What else is there to say? Your article is the perfect epitaph for this absurd device. Kamen has done some brilliant things, and I hope he will go on to do more of them in the future, but you have to wonder how he was able to look at the world and say, "What people really need is an expensive new technology that allows them to cover moderate distances at low speeds!" Oh--and provided they don't need to carry anything in their arms, climb stairs, or enter any kind of a confined space, such as a store, office, or another vehicle.
For the price of a Segway, you can buy an excellent, near top-of-the-line scooter, better in almost every practical respect. You can get a low-end moped for a fraction of the price, and I'll sell you my old bike for a hundred bucks. Of course, none of those scream, "I have money! Get out of my way!" quite like a Segway pulling 12 MPH down the sidewalk.
They do look like fun to ride in the right circumstances, though--one of these days, I'm going to get around to doing one of those city tours on one. But a model T for the 21st century? More like an Edsel.
-- ckbryant
(To reply, click here)
I've always felt this way about them. I find them to be more of a nuisance than anything else. I worked at a library a while back where someone was quite irate that the security gates shorted out his Segway as he attempted to ride through them. To add insult to injury, he also managed to lodge himself in the gate halfway through so that we had to dismantle the gates partly before he could leave. I saw the mess and had to retreat to my office to snicker uncontrollably for about 20 minutes. He apparently bitched up a storm about our library not being handicap accessible (he was not in any way disabled himself, but ahem, concerned for others) until the director pointed out that not only do we provide wheelchairs in our library, but the Friends had purchased a deluxe electric scooter that could be moved through the gates without hassle. It is a pretty full service library. There is still a sign warning visitors that Segways will not fit through the gates and may cease functioning, and as far as I know we only ever had one pretentious person who brought one in
On the other hand, I went to D.C. recently, and after the 4 hour marathon gauntlet of monuments and buildings with over 8 miles of walking in 85 degree weather, the Segs in the City tour sure looked good.
-- mmroberto
(To reply, click here)
What did you think of this article?
Join The Fray: Our Reader Discussion Forum
PRINT
DISCUSS
E-MAIL
RSS
RECOMMEND...
Facebook
MySpace
Mixx
Digg
Reddit
del.icio.us
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Sphere
StumbleUpon
Sarah Palin's Brand of Populism Is Dangerous and Deceptive
New York Times Amazed To Find Jews in Montana
All Your Nagging Amanda Knox Questions Answered
No One Writes a Great Letter Anymore
Scientific Proof That Buying Green Products Makes You a Worse Person
Could a Tea Party Candidate Actually Win an Election?
What else is there to say? Your article is the perfect epitaph for this absurd device. Kamen has done some brilliant things, and I hope he will go on to do more of them in the future, but you have to wonder how he was able to look at the world and say, "What people really need is an expensive new technology that allows them to cover moderate distances at low speeds!" Oh--and provided they don't need to carry anything in their arms, climb stairs, or enter any kind of a confined space, such as a store, office, or another vehicle.
For the price of a Segway, you can buy an excellent, near top-of-the-line scooter, better in almost every practical respect. You can get a low-end moped for a fraction of the price, and I'll sell you my old bike for a hundred bucks. Of course, none of those scream, "I have money! Get out of my way!" quite like a Segway pulling 12 MPH down the sidewalk.
They do look like fun to ride in the right circumstances, though--one of these days, I'm going to get around to doing one of those city tours on one. But a model T for the 21st century? More like an Edsel.
-- ckbryant
(To reply, click here)
I've always felt this way about them. I find them to be more of a nuisance than anything else. I worked at a library a while back where someone was quite irate that the security gates shorted out his Segway as he attempted to ride through them. To add insult to injury, he also managed to lodge himself in the gate halfway through so that we had to dismantle the gates partly before he could leave. I saw the mess and had to retreat to my office to snicker uncontrollably for about 20 minutes. He apparently bitched up a storm about our library not being handicap accessible (he was not in any way disabled himself, but ahem, concerned for others) until the director pointed out that not only do we provide wheelchairs in our library, but the Friends had purchased a deluxe electric scooter that could be moved through the gates without hassle. It is a pretty full service library. There is still a sign warning visitors that Segways will not fit through the gates and may cease functioning, and as far as I know we only ever had one pretentious person who brought one in
On the other hand, I went to D.C. recently, and after the 4 hour marathon gauntlet of monuments and buildings with over 8 miles of walking in 85 degree weather, the Segs in the City tour sure looked good.
-- mmroberto
(To reply, click here)