Need to know: Baggage complaints, food wipes and Half Dome

Baggage complaints hit the right note

Dave Carroll, the Canadian musician who won worldwide acclaim with his cutting, catchy song about baggage mishandling at United Airlines, last week released the third in his music video trilogy of rants. “United Breaks Guitars: Song 3: United We Stand…” is a bluegrass arrangement that includes moonshine-swilling hillbillies, fake beards, dorky square-dancing, extended mockery of United customer service, and a wicked solo by dobro master Jerry Douglas. The original video, which brought to public attention the damage to his Taylor guitar, drew 9 million views on YouTube after its release in July. “Now I’m done being mad at United,” Carroll sings in the new release. “Essentially they broke my career.” He means that in a good way. Besides the new song, Carroll has unveiled a consumer-advocacy website, https://www.rightsideofright.com where people can share their experiences. Once Carroll’s song went viral, United Airlines apologized early and often. United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said last week the airline implemented a new process for “baggage claims that involve special situations” and had revised policies for carrying on musical instruments.

-- Christopher Reynolds

Clean hands, fruit, planet

Want to wash your hands on a plane, train or boat in a greener way? Eat Cleaner Grab ‘N Go Fruit & Vegetable wipes make eating or washing on the fly easier and greener. These fragrance-free, alcohol-free, biodegradable towelettes, made by Grow Green Industries Inc., are said to remove dirt, film or chemicals from fruit, vegetables and utensils along with grime from your hands without water. Info: (888) 284-2435, https://www.eatcleaner.com.

-- Terry Gardner

Half Dome out of reach

If you’re planning an assault on Half Dome in May or June, your time may have run out. In the first 48 hours of peddling hiker permits, under a new system designed to relieve weekend and holiday crowding on Yosemite National Park’s popular Half Dome Trail, park concessionaires had sold nearly all of the 5,700 available spots by last week. The permits carry a processing fee of $1.50 each. Park officials turned to this temporary system after four deaths in four years near the top of the trail, where summer hikers use a pair of cables on stanchions to steady themselves for the final 400 feet of ascent on the granite. The new system limits foot traffic on the Half Dome Trail to 300 day-hikers and 100 backpackers per day on summer weekends and holidays. You’ll soon get a shot at permits for July and August. On April 1, park officials will release another batch of permits, covering the Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from July 1 through Aug. 31. The last batch of permits, covering September and about half of October (depending on weather) will go up for grabs May 1. Hikers must reserve permits at least one week in advance, either through the National Recreation Reservation Service at (877) 444-6777 or https://www.recreation.gov.

-- Christopher Reynolds

A desk on the go

Hook the Wheelmate Laptop Steering Wheel Desk to your car steering wheel, and you have an instant tray for dining, working on your laptop computer or writing. (No, of course not while you are driving.) The sturdy vinyl laminate tray provides a 15-by-6-inch working surface that wipes clean easily. Be sure to measure the steering wheel before ordering. The curved end sections of the tray that hook on the wheel will fit a wheel that is no thicker than 1 1/4 inches. You may have to turn the wheel one way or the other to provide clearance for the curved lip between the “hooks.” On my car, the tilt of the steering wheel, even when adjusted, kept the tray from lying completely horizontal, so I avoided using it for liquids. But it made a great surface for everything else during a break in my road trip. Wheelmate Laptop Steering Wheel Desk (EFL-1410636) costs $29.07. Info: (866) 222-0030, https://www.cableorganizer.com.

-- Judi Dash