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Outlet Rage!

I've spent hour after hour in airline clubs in recent weeks (years, decades). Lately I've a new phenomenon (or maybe I'm just paying attention for the first time). Ever so many of us are working assiduously for our 45 minutes or 2 hours on our Laptops. "Mini-offices" are almost always full. Okay. But it's the absence of Wall Outlets that is becoming a source of tension. I collided with a guy in the Chicago Red Carpet Club as we ungracefully plunged for the last outlet in the joint. It wasn't the first time I'd seen such a thing—or, frankly, participated in it. Only the TSA proscription on knives, pointed objects in general, and guns has kept lethal forces at bay.

Tom Peters posted this on 09/22/06.

Comments

Have you ever thought of packing an outlet strip or something similarly functional in your kit?

Posted by John at September 22, 2006 4:11 PM

I've long sense added a 3-into-1 AC adapter (technically called a "triple tap") of these to my road warrior bag. A quick "excuse me, could I unplug you for just a second" and I'm juicing right up. You can pick one up at Radio Shack or any office supply store for under $10.

Posted by Brian at September 22, 2006 8:13 PM

I asked to use an outlet close to a Border's bookstore food section to charge my laptop and the attendant said I could not use it becauae it was in the "wireless zone". I stared at her for a minute hoping she was joking - she was not...

Posted by vinnie mirchandani at September 22, 2006 11:16 PM

I have the same problem while traveling. Airports have VERY few outlets!! Its kind of funny, before looking for a place to eat I'll scan the floor looking for outlets!

Posted by Mike in Cali at September 23, 2006 12:12 AM

Brian ... brilliant. Will do. Hey, I carry a 25-foot extension cord for hotel rooms, why not a 3-in-1 adapter; I'll get it today.

Mike, not only that, but I often end up sitting on the floor in a waiting area, leaning up against a column that happens to have an outlet.

Posted by tom peters at September 23, 2006 7:19 AM

Better yet, get an extension cord that splits into plugs at the end. Two birds, one 25-foot-stone.

My bright orange $1.98-at-Ace-Hardware 3-way cube tap is never out of my laptop bag.

I'm pretty good at sniffing out outlets these days. O'Hare, my home airport, is pretty bad for outlets, whereas Portland and Minneaplis have a lot of them around. The #1 thing to look for to find outlets: People on laptops. #2 is to check columns. You can usually see conduit running down from the ceiling. #3 is the areas around the ticket counter at the gate. #4 is just looking for the little brass outlet covers embedded in the floor.

This all reminds me of Seth Godin's article about the anti-helpful sign at JFK:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/03/different_kinds.html

Posted by Andy Lester at September 25, 2006 9:21 AM