Those who recall my 2005 post on an all-too-mortal blog, linking to this Wired story -
Directly inside the entrance to the exhibit stands a paper home that could withstand the huffing and puffing of the breathiest big bad wolf. Two people can assemble the fire-resistant Global Village Shelter in 15 minutes, unfolding it like a giant work of origami…
- mark well its corollary unto purposes slightly less apocalyptic:
Itineraries
Frank Giotto, President of Fiber Instrument Sales Inc., demonstrated the Mini Motel at the Syracuse airport. The Mini Motel is a one-person tent designed for travelers who are stranded at an airport and includes, an air mattress, pillow, bed sheet, alarm clock, reading light, toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs and eye shades.
Sleeping at an airport overnight, once almost a sport for the young and short of cash, has become a lot more common lately, affecting even older and professional travelers. And a big reason is that airlines are no longer as free with complimentary hotel vouchers as they once were…
Add another thing to the CamelBak system and commercial LED flashlight I wish I’d cornered the market on back when I was making my own equipment.
You would think, though, that airports would at least emulate the Japanese cubicle hotel to provide travelers with their own personal airport doggy kennel.
It needs room service and a local hooker guidebook to attract the business class. The bad part here is that this is yet another way of telling us how much trouble our airlines are in. A lot of this has come from bad management. but gyrating energy prices and our weird security rules dont help. The fact is that we still need airlines.
Steve
A friend replied to the email version of this post:
Prediction: new cultural phenomenon – the “Ground Level Club.” “If the Mini-Motel is rockin’, don’t come knockin’.”
Just hang your tie on the outside.
Steve