List the parents on children's passports

Just a thought, but if children all have to have their own passports (rather than be added to their parents' passports), why do those passports not list who the parents or legal guardians are?! If a passport is supposed to be the only document needed for a person to travel abroad, then for minors, this is critical information. As it stands, parents (biological or adoptive) often need extra documentation to show their legal right to take the child to other countries. Particularly parents with different last names. None of this was a problem when the children were on their parents' passports. It seems a simple change to effect a significant improvement - both for parents/guardians and for the immigration and airline officials responsible for checking permissions.

Just a thought.

Vacuum spherical wheels

Just a thought, but why don't they use spherical wheels or something equivalent for vacuums? The evil swivel wheel on the front of mine refuses to follow my guidance and is responsible for damaged walls, minor muscle strain and, most importantly, a great deal of time lost pulling the damned thing around the corner, door, chair or whatever it got stuck on. Basically it turns too easily. I would actually be happier if there were no swivel wheel at all. Or, indeed, just a spherical wheel in its place. So it rolls, but in a more linear, and therefore likely more predictable direction. As it is it seems to seek out the nearest obstacle to get caught on. So annoying. There's got to be a better way.

Just a thought.

Pay by weight rates for air travel

Just a thought, but why don't we have pay by weight rates for air travel? The plane literally uses more fuel to carry more weight, and the actual flying weight has to be calculated relatively accurately to prevent the plane from needlessly (wastefully) having to carry more fuel than is needed (within safety margins, of course). Rather than a standard fare for passengers weighing 15kg or 150kg, wouldn't it be smarter and fairer to pay by weight? I see how the overweight majority would complain about this, but it isn't unfair treatment. It's fair treatment. For example, on some major airlines nowadays, a small person weighing 50 kg gets one 20kg bag of luggage. This person accounts for 70kg of the plane's load. The next passenger weighs 120kg and gets the same 20kg bag allowance (a total of 140 kg, or double the first load) for exactly the same price, even though it costs the airline more in fuel to actually move that load. Then there's the idiocy of hand luggage. They can both bring the same amount there too. And if, for example, the small person exceeds the hand luggage amount by a few kilos, they have to pay extra to check the extra weight, usually at insane prices. Yet logically, in terms of actual costs, they should still be paying less for a total weight still only about half of the large person's. 

I don't think the fare should be entirely weight-based. But a fair price would have a seat-based fee (incorporating the cost of flying the plane itself) and a weight fee on top of that. And then you should be able to decide when booking the ticket how much weight you need. And that should be that. I pay for my seat and then can add on as much luggage as I need, taking into account my own body weight.  So if the small person buys a ticket for 120kg, they should be allowed 70kg of baggage for the same price as their large friend travelling with nothing. (This example is getting out of hand, but the principle stands.) If I travel with nothing, I should pay less. If my child accompanies me, he should pay less still. 

I think airlines are sort of moving in this direction, but from political correctness haven't quite taken this step yet, though baggage is counted separately and some airlines still have children's rates, for example. I think it should be taken this extra step. Have to include your body weight at least when buying a ticket. Rounded to the 5 kg or so. 

But fairest would be to have the person, bags and all, up on the baggage scale to pay the actual rate at the time of departure. And pay extra for overweight above that booked. Not above some stupid arbitrary limit. 

Just a thought. 

Clear varnish on cars

Just a thought, but why isn't there a clear, protective varnish layer over the paint on cars? Paint scratches ridiculously easily (as I'm learning thanks to my new black car), and for such an expensive purchase, it seems a waste not to protect it better. A clear varnish would surely provide just such protection. And shine. Glorious, new-car shine...

Just a thought.

Solar powered airplanes

Just a thought, but why aren't airplanes covered in solar panels (top half only, obviously)? Other than night flights, there is constant, strong sun available for the majority of the flight regardless of weather conditions. Considering that air travel is considered one of the most environmentally damaging activities (in terms of CO2 emissions due to fuel consumption), why isn't this a standard policy? Surely this would result is substantial fuel (and therefore CO2-emission) savings. The energy generated while landed could also be stored for later use by/on the plane itself or fed into the airport power grid if on-board batteries would negatively affect the weight/capacity of the plane.

Just a thought.