Byย Lou Milano
There are so many new tech innovations that I find pointless or wasteful, but this is not one of them.
For too many years now, I've been treated like a pack mule by my family and I've had it. When I was a young man, my Dad stopped carrying things and turned that responsibility over to me. Now, my boys are getting to the age when I should turn it over to them but no one listens to me. I've been carrying the heaviest things my family owns my entire life.
My Mom, Dad, sisters, children, auntsย and uncles load me up and watch me haul, sweat, drop things, struggle, swear, and they wonder why I don't want to go anywhere. I especially loathe the beach. Let me rephrase, I love the beach but cannot enjoy it because I'm the one who has to carry ten chairs, four bags, two coolers, a tent, an umbrella and a bag of toys.
We needed an innovation that dealt with this problem, likeย 40 years ago, and now it's here. I have no emotional attachment to this particular company, I just chose one of the many companies that makes these electric powered wagons. The one below is called theย E-Beach Wagon.
Image courtesy of e-Beach Wagon
These things are perfect for navigating your average beach, but especially for the rocky shores of the Long Island Sound in Connecticut. Check out some of these specs:
โก ย Powder-coated aluminum frame and railings
โก ย 12" low-pressure polyurethaneย balloon tires
โก ย Two 12-volt sealed lead-acid batteries
โก ย Key on & off switch with ignition cover and a set of 2 keys
โก ย Wagon charging port with wall charger
โก ย 2 USB charging ports
โก ย Forward / reverse / neutral switch
โก ย Neutral switch for manual pulling
โก ย Weather-resistant enclosed electrical and mechanical compartment
โก ย Removable tall side railings (slats are weather-resistantย paulownia wood)
โก ย 8 built-in pole holders to mountย flags, umbrellas, or fishing rods
โก ย Removable plastic wagon bed
โก ย Detachable handlebar for easy storage and transportation
Now, here comes the problem for me, this thing retails for $2,399. I looked around and there are other similar products from companies likeย Sandhopper.ย Their products also sell in about thatย price range (thousands of dollars).
I'm not bagging on these companies, it probably costs a pretty-penny to make these and they have toย worry aboutย their profit margins. But, I need to be realistic forย my situation, this is not aย justifiable purchase for me.
Amazon also has some electric wagons in theย $600-$900ย range that I can't afford either. Then, I was able to find some that aren't electric powered but give me more leverage like the Go Plus below which is listed onย Amazonย forย $199.
Image courtesy of Go Plus/Amazon
The moral of the story is this, unless you're me, there is a way out from carrying things until itย killsย you.
P.S. I've decided I'm just going to make my own but if I have to go to all that trouble, I'm going to really amp things up. Mine will haveย 4 seats, roll cage, bulletproof glass paneling, semi-automatic water gun, tray of Viagra and the turning radius of a forklift. As for the aesthetic, I think this looks right.
Image courtesy of Getty Images