An addendum
So I have this roll-aboard suitcase that’s my standard traveling companion for almost any trip:
It had a handle at the bottom which served two purposes:
1) giving you something to pull on from the bottom of the suitcase when it’s lying flat (for example, on a security checkpoint conveyor belt)
2) stabilizing the suitcase when it’s standing upright, so that it doesn’t fall forward due to the weight in the main compartment
Sometime last year, I was forced to gate-check this bag, because my flight was full, I was in the last boarding group, and rising baggage fees have led to jam-packed overhead compartments. I am generally very particular about keeping my bags with me at all times (for fear of loss or damage), so of course the first time I gate-checked this thing, the bottom handle got broken off. However, one side of it was left partially intact, so that at least the stabilization function of the handle wasn’t totally undermined:
…at least, not until the next time I had to gate-check my bag a few months later. The last remnants of the handle were destroyed, and I now found my suitcase almost totally unable to stand on its own when filled.
So when I was home for Memorial Day, I asked my dad if he could fix it for me. I had a vague notion that something needed to be mounted to the bottom of the suitcase to stabilize it, but I had no real idea what or how. The next day, my dad went to Orchard Supply Hardware and bought (of all things) a metal cabinet/drawer door handle. He punched two holes in the bottom of the suitcase with a drill bit, and we bolted the handle onto it. The finishing touch (which I’ll take credit for) was covering the handle with electrical tape, which helps it stand out less and minimizes scratching noises from the metal handle when it touches the floor.
The finished product:
The suitcase stands up perfectly, no matter how much we put in it — in fact, it’s probably more sturdy than when I bought it!
My dad is incredibly practical, and that is yet another reason why he is awesome.
Happy Father’s Day!