Jake Cain is an entrepreneur and writer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He spends his free time driving around the country in his late 90’s conversion van, affectionately known as the “Monster Van” with his wife and 3 boys.
Reddit is the place where quirky, bizarre, and ingenious ideas meet for a hearty debate. A post in r/mildlyinteresting by user ChicagoLove420 featured an electric powered suitcase that doubles as a scooter, sparking a slew of comments, concerns, and chuckles.
One user, Flick-tas, jumped straight into the logistics, questioning the battery size and TSA approval, linking to the TSA’s guidelines on lithium batteries. This comment triggered a discussion on the practicality of such a gadget. YahYahY pointed out the potential embarrassment, saying, “Seems like it’d be super uncomfortable, it would easily tip over, and you’d look like a dumbass riding around on it. Not sure the appeal here.” Mechaloth had a different take, preferring to pack light to avoid waiting at the carousel altogether.
The whimsical thread saw references to Jeremy Clarkson, with users like teh_lynx and Fujiwara_Takumi4475 crediting the idea to the whimsy of the former Top Gear host.
However, not all were amused. Tokenside critiqued the invention as a symbol of laziness, remarking, “what a useless piece of plastic. it seems people don’t want to use their legs at all.” Caribbean_Ed718 chimed in with a wider lens, commenting, “The typical American way.”
The discussion also unearthed a hilarious real-life incident where a woman led a police chase through Orlando airport on a motorized suitcase, a video of which can be viewed here.
The thread brings out a myriad of perspectives on what on the surface seems like a fun, innovative gadget, but dives deeper into practical, social, and humorous territories, typical of a lively Reddit discussion.
As for my take?
I suppose if I really needed some assistance, I’d go with the more traditional scooter or wheel chair route. It seems like the target audience for this is someone who loves gadgets and hates walking through airports. However, I’d be so paranoid about hitting a bump and tipping over, I’d probably just walk.