you and share Gorilla stories), I’ll let you know if a book ever publishes and send you a free, signed first edition.
WHY ME?
“Why me?”, as Alfred E. Neuman once blurted out. First, like most of you, I’m a victim. I’ve traveled for a living for years and have logged over a million miles on Delta alone. Just two weeks ago, they got me again! Arriving at Dulles International in Washington, D.C. for a Labor Day weekend wedding, my wife, son and I snaked through the Dulles labyrinth to the baggage claim area to collect our three Roll Aboards and one garment bag. This time the garment bag was the casualty. It came up the belt and slid down onto the carousel with its contents of suits and dresses spewing out in every direction. It was soon followed by my toothbrush and an aerosol can of shaving cream. I guess I’m lucky they didn’t try to charge me for two extra pieces of baggage. My other toiletries weren’t so lucky. Somewhere in the bowels of Dulles Airport, another baggage handler/Gorilla smells nice.
Second, and before we go further, an admission – I’ve been on both sides. I was once legal counsel to The Gorilla. No, not the International Baggage Handlers Union. The actual American Tourister Gorilla. First as a partner in a D.C. law firm, and later as Trademark Counsel for Hillenbrand Industries, the company that owned Tourister. The Gorilla was created to suggest that the luggage was strong enough to stand up against the real band of Gorillas, the one that lurks under every airport, merrily playing hurling games with our luggage. So I know Gorillas.
“Every ape needs a top attorney!”
Me, The Gorilla (actually Hollywood actor Don McLeod) and my mentor and law partner Bill Mathis, in an earlier time
“Every ape needs a top attorney!”
You can also find me at
Leitten Consulting
Friday, April 6, 2012
United Breaks Guitars - The Sequel - $15 per View!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Full Body Scanners - I'm Ready for the Pat Down
The Stupidity of TSA procedures for passing into an airport has pushed me to the brink of asking for pat downs. When you get through check in, you feel like a criminal. Shoes off, belts off, stick your hands up, stand on the mat where the footprints are; wait for an ok from the TSA reader. This week in Richmond, I wore my belt just to see what would happen -- I had to remove it after the scanner, have the belt checked by hand, and then I was partially patted down.
Bit let's talk consistency for a moment. Again in Richmond, all passengers went through the full body, naked scanner except flight personnel and military. I thoroughly respect the military and the sacrifices they make for us, but for TSA to have a different procedure [no boots off, no full body scanner] makes little sense to me from a security standpoint.
So next trip, I'm building in enough time for a pat down.
Bit let's talk consistency for a moment. Again in Richmond, all passengers went through the full body, naked scanner except flight personnel and military. I thoroughly respect the military and the sacrifices they make for us, but for TSA to have a different procedure [no boots off, no full body scanner] makes little sense to me from a security standpoint.
So next trip, I'm building in enough time for a pat down.
Friday, January 21, 2011
A Moment of Chaos at Hartsfield ATL
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Capturing That Travel Feeling
I mention this article not because it is about possible fun in an airport, but because of the wonderful writing that captures the feeling I have every time I travel. Congrats to Allison Arieff, who writes on architecture and design for the NYT but clearly travels a lot!
"Few who fly...coach ...would disagree that the entire experience of air travel from check-in to landing carries with it an overwhelming sense that everyone involved has simply given up. ... Now that we’re entering the thick of the holiday travel season...we’ve been groped, scanned, forced to eat a Cinnabon and otherwise made to suffer the slings and arrows of air travel...."
Read more at http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/can-airports-be-fun/?scp=1&sq=fun%20airport&st=cse.
"Few who fly...coach ...would disagree that the entire experience of air travel from check-in to landing carries with it an overwhelming sense that everyone involved has simply given up. ... Now that we’re entering the thick of the holiday travel season...we’ve been groped, scanned, forced to eat a Cinnabon and otherwise made to suffer the slings and arrows of air travel...."
Read more at http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/can-airports-be-fun/?scp=1&sq=fun%20airport&st=cse.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Emotional Baggage
The title of this entry is compliments of my younger son, Steve. I'm just back from a week of pre-holiday travel. Every flight but one was fully booked. And every airline seems to be adding new restrictions weekly. It reminds me of the cult movie, Office Space, where someone needed to justify their job. "But I'm a people person, dammit."
On USAir, you must remove your headphone plug from the electronic device before the plane can take off or land. On Delta, computers can no longer be stored in the seat back pocket for takeoff or landing, and coats and jackets can not go into the overhead bins until all luggage has been put stored.. In RIC {Richmond, VA] Airport, TSA is apparently still searching for the Belt Bomber, so you still have an airport full of old men whose trousers keep falling down as they go through security. Aren't suspenders inherently more dangerous?. Remember David and Goliath!!!
So we have the perfect elements for little dictators to take over the friendly skies. An emotional time of year with too many travelers; new regulations that can be arbitrarily enforced; more delays in checking in and boarding. Today a flight attendant went through the plane systematically pulling down all the coats and jackets, making everyone wait until the luggage was stowed. Then all the passengers had to get up from their window, middle and aisle seats and put their coats and jackets back in the exact spots the attendant had removed them from. Departure delayed. You all need to take your seats before the plane can depart the gate.
She then proceeded to tell me I had to turn off my iPod for takeoff. When I told her it was off, she blurted' "I can still hear the music", even as I showed her that the headphones were unplugged!
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE -- please check it curbside with the SkyCap.
On USAir, you must remove your headphone plug from the electronic device before the plane can take off or land. On Delta, computers can no longer be stored in the seat back pocket for takeoff or landing, and coats and jackets can not go into the overhead bins until all luggage has been put stored.. In RIC {Richmond, VA] Airport, TSA is apparently still searching for the Belt Bomber, so you still have an airport full of old men whose trousers keep falling down as they go through security. Aren't suspenders inherently more dangerous?. Remember David and Goliath!!!
So we have the perfect elements for little dictators to take over the friendly skies. An emotional time of year with too many travelers; new regulations that can be arbitrarily enforced; more delays in checking in and boarding. Today a flight attendant went through the plane systematically pulling down all the coats and jackets, making everyone wait until the luggage was stowed. Then all the passengers had to get up from their window, middle and aisle seats and put their coats and jackets back in the exact spots the attendant had removed them from. Departure delayed. You all need to take your seats before the plane can depart the gate.
She then proceeded to tell me I had to turn off my iPod for takeoff. When I told her it was off, she blurted' "I can still hear the music", even as I showed her that the headphones were unplugged!
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE -- please check it curbside with the SkyCap.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
NAKED and not liking it
Last month I had my first "naked" scan. I was herded into the device, told to raise my hands like I was being robbed, scanned and dismissed. Didn't like it one bit, felt violated, but didn't have the time, energy or courage [I guess] to say "no". I suspect that I am like the majority of travelers who don't like the idea but are willing to give up a piece of their personal liberty just to move on quickly. Hope I won't regret that decision.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Guest Appearance on MondayNightRadio.com
Hear how they all relate at http://www.mondaynightradio.com/what-baggage-do-you-bring-in-your-luggage/. Look for the free iTunes link. Host Anne Mitchell gave the blog a great plug.
Thanks to Peter Shankman and HARO (www.helpareporter.com) for the lead to MondayNightRadio.
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