Do you have Outlet Outrage? Study Reveals Travelers Really Love their Technology.

Apparently, there’s a good chance you’re reading this while sitting on the floor somewhere. It’ll come as no surprise to folks that more and more vacationers are traveling with some sort of computing device - laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. What may raise a few eyebrows though are the lengths people will go to get some juice for those devices and how all of this technology makes them feel. A new study released this week from Intel shares some insights and introduces us all to the term “Outlet Outrage.”

According to Intel’s Tech Norms for Travelers our love for our gadgets knows no bounds. Nearly half of the respondents said they felt anxious when traveling without a computing device. Sixty-four percent admitted to sacrificing personal appearance by giving up hair dryers, styling tools, toiletries, sunscreen, workout clothes and even shoes to make room in their luggage for it. And most folks said they would rather lose their wedding ring then their technology.

But that doesn’t begin to cover the lengths we’ll go to get some power. When travelers need electricity, they need it now, regardless of what they have to do to get it.

• 46% of all travelers and 63% of young travelers (18-29 years old) admitted to compromising their comfort and hygiene to get to an outlet
• 37% sat on the floor
• 15% searched public bathrooms
• 33% specifically chose a certain restaurant or coffee house based on outlet availability

I chuckled reading these numbers because at a meeting recently, we were discussing how some hotels make it incredibly difficult to charge your phone on the nightstand by the bed. For those of us who use our phones as our alarm on the road, we’re forced to move nightstands and decide which lamps to unplug. Sorry, but an outlet on the desk across the room (assuming it even has that) just doesn’t cut it. But I digress…

You can check out the full details and other interesting tidbits from the study on the Intel site. I’d share them here but it’s getting uncomfortable sitting on floor in the bathroom of the coffee shop trying to type this blog.

Image Courtesy - Intel