Arjun Ram writes "MSNBC.com is reporting that renting a segway would cost as much as $20 for each 30-minute increment, for up to 90 minutes. Users can also pay $5 for a test drive, or 'pre-glide' as Lambeth calls it. Neat!"
...and go where?
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 5, Interesting
So, aside from pedestrian-friendly cities like Boston and New York, where the hell would you take it from one place to another and back in a half hour?
Put the rental place near a running/rollerblading trail. Customers can go all the way to one end and back, while looking sillier than the freaks in dayglow spandex.
With that price, it's an amusement, not a practical device for getting you from point A to point B. Besides, where would you park without it being stolen?
motorized vehicles are not welcome on running/rollerblading trails. Nor are they on sidewalks.
Vehicles like the segway belong in the road -- with the cars... maybe the desire to be responsible with personal transportation, and its associated infrastructure can change the depth of some of the associated problems (sprawl, pollution, inhumane citydesign, obesity..etcetc).
Re:...and go where?
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Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2, Funny
Segway won't work in NY. Sidewalks are too crowded. If some dumbass on a Segway ran into me as he blabbed on his cell phone, I'd punch him. And some punk kid would steal the Segway.
Re:...and go where?
by
larry+bagina
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· Score: 2, Funny
But, but... Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs told me that whole cities would be built around it! Are you saying they make incredible claims with no basis in reality?!?!?!!?
I took my Segways to New York City this weekend. I rode down Broadway through Times Square in the midst of a huge mob of pedestrians on Friday and Saturday nights. There were no problems whatsoever. I got dozens of positive comments from people around me, and no negativity.
If I ran into you I would deserve a punch in the face, because I would have to be aiming for you and it would have been a first strike.
Be sure you know firsthand what you're talking about before you declare the Segway unfit for sidewalk use. Actually get on and try it in a dense crowd, it's simply not a problem. Until you actually ride this machine, there is no way you can have a good idea of what it is.
Well, here in Florida bike lanes are ubiquitous in the urban areas I've lived in. They are wide enough for Segways. That's not to say I'd rent a Segway on a regular basis, but at least I know I'd have a place to ride one if I did.
-- "A generation which ignores history has no past and no future."
-- Robert Heinlein
Still overpricing something that doesn't DO anything. Too many americans are overweight.. but we don't do anything about it. Now we've got this thing.. *sigh* What ever happened to WALKING somewhere?
Stu, allow me to tell you something. This is probably the biggest misconception amongst people in the community.
I'm 15, and probably the youngest Early Adopter out there. An Early Adopter is an owner who purchased their Segway HT through Amazon, and was one of the first units shipped. I ordered mine, for example, an hour and a half after the launch back in November. A Segway i-Series is by no means cheap, about $5000 retail. I chose mine in lieu of a car for now, and hoped that it would make my life a bit easier and productive.
Now, over two months in use, my i-Series has in no way disappointed. My commute to school leaves a smile on my face as I follow the scenic route I plan in the morning, a beautiful alternative to driving on US-1. I no longer contribute to the thermal and chemical pollution of cars or even buses, and my method of transportation is just as unique as the people whose smiles reach from ear to ear as they see me. I've made new friends and acquaintances with the HT as my conversation piece, even. It has actually made Miami a safer place for me.
Now, to address your "fat" comment. Most of us have come to a definite conclusion about the Segway in regards to concerns like yours. I'm a geek, like so many others out there in/. are. I used a car to get everywhere before my HT, and I never walked much farther than from my computer chair to the fridge, or from class to class. Now not only do I get out and see the environment (as shoddily preserved as it may be!), but I have a new form of exercise. It may not seem like much here, but you would be quite surprised to learn that using an HT is a good bit of work for your legs. You don't notice it at first, but the ache is there for about two weeks. The fine muscle control over muscles you didn't really know existed is a definite exercise. Okay, I understand how someone -could- get fatter if they were a fitness nut, walked or jogged everywhere, and suddenly replaced that with a Segway HT. But that's not the point of the Seg, folks. The company itself states, and those of us in the community agree, that the Segway HT isn't intended to replace walking, it's designed to replace short car trips that have disastrous effects on our environment, and our pockets too.
If anybody has any further questions or comments regarding the Segway, my experiences, or just about anything, feel free to drop me an email (opti6600@bellsouth.net).
No, see, the funniest part is watching the people who will drive their SUV (Stupid Ugly Vehicles) 2 miles to the local gym club, spend 10 minutes driving around the parking lot looking for the parking space that is the absolute closest to the front doors as humanly possible, and take the elevator to the 2nd floor......so they can spend 20 minutes "working out" on a Stairmaster!
(Not as absurd as it sounds, you see it a lot if you pay attention...) =Smidge=
I'm 15, and probably the youngest Early Adopter out there.
It costs $ to be an 'early adopter' (which btw is a universal term for "person who buys new kit, has little regard for $)
A Segway i-Series is by no means cheap, about $5000 retail. I chose mine in lieu of a car for now, and hoped that it would make my life a bit easier and productive.
Assuming for a second that your not a astro-turfish shill, Where exactly does a 15 year old get $5000 to spend on crap like this? "in lieu of a car for now"? and you are planning on buying a car too?
You indulgent little shit, buy a goddamn bike and give the rest of the cash daddy-gives to United Way.
Yes, Americans are way too lazy...and I count myself as one of them.
We don't walk anymore it seems. Just to go down to the store we take the car. How many people use cabs in New York instead of walking the couple of blocks?
I'm GROSSLY overweight. I"m 41 and if I don't change my ways, I won't be around to see my son grow up.
So that's it, I'm getting up...going to stop sitting in front of the damn computer and get outside and do some walking!
--
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
I'm sorry here buddy, but could we keep this at a mature level for a minute? I'd love to know why the moderators even considered giving you anything more than flamebait for a minute.
All of my kvetching aside, though. Listen, I'm an Early Adopter because of where I live, the time I live in, and my mindset. I live in Miami. The traffic is to say the least, hellish. Gas prices are through the roof, and even regular unleaded nowadays can cost upwards of $1.80 a gallon. Insurance costs? Insanity.
Using a Segway is a statement and a way I live my life. It says that I'm not an ignorant peon who realizes the folly of using 100-year old technology to move from point A to point B at the cost of our environment. It says that I'm enough of a geek to realize the potential of this technology. Above all, it's an opportunity for me to gain simple independence and unique standing at the benefit of my own mind.
My HT was paid for in large by my father, but also in part by myself, with the profits from a small network consulting firm I run (about a 70-30 split of the cost there). He would have ended up paying for a car in less than a few months, so even a Kia Rio (MSRP $5k) would cost more than a HT. Funny you mention United Way...I'll mention round figures for a moment - our family contributes in excess of $30k a year to various charitable organizations, United Way amongst them (yes, real organizations, not the NRA or Walk America).
Do you for some strange reason think that a bike would resolve my transportation issues, or that of anyone else? I don't dispute the exercise potential of a bicycle for a minute, however its real transportation value is little, if any. My morning commute is 5.7 miles on the street, and another 10 miles or so on the Miami-Dade Metrorail. As a matter of fact, bicycles aren't allowed on the Metro during rush-hour, and as such, I wouldn't be able to use it for my commute if I wanted to. I carry about 30-40 pounds of stuff on a daily basis between my laptop, backpack, and any other gear I may have with me. Bikes are not only less safe, but they are more of an inconvenience and less rugged than the HT for my purposes. I can't bike to school every day in khakis and a decent shirt and show up in proper condition in 90F weather with 80-95% humidity and sunshine.
Take a break from ignorance, perhaps ask some questions first next time. I don't mind questions, I do however mind being insulted (ignorant little shit - how low can you go?).
Oh, and no, I'm probably not going to be looking at a car. The costs are prohibitive, and I don't see a need for one at this point. My HT works perfectly for my needs.
Once again, if you have any questions (or insults even), please contact me whenever you like at opti6600@bellsouth.net.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but consider it for a moment. To move on a Segway HT, you must apply continual forward force. Granted, its not much, but it's more than I'd get sitting in a car. You're using muscles the whole ride.
You aren't standing on a Segway, you're always leaning. There is no simple throttle other than your body weight. And while yes, you can just throw yourself forward, it's not safe or appropriate to do so. You have to keep fine motor control over yourself at all times.
If you're ever in the Miami are, just drop me a line and we can set you up for a demo.
Bah. I can't believe people are buy this thing for 5,000 bucks. I can see a nitch marked it such as the mentioned security gard at disney land but not for the every day joe. To expensive and range isn't long enough.
When I was 15 I didn't walk to school ether but I wasn't to fucking lazy that I had to have a 5,000 dollar toy drag my fat ass around. I had a $35 skateboard and $35 was expensvie for one then.
Leaning in the direction you want you fat ass to go isn't excersise. Now a skateboard that requires skill. Ditch your fucking over price toy and get somethign that requires you to do something. A skateboard or bicycle comes to mind. Your body will thank you and you will look much cooler, instead just a fat lazy geek.
--
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
"It says that I'm not an ignorant peon who realizes the folly of using 100-year old technology to move from point A to point B at the cost of our environment."
Century-old internal combustion engines weren't anywhere near as efficient as they are today
What exactly produces the electricity you use to charge your Segway?
"Above all, it's an opportunity for me to gain simple independence and unique standing at the benefit of my own mind."
Is it just me, or did you just say that the most important reason you had one was that it made you look cool?
"Do you for some strange reason think that a bike would resolve my transportation issues, or that of anyone else?"
What could a Segway do to solve someone's transportation problems that a bicycle could not?
"As a matter of fact, bicycles aren't allowed on the Metro during rush-hour, and as such, I wouldn't be able to use it for my commute if I wanted to."
And Segways are? You're one of those people that believes that Segway users are still somehow pedestrians, aren't you? I suspect the only reason that Segway's are "allowed" on the train is that a city employee hasn't taken you to task on it yet.
"I carry about 30-40 pounds of stuff on a daily basis between my laptop, backpack, and any other gear I may have with me."
How is it better to wear all that on your back than to distribute it between your back and saddle bags?
"Bikes are not only less safe, but they are more of an inconvenience and less rugged than the HT for my purposes."
Like how, exactly? I somehow don't see a Segway doing much off-road...
"I can't bike to school every day in khakis and a decent shirt and show up in proper condition in 90F weather with 80-95% humidity and sunshine."
Why not? It's the very same weather you Segway your way to school in, and a bicycle can move faster than a Segway, shortening your time outside.
Listen, I'm an Early Adopter because of where I live, the time I live in, and my mindset. So, you define yourself in relation to market demographics? Do you also consider yourself a "consumer"?
The traffic is to say the least, hellish.
Traffic is hellish becaues of sprawl and the personal-auto paradigm.
Gas prices are through the roof
Gas prices in the SouthEast are some of the cheapest in the USA. The USA has some of the cheapest petrol on the planet. When you say prices are 'through the roof', your wrong.Insurance costs? Insanity.
Because of colluding, gouging insurance companies.. thats ANOTHER issue.
unique standing at the benefit of my own mind.
What?
He would have ended up paying for a car in less than a few months
Cant ride the bus? or walk/bike? To hear the entitlement argument spoken from a position of such privilage - wow.
Do you for some strange reason think that a bike would resolve my transportation issues, or that of anyone else? I don't dispute the exercise potential of a bicycle for a minute, however its real transportation value is little, if any. My morning commute is 5.7 miles on the street, and another 10 miles or so on the Miami-Dade Metrorail. As a matter of fact, bicycles aren't allowed on the Metro during rush-hour, and as such, I wouldn't be able to use it for my commute if I wanted to. I carry about 30-40 pounds of stuff on a daily basis between my laptop, backpack, and any other gear I may have with me. Bikes are not only less safe, but they are more of an inconvenience and less rugged than the HT for my purposes. I can't bike to school every day in khakis and a decent shirt and show up in proper condition in 90F weather with 80-95% humidity and sunshine.
blah blah blah - Im sorry, this is not only irrelevant, but terrible embarassing. #1) you didnt get my point regarding sprawl - you live too far from school, because of sprawl, get it? #2) hearing you suggest, you've done someone a favour because you bought a $5K segway -- because riding a bike would keep you from being fashionable @ school -- is unspeakably depressing.
Here here to the longboard. I ride my long board to school everyday. Although I bought a car, I can't afford to live close enough to school to skate there. Moreover, I can't afford a fucking segway (and my parents aren't about to help out with that). As a college student my $100 long board was probably one of my better investments, hell, i spend more than that on alcohol. As for homeboy up there, fixing your daddy's buddies computers does NOT constitute network consulting, nor does running cat5 to your room and the living room. Quit being a wuss and go get a real job (yes, some of us had real jobs @ 15)
I'm 36. I like bikes. $5K is way too much scratch to pay for a scooter, IMO. For $5k I can get me a really nice mountain bike, a good road bike, a good commuter bike as well as a Bob trailer to haul stuff with. More than enough stuff to negate most short car trips. Oh, and for that kind of cash I can also get a nice laptop backback, a new iPod (not recomended cycling gear, use at your own risk), extra tubes, a good helmet, and perhaps a couple monthly train passes to help extend the range of my bike(s). You get the picture.
No, I'm no tree hugger. I just hate traffic jams and smogy air. I especialy dislike seeing so many SUVs (AKA living room on wheels) piloted by inattentive, rude, angry cellphone wielding moms contributing to said traffic jams. I've spent much time commuting by bike/train and by car to work in one of the worst commutes in Southern California and in all the road time I've spent over the years I've almost NEVER seen an SUV being used as a carpool vehicle. The usual population is one small woman driver doing anything but driving (usually eating/makeup/yacking on the phone. Simutainiously. Guys don't get off the hook either. They usually are working a laptop/shaving/eating/reading/phone yacking. Simutainiously...) and one small brat in the back cooing away at the built in Disney Brain Melting box, AKA video system.
Oh, yeh, back to the bikes thing. I see these same screwballs making short drives in their Denali/Expedition/Escalade/H2/Conquistadore 5000/whatever piece of shit all the time. When I say short I mean like from the next street over or up the block from me to the gym or market two miles away or the elementary school 1 block away! Now, if said people were to get a decent bike capable of hauling a few items and perhaps a kiddie trailer then they could make said short trips to the market for a few goods, maybe even drop the little one(s) at daycare or preschool. Do enough of those and they can do away with that SUV trip to the gym altogether.
Obviously the bike isn't an answer to all commuting/hauling needs, like a big trip to the market. I much prefer a pickup truck to one of my bikes when it comes to hauling home concrete and fenceposts from the hardware store 8 miles down the road. Bike commuting isn't for everyone and can be inconvienient. But I don't see many folks making any sort of effort to even try anything like I'm suggesting. Not many who are more than capable at least.
All I'm saying is give it a try once in awhile. Maybe even consider a bike commute or at least a carpool in your Urban Assault vehicle. I see quite a few old timers around here pushing those 60 plus pound tricycle things around at a good clip so I'm sure most of you can get your fat ass on a 25lb commuter bike with a rack and grocery basket on the back and get around for a couple of miles every couple of days. I'm sure you can also find someone within a few miles of you at both work and home ends of the work commute willing to try a carpool. At least hang up the phone and get fully dressed and fed before you hit the road. Perhaps you'll not run me over as you make your way to the freeway.
"You're the one your coworkers refer to as the "stinky guy in the last cubicle", aren't you?"
If by "skinny" you mean "weighs over 230 lb," then yes. But just because I'm overweight and out-of-shape doesn't mean I can't walk the five miles to class in the same "unbearable" weather our original poster finds himself trying to cope with.
What do you think about deploying Cisco/Microsoft networks for 50-client corporate networks? That's what dNS does. Usual rate nets about $75/hr. We also mop up after idiot MIS/IT staff, which apparently aren't in short supply.
Perhaps that'll give you an idea of what a "real job" at 15 is. Oh, or is a real job at 15 mowing lawns for $5 an acre?
Oh, definitely! I'm just saying it's more exercise than sitting on my butt here all day, that's all. People seem to think it's just standing there, but it's a lot more than that.
Although there's a neat loophole. My friends and I don't use this too often, but it can come in handy (although with the Seg I don't need it anymore). We all have our own business ventures, some properly incorporated under Florida law. Therefore, we can take advantage of the Florida clause stating something to the effect of learner's drivers being able to drive to and from work unaccompanied, and I -know- you can circumvent the time restrictions on a 16-year old license using that method also.
Why not? It's the very same weather you Segway your way to school in, and a bicycle can move faster than a Segway, shortening your time outside.
Apparently you've never ridden a bike 5 miles in 90 degree weather. You tend to get sweaty and smelly. This kid has some valid reasons for getting a Segway instead of a car. It's not a toy for him, it's a genuine car replacement, and it seems odd that you're berating him for it.
"Apparently you've never ridden a bike 5 miles in 90 degree weather. You tend to get sweaty and smelly."
Yes, I have, and I also know that the same happens just from standing around in that kind of weather. And I doubt you get much more sweaty riding a bicycle at 20 MPH for 15 minutes than you would standing on a Segway for 30. Certainly not a $4500 difference.
"This kid has some valid reasons for getting a Segway instead of a car."
From what I've seen they're relatively misguided. He claims that it's better for the environment, but a bicycle doesn't use electricity from coal-fired plants. He claims that you can take a Segway on a train when bicycles are forbidden, but as we've seen before in other cities, that's mostly because city officials haven't gotten around to either making a new law or clarifying existing ones. He mentioned that it's easier to carry a load on a Segway than a bicycle, but even if you keep all the load on your back, leaning forward while riding a bicycle lessens the compression on the rider's spine. He mentioned scenery he could see from a Segway that is just as viewable from either a bicycle or on foot.
About the only vaguely "valid" reason he seems to have for owning a Segway (if I'm reading it correctly) is that it makes him feel like he looks cool (apparently a more important reason in his mind than environmental concerns, as seen by both the wording of his post and his apparent ignorance on where electricity comes from). Whether or not he actually looks cool is debatable (and of no real concern to me), but I see no reason to applaud his decision to spend $4500+ on nothing but vanity.
I no longer contribute to the thermal and chemical pollution of cars or even buses
Wrong, my friend. You contribute the same pollution, because the energy to power that thing was obtained by burning fossil fuels (or maybe nuclear in some places... which could be good or bad I suppose).
In fact since significant energy is lost to efficiency when you change its form, you're actually burning more fuel than if you did so directly and skipped the step of charging that thing by replacing it with a gas motor. I guess you can figure the cost of transporting gas vs the cost of laying power lines, but I doubt that compensates in the big picture.
Segways pollute just like other vehicles. Anything that does work (in the physical sense) is going to have issues. Just like "hydrogen cars" are total BS.
"In fact since significant energy is lost to efficiency when you change its form,"
Actually, going from fossil fuel to electrical energy is more efficient (and more managable) than going from fossil fuel to mechanical energy. This is why most diesel locomotives today are actually diesel-electric and why commercial shipbuilders are dabbling with the concept.
I just have to ask, have you considered trying an amazing machine called a bicycle? They are incredibly easy to use, very safe (assuming you use them responsibly), and I hear you can buy even a very good one for less than 1/5th the price of a Segway. I know, you have to actually move your legs a little bit to make them move, but to go at Segway-like speeds takes practically no energy at all. In addition, when you feel like going faster, the bicycle will allow you to go nearly as fast as you want. Why, I have heard that bicycles can travel at up to 160 mph, and for distances up to 200 miles. Amazingly, with all that utility, bicycles weigh less than half of what a Segway weighs (often times less than a quarter!), and there is extensive infrastructure in place in many cities that allow for easy storage during the day. So, just what is it about the Segway that attracted you? Low speed? High cost? Short range?
Seriously, what is it about a Segway that would attract anyone to using one?
Actually I've been looking into getting a Litespeed...I got the chance to demo one when a friend at camp brought his. I just need to find the time these days to actually use it.
I'll agree with you in frowning on SUVs, they're such a waste. And for those of you that didn't know, wavelengths Journal is an alternative energy publication - I'm actually -officially- using the Seg as alternative transportation!
Well, I don't know about other users...but I charge my HT on solar power quite a bit. MAST Academy is home to the only Solar I/II curriculum in the state of Florida, and as such, we have a good bit of equipment. At least half of my charges are done at school, where I've rigged up my HT to charge off of a few photovoltaic panels and an inverter. It's quite neat.
By the way...anybody in Miami this week should get in touch with me if they're interested in the Solar Celebration this Wednesday.
Well, I'll have to say I'm impressed. *points to demonbug's comment* - what you wrote was mature, well-written, and objective. Thanks!
Okay, I'll be happy to recap for you. First let's start on the reasons I cannot use a bike.
- My commute is 5.7 miles a day. This is in Miami weather, so I would show up as a complete sweatball by the time I hit my school. - 5.7 miles is if I use the Metrorail. Unfortunately, Metrorail doesn't allow bikes during rush hour (from 7-9 AM). My school gets in at 8 AM, so that makes a bit of a trouble to get to school in a timely manner in the mornings. - There are a number of situations where bikes can't be used as safely as a Segway can, particularly in Miami. This is mostly where we have low-hanging branches, sidewalk obstructions, things like that, and Miami streets aren't exactly fun experiences.
What attracts me to using a Segway? Well, I've covered it so many times I don't think it needs repeating, but I'll sum it up in one sentence. The Segway is clean, simple, fun, effective, different, advanced, and above all low-cost and efficient (you have to think in long-term).
Leaning may be more effort than simply standing...but it's not "a lot more than that." Don't try to make the Segway out to be exercise in any form please, that's just ridiculous.
How to ruin your social life
by
A+Proud+American
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· Score: 3, Funny
... in three easy steps.
1) Rent a Segway 2) Cart on over to the neighborhood Barnes 'n Noble 3) Rent an Internet station, browse Slashdot;-)
Yeah, the poster says it costs $20 for a 30 minute ride and labeled thats "neat!" Either he's got money to burn, or he's a troll. The only argument that might hold water for that price would be, "Cheaper than a prostitute! Woohoo!"
What portion of your tax-dollars are spent on highways, bi-ways, 4lane roads and other elements of urban-sprawl? Cities are being DESIGNED TO REQUIRE an automobile. Not only is the auto *personally* expensive, but sprawl costs your community big-BIG $$$. More roads to clear of snow, more roads to patrol, greater distances of electrical/water/sewage services all NEEDLESS spending because people are encouraged to WANT this mindless suburban-commuter lifestyle.
If you *aren't* forced (because of city-design) to spend $$$ on a 'truck', how much less would you be required to maintain the same standard of living? Could you turn in your auto, move downtown and vacation an additional 4 weeks per year? maybe.. maybe-not. The bottom line is that NorthAmerica needs a re-think on its personal transportation / city design ideas....
Im not saying the segway is the future of the world, I *am* saying it is welcome in a more reasonably-scaled urban environment.
Im tired of paying for sprawl and highways... not only is it irresponsible for the planet, it is expensive. I want a reasonable public transit system, and human-scale transportation (bikeways/walkways/segways(maybe))
What portion of your tax-dollars are spent on highways, bi-ways, 4lane roads and other elements of urban-sprawl?
The part payed for by my fuel taxes. Unfortunately, much of that gets robbed for bike trails, METRO rail and busses (exempt from the fule taxes of course) and a host of other things that I rarely use, but I pay for them whether I use them or not.
Here we go again with this taste/fashion arguement of "sprawl", that has beed defined every bit as well as "saturday night special", i.e., it is just a libel without definition.
Believe it or not, many people do not want to live in large cities. We have different tastes than you do, so please stop trying to impose your "taste" on us.
We have different tastes than you do, so please stop trying to impose your "taste" on us Do you commute to work? do you live in a suburban or (truly) rural environment?
Here we go again with this taste/fashion arguement of "sprawl"
fashion and taste are irrelevant. SPRAWL is real. Drive between detroit and dearborn. Between Toronto and Mississauga. Between %yournearestcity% and %somebedroomcommunity%. People who are buying $150k cookie cutter houses on 120x200 lots anyplace the land is flat is the problem. They depend on massive highways and byways to get their kids to school, food for dinner, a cup of coffee (starbucks drivethrough..). It is ecological suicide. The property that we are building these suburbs is (nearly gauranteed) to be the most productive in NorthAmerica (thats because communities in NA where plopped ontop of good agricultural land)
The part payed for by my fuel taxes. Unfortunately, much of that gets robbed for bike trails, METRO rail and busses
Do you *really* believe this? Reread my earlier post - your FUEL taxes dont even pay for the paving/maintenance/building of roads(!). The other issues (the sprawl itself) IS NOT payed by you -- its payed by everyone. BTW, each situation is different, but public transit is a minor expense in relation to the roads themselves... and bike trails/pedestrian transit routes -- really, common, are you joking? Most NA cities pay little more than lip service to these needs, let alone spend actual $. ARe you bloody kidding???
Shh, be careful not to give away the secret of carlessness. I don't own a car and hence live as if I'm rich, even though I'm not. That extra several hundred dollars a month I don't spend on payments, fuel, insurance, and repairs goes into other fun stuff, like flying from the pathetic east coast to Arizona 2-3 times a year first class on America West so I can hike Picacho Peak, The White Tanks, Estrella, eat big steaks at Crazy Eds and Pinnacle Peak Patio, etc, etc...
But it is a choice and I'd not want to force others to follow it. Not owning a car can be inconvenient at times, but for those times, there are car rentals. You also need to ensure you buy a house near a decent transit line... But if done right, it's fairly painless.
Wow! That was about as authoritative as using the WWP as a source for union issues, WSWS as a source for Economics, or Pacifica Radio as a source for ANYTHING to do with free choice.
Nice try though.
BTW, your in your sig, you use the same time tested method, well documented by George Orwell and others, that the Communist press has been using for ages to cease arguement. Then again, that is what you used when you invoked the dreaded "sprawl" word.
As Orwell wrote, in the closing passages of chapter XI, in Homage to Catalonia: "It is as though in the middle of a chess tournament one competitor should suddenly begin screaming that the other is guilty of arson or bigamy. The point that is really at issue remains untouched. Libel settles nothing."
You make a very good point. People need to choose which is best. However the problem I see is growing up with my parents 45 miles from the "big city", there is no public transportation at all. As I grew up it was just a societal thing where you take drivers-ed at school, get a part time job, buy a car, and pay the insurance. Nobody talked as if it was an option, that we had other choices. This was the only way that they talked about, everybody from peers, to parents, to administrators, to teachers, to politicians. We have a cycling club, but they just do it for fun, not for commuting or even any type of advocacy.
This is where changes can be made, in education and infrastructure. For instance when a new road is created if bike lanes would be required they would be very inexpensive.
Believe it or not, many people do not want to live in large cities. We have different tastes than you do, so please stop trying to impose your "taste" on us.
You don't usually have to live in a "big city" to scrap your car, although it certainly makes it easier. Numerous areas outside of large metro areas are served quite well by commuter rail. You can often find places that are on the edge of denser areas near a transit line that also have close walkable or bikable areas in parks or "back roads" areas.
The last time I bought a house, my agent had said he had never heard of anyone with my requirements. I gave him a list like "has to be within 10 minute walk of a transit line that has rush hour service, and 30 minute walk from a line that has non-peak service. Must be within walking distance to a convenience store. Must be within walking distance to decent park land or areas that are unlikely to get developed (trust lands, etc, etc...)
If you have a bunch of kids, then of course, forget it, although you can often still get by with a one-car household instead of two -- if hitched.
We have different tastes than you do, so please stop trying to impose your "taste" on us.
In light of:
Here we go again with this taste/fashion arguement of "sprawl", that has beed defined every bit as well as "saturday night special", i.e., it is just a libel without definition.
Here you're telling somebody that they don't really mean what they mean. I'm sure SubtleNuance knew what he/she meant by "sprawl," I know what he/she meant by "sprawl;" everybody I've ever talked to about the subject shares the same meaning of "sprawl," as well as all the literature I've read on the topic. It's a fairly well-defined word for a large number of people in the United States. Perhaps it means something different to you, but don't impose your standards on us, please!
Believe it or not, many people do not want to live in large cities. We have different tastes than you do, so please stop trying to impose your "taste" on us.
Believe it or not, many people also do not want to live in suburban hell. Many people would like to live in human-scale neighborhoods where they can walk in safety and comfort. Many people do not like the assholes in automobiles threatening their lives if they, God forbid, want to get around by bicycle. Many people do not like the strip-mall blight, destruction of farmland and wilderness, air and water pollution, 12-lane highways and the requirement that one have a car to get anywhere.
Unfortunately, we can't have sprawl and compact communities in the same place since they're mutually exclusive. If people working to effect compact communities and human-scale (versus auto-scale) development are considered to be imposing their tastes on others, then the current physical environment is the result of other people imposing their tastes on them. Fair is fair.
Why should the people on the receiving end of a screw-job sit down and shut up, as you're telling them to do? If you don't like it, don't impose your tastes. Move.
(For what it's worth, anti-sprawl people don't want to live in big cities, either, which is why they oppose the big cities gobbling up so much land.)
Engaging in newspeak by calling single-family housing and suburbs "sprawl" is nothing but a distraction. It certainly is nothing like forcing someone to live in a filthy down-town cattle pen, aka, a high-rise.
I did not tell that fellow to stay in the city and nobody is marching him out to the suburbs at the point of a gun, 1950's style China.
It is quite amazing that some of you folks wish to turn any disagreement into some imposition on your "rights". Well, here is a newsflash for you, you have no right to make me agree with you. It does not matter how gutter you wish to speak, it won't change that fact.
If some people wish to live in gated communities who are you to prevent them?
If people want to live in less densly populated areas, have a nice home and a yard, let the kids play, a seperate bedroom for every kid, a workshop for every parent, a media room, etc. somehow that is some kind of threat to you? How about being able to open a window below the 20th floor without choking on the smell of fermented human urine, who are you to tell them no?
Oh, and if you don't want every piled into a big city, but you don't want them escaping to the suburbs, then good luck. Here on earth things are different.
BTW, if suburbs are so roundly hated, why do so many people live there by choice?
Please, run along with your Communistic ideals. Individuals do not need a central committee to make their housing arrangements.
If people want to live in less densly populated areas, have a nice home and a yard, let the kids play, a seperate bedroom for every kid, a workshop for every parent, a media room, etc. somehow that is some kind of threat to you? How about being able to open a window below the 20th floor without choking on the smell of fermented human urine, who are you to tell them no?
I have a theory that people who live in the suburbs hate everyone. They do their best to avoid all human contact.
These people by SUV's as third-homes in which they spend a few hours each day driving on 16-lane highways to get to-and-from their suburban homes with neighbours who love eachother so much that they don't want to get out of their cars to open their doors, they separate their yards with arsenic-treated fences and close all the windows to block the sound of central airconditioners in the summer.
I knew one fellow who would never actually step outside or speak to anyone except his family or coworkers except for the weekends. His skin was desparately pale. He would get up, have breakfast, enter his attached garage, hit the garage door opener button on the right side of the visor, back out, drive along the highway, coffee in hand, radio going. About an hour later, he would arrive at his workplace downtown, hit the button on the left of his visor, drive into his office tower, park in his allotted spot, work, then do the reverse to go home.
Your assumption that living downtown means smelling your neighbour's urine, to me says that you're among these mizerable people who simply doesn't want to deal with anyone outside your family or workplace.
... granted... people generally are just as much assholes downtown as they are in the suburbs... and as such there is a greater density of assholes per square metre downtown as in the suburbs... meaning that their urine, blasting stereos, hyped-up cars, late drunken screaming etc is more prevalent... but buying a fully-detached air conditioned home in the suburbs along with a matching SUV and "media room!", doesn't make you part of any solution... the money we pour into 16-lane highways would be better spent on trains, and your houses would be better as parks and farmland.
IMHO, the real problem is the way people treat one another... and I don't know how to fix that.
P.s. what do your kids do when they are too old to 'play?'
I'm not saying that somehow suburbia was created by the government against the will of the people -- clearly what suburbia promises appeals to the desires of many, even if it often falls (very) short in practice. Dreams are very strong, and often by the time you wake up, it's too late.
However, as a previous poster pointed out, there's often a conflict between the desires of suburb dwellers, city residents, and those who live in rural areas, and governments' tendency to massively subsize what was viewed as the `next big thing' (suburbs, highways, etc) with little real idea of the consequences, had a big influence over the course of development in this century.
In other countries that often have less space, and longer histories of urban living, there's sometimes less conflict between the three, but it's always a touchy thing.
Umm, what government subsizied Herndon, VA, suburb of Washington DC?
Hint, it was NOT Washington, DC.
Answer, it was the people that live in Herndon, VA. They decided they wanted a town, incopropated it, created a tax system, they even have their own police force that the people that live there pay for themselves.
Washington DC is a net recipient of the taxes of everyplace around it as well as the entire nation. Same with other big cities that have federal monies for public transport, etc.
Camden NJ sure as heck is not subsidized by Philly either.
Unincorporated areas? The developer usually has to pay to get the utilities brought in AND usually has to pay for road improvements in the general area, all of this being passed to the residents in the cost of the homes.
In the US the roads you are complaining about being "subsidized" are normally payed for by the people who live around them and the people that use them. Longer roads, like Interstate Highways are payed for IN PART by the tax payer portion of the US, maintenance through fuel taxes, etc.
Public bus riders pay little or nothing for the roads they ride on. Yes! True! The bus they ride in contributes nothing to the road funds. No State or local fuel taxes are payed for by the bus service, nor by the riders. The public bus services are subsidized by the fuel taxes that individual motorists pay through fuel taxes, same with commuter trains, to make up for the losses they rack up because they will not charge their riders the total cost of a ride.
Bike riders? Unless they are paying some sort of regestration that goes to the bike trails then they are not paying any more than a tourist or a recluse home owner. If they are on a road they can thank the motorists on that road for it.
Wherever some people get the idea that a subdivision was somehow "created" wiith the tax dollars of the big city up the road I will never know, but that ain't the way it is.
Now, you probably already knew all of this so please quit trying to fool others with your stories.
I have a theory that people who live in the suburbs hate everyone. They do their best to avoid all human contact.
Ok, let me help you out here then. You are wrong. I live in a suburb. I don't hate everyone. I don't try to avoid human contact. In fact, I don't even own an SUV *gasp*
So I like a big yard and a nice sized house? Does that mean I hate people? Not at all. I enjoy a little space, but for the most part, I know all of my neighbors, I spend time with other people, and generally enjoy life. Does this make me an evil capitalist pig? Fine.
IMHO, the real problem is the way people treat one another... and I don't know how to fix that.
See, there you go spouting your suburban venom when all I did was rattle off an obviously over-the-top generalization about suburban life.:-)
I'm going to head off on my bicycle now. I've carefully planned my route to avoid the suburban commuting routes. They're too dangerous, if I'm not outright flattened, some slob might come after me with a tire-iron.
If I sold my car (1991 Celica ST) privately...I'd still need about $2000 to buy a Segway HT...and yet I fall right into their prime market (live 3 miles from work in Boston with easy access to everything I need in the scooter's power range).
-- Mordor...a magical, mythical land where women are more rare than dragons--but where every man would rather find a dragon
renting is kinda needed for many...
by
ptorrone
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
renting is a good idea, the ht for many people is a big investment, trying one out first is often worth it. the challenge with the segway ht is most people can't imagine what's like to use a self-balancing device like the ht and if it would make sense for their travel needs. i have a segway ht, and at first, the my commute took a little longer that i calculated mostly because people would stop and ask me questions, most would ask to try it out and many would be so impressed with the technology and ease of use, they would purchase one, i didn't expect that either, in my city (seattle) there are quite a few people with segway hts, also the city uses them as opposed to cars for many tasks.
the city of seattle let me interview them, so good info (some of it pretty technical, but very detailed) can be found here.
cheers,
pt
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
ptorrone
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· Score: 1
i go over the queen anne hill each day (a 18 to 25% grade in some areas). it's pretty impressive.
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
sllim
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· Score: 1
No offense, but you are the most annoying person on the planet. Did your Mom ever tell you that? Seriously, if the people buying Segways are the sort of people that don't capitilize (too lazy to hit the shift key, need a Segway to get from there front door to the mailbox, yeah I think we are onto something) and insist on calling it the ht then I don't want to be associated with them.
In what universe is the Segway ever a good idea?
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
ptorrone
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· Score: 1
ht, ht, ht:-] i use the segway -ht- to go to work and back over 800 miles so far. it might not be a good idea for you, but that doesn't mean it's not a great solution for others. my Shift key works fine, i'm writing this on a mobile device. no offense, but if i were you i'd stick to playing females in role playing games (i'm quoting you) you play rpgs as chick
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
sllim
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· Score: 1
Um, yes I do play RPG's as chicks. I like looking at them.
And if you read the thread you will see that there are a conisderable number of people that do it as well.
And your point is??????
I still think there is a correlation between you being too lazy to walk to the mailbox and your unwillingless to use a caps lock key.
At the end of the day I may be a nerd, but you are a dork. In the heirarchy of things I am still supperior.
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
sllim
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· Score: 1
I will never stoop to posting as an AC. I am fit enough to not need a fruity (not my choice of words, you brought it up) Segway. And I have enough dexterity to use the shift key properly, but I am not anal enough to run a spell checker on a Slashdot post.
Say what you want about my dating habits, but when I take your Mom out at least I have somewhere to put her. Where do you put a date on one of those Segway things? Or do you just put it in your closet? The Segway I mean, not the date.
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
Spunk
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· Score: 1
Re:renting is kinda needed for many...
by
Spunk
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· Score: 1
I rarely post about Linux. Why resort to lying to defend this guy?
Just look at his posting history for one. For another his "Book of Seg" site reads just like marketing copy. Isn't it just a little suspicious to you that someone who does guerrilla marketing "won" a segway and now keeps a diary about it? Please read thecomments from when it was posted here.
What's in it for me? I find this sort of advertizing deceitful, that's all. Nothing against Segway, I'd love to rent one actually.
Amusement parks
by
mgkimsal2
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· Score: 4, Interesting
As someone else pointed out earlier, these would be great for amusement parks. I just wonder if they could keep enough around to rent so that it wouldn't piss people off who couldn't get time on one. $40/hour seems like a good way to keep the users down to a minimum to start with, but I could eventually see a park having a few hundred around to use for, let's say, $15/hour or so, or perhaps $80/day. Put a little credit card slider thingy on it so you can 'pay as you go' and you're all set. $40/hour is just too pricey at the moment for most people, but amusement parks *do* seem a somewhat logical place to do 'rentals'. It's an enclosed area where people already do a large amount of walking, and are looking for entertaining/fun experiences.
I'd agree with that. I can think of times, especially later in the day after you've walked an entire park one time through that an ol' segway for $20 - $40 for the rest of the day would be ideal.
They could even use the govenor key so that you can't go full speed to avoid running people down, though that could be a ride in and of itself.
--
As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.
Re:Amusement parks
by
Rinikusu
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Actually, unless they use a smart-card/key system or have "parking-at-the-rides", I don't see this being viable for amusement parks. I've been to Six Flags and the place is *packed*, could you imagine trying to find "parking spots" for the rented Segway whilst you go toss your cookies on some behemoth Roller Coaster?
Now, the zoo, on the other hand, it might make more sense. You don't really have to park and leave the thing unattended for extreme stretches of time, you can roll through the exhibits.. Hey! Segway the Guggenheim!:)
Also, golf courses might be a decent place to try them out. Rig up a "trailer" for the clubs (Or just sling them on your back) and away you go..
-- If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
It's fairly common at Amusement parks for people to travel in groups, not alone. The Segway seems like a mostly solitary means of transit. I just can't visualize two adults and three kids all on Segways, being something Amusement parks would want moving around as a unit.
I don't see this being viable for amusement parks. I've been to Six Flags and the place is *packed*, could you imagine trying to find "parking spots" for the rented Segway whilst you go toss your cookies on some behemoth Roller Coaster?
At some parks, that would be true. But, at others, it wouldn't be a problem.
I saw Segways in use for the first time at Disney World, by park staff and by a street vendor. At that time, I thought it would probably be a worthwhile addition to their "rental fleet".
Disney has stroller rentals and stroller parking (and attendants) for all the major "attractions" (what they call rides). Parking a Segway would be no problem.
Disney World is also (usually) less crowded than the Six Flags (and other amusement parks) I've visited.
Not Gonna Work
by
moehoward
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· Score: 3, Interesting
It seems that they whole purpose of the Segway was to get rid of using cars, not get rid of walking. Seems that this rental thing is trying to supplant walking. It was supposed to be for inner-city commutes, not tourism.
The more this thing flops, the more I'm proven right that it was going to flop. It's the next Furby.
They will never be able to make enough money on this to cover their huge start up costs and ongoing fixed costs. Look for company announcements about restructuring or refocus in the next 12 months. Followed by discounts, chapter 7, and inevitable lawsuits about accidents.
Unless, of course, they start running them on hydrogen. Then, I'll buy 12 of them.
-- "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
The Furby was in interesting use of technology. Sort of. And I use the word "use" loosely.
Neat to look at. Cute. Interesting. Lots of "imagine the possibilities" karma around it. But, ultimately, all dressed up with nowhere to go. In other words, a lot like the Segway.
-- "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
The only Furbies I had were a big box of Happy Meal Furbies that I bought at auction and tried to hock on eBay (big, big mistake). They weren't very impressive.
If only they were cheaper
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 1, Funny
I can see it now.. the sun shining, birds singing, old people on scooters riding around with their shopping on the handlebars and over in the distance in an abandoned skatepark a bunch of kids busting up SICK moves on their Segways. A new extreme sport is born. Geriatric Scootering.
$20/30mins ? $5 for a test drive ???
by
Rosco+P.+Coltrane
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· Score: 5, Insightful
In less than 2 segway hours, you can buy an okay used bicycle. For around 20 segway hours, you can get yourself a brand new bicycle with electric assistance that'll go just as well as the segway, for hundreds or thousands of miles, faster, and without letting you fall flat on your face when the batteries die.
I know it's cool technology, and the balancing act is impressive to watch, but from an economics standpoint, no segway for me, no siree...
-- "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Re:$20/30mins ? $5 for a test drive ???
by
GMontag
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· Score: 1
Umm, I think you are seeing through their "point" way too well. The idea is to remove choice, not add any.
If the folks at the parks let the "guests" bring bikes then you would be right, but they don't.
Re:$20/30mins ? $5 for a test drive ???
by
Rosco+P.+Coltrane
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· Score: 3, Interesting
Then check out this bike:
http://www.bromptonbike.com/
I use this bike everywhere I have to be socially acceptable, and in the bus, train and airplanes. Granted it's not given, but it's a lot less than a car, or a segway for that matter.
Then again, I live in Europe;-)
-- "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Re:$20/30mins ? $5 for a test drive ???
by
bj8rn
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· Score: 1
In an old tech magazine, there was a picture (actually, two pictures) of a bicycle designed for the Toyota ideas contest. That bike could be folded into a wheelchair. The Brompton looks exactly like the idea-bike folded into wheelchair;7
-- Hell is not other people; it is yourself. - Ludwig Wittgenstein
Re:$20/30mins ? $5 for a test drive ???
by
Eight+01
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· Score: 2, Informative
A folded Brompton fits into a bag which is quite manageable - a worst-case technique for bringing the bike into a place that "doesn't allow bikes". If they don't know a bike is in the bag, they can't tell you they aren't allowed.
For people not familiar with the Brompton, it folds much smaller than the usual folding bikes. It also folds so that it can stand or be rolled in the folded state. The chain is in the center of the folded bicycle, away from anything it may dirty. It is a great design.
Re:$20/30mins ? $5 for a test drive ???
by
Spunk
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· Score: 1
You're European and your user name is a Dukes of Hazzard character? It boggles the mind:)
Cool link.
Why should I pay for a test drive?
by
The+Fanta+Menace
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· Score: 2, Insightful
If they want me to buy one of these things, why should I have to pay $5 to test it? They're going to have to do better than that to get me to waste my money on crap like this.
-- --
Even if a god did exist, why the fsck should I worship it?
Re:Why should I pay for a test drive?
by
Spunk
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· Score: 1
This isn't the Segway company renting them out, it's some random guy. He doesn't want you buying one.
We put GPS... units on them so we could track their location but its hidden within the machine so don't bother looking for it.
Sure thing dude. A GPS receiver and tracking transmitter are SO tiny, dare I say microscopic, that there's NO WAY anyone could find it in your Segway. NOT!
It's not like the Segway is the size of a dump truck where it would be a pain in the neck to look for.
There are only so many places they could hide it in the Segway: in the post, in the handles, and in the part you stand on.
Gimme some Torx drivers and I'll find it in under 10 minutes.
Actually, if anyone badly wants the rental Segway, he will just shove it into the trunk of a car. The metal lid is not RF transparent, so it will act as a decent Faraday cage.
But that' not all. The transmitter in the Segway can not be too powerful, and it does not have a good antenna. This means that the communication distance is probably limited to most of the park at best. As soon as you distance yourself from the monitoring receiver (at the office, probably) the signal disappears, along with the Segway.
The only realistic way to track Segway across a larger distances would be to equip it with a satellite transmitter. However, this is expensive, and it still requires unobstructed view of the sky (since sat uplinks are in microwave band and can't penetrate most materials.) I don't think it is worth of trouble. Also, don't forget that GPS receiver itself requires view of the sky to receive the location.
In other words, the GPS tracking setup - even if it really exists - is mostly scare tactic used to keep honest people honest. But if someone wants to steal the Segway, it is ridiculously easy. He wouldn't even need to rent one, he'd just steal one that is parked next to a public restroom.
No need to find the GPS receiver, just bring your
own GPS receiver with you, and hang it on the handlebar. A pair of receivers operated in close proximity will jam each other, and neither of them will give appropriate results. GPS receivers don't work in faraday cages either, so just make sure that the mini-pantech you hired (for $20!) to carry the Segway away with has a metal body, and you're set.
-- I find your ideas intriguing and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
... more fun to *accidentaly* hack the segway, install your rc car controllers and a servo for the steering, bungee cord* a blow up love doll on it, then drive it around to watch peoples expressions.
Really,to not be silly, I see segways as way more useful as a robot base to work from. Who needs a dedicated robot for each task? Like the roombah, a segway could have an adaptor for house vacuuming, then it could go outside and mow the lawn. This is just the normal "tractor" concept, one platform that has "modules" that attach that can do a myriad of tasks.
Inter-factory/warehouse/office deliverybot perhaps. Remote controlled security guards that roam the hallways at night,perhaps use one for transporting various things inside hospitals, things of that nature that a human might normally do but would be better to just have a drone do, freeing up the humans for the more demanding and specialised work. Geez, just floor washing and buffing at night in stores it would be neat. All done with the same base and just different attachments. Tons of different uses really. It has real decent range, is highly maneuverable, and will carry some decent weight. Seems a natural to me.
*all good projects need a bungee cord and duct tape someplace, it's da roolz n stuff
My Segway rental report
by
AdamBa
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I was on a Disney cruise ship in February and they were letting you ride a Segway around the basketball cout for 10 minutes for some "nominal" fee ($10 or $15 as I recall). So I wandered up there with my 1-year-old son and tried it out, and filed this report in email:
"On Friday I rode on a Segway, that newfangled two-wheeled
transporter. Disney has some promotional deal with them and
was offering 10-minute rides. I was watching Noah for a while so
I strolled him up and parked him on the edge of the basketball
court. The Segway is technologically cool but I am baffled by
people who think it is going to revolutionize anything. There may
be a small niche for people who need to go twelve miles an hour
with both hands occupied, but it's pretty small. The thing was
pretty easy to ride. I only fell off twice, once when I was trying
to determine how fast you could go around a corner (and found
out the answer), and once when I got off at the end and it
decided to back up and attack my shins, then lurch forward
ten feet before slowly keeling over in a rough approximation of
the climactic scene of 'Bonnie and Clyde'. The cast member [Disney-speak for employee] who
was helping me assured me everything was fine and the machine
just had to be reset. He whipped up out his little reset key and
applied it to the reset dealie, which seemed to have no effect. I
quickly grabbed the stroller and left, glancing over my shoulder
once to see him ministering to the thing with a worried look on
his face. Still a few bugs in the system I guess. When we get
our final bill, I will check if there is an item for $4,995 marked
'destroyed Segway'".
My point exactly, and on a bike you can go faster then 12.5 miles/hour, for longer then 11 miles, ride in the street and not risk smashing into a passerby, and more important in Canada, a bike can ride in snow! (really, though I am not held responsible for any injury you will sustain from trying this. I am not a trained professional, just a canadian;-))
-- In Canada, we don't fancy things like socks
Why so expensive?
by
turbosaab
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
The pricing seems a bit high for such a short-term rental. $40/hour might work for a test-drive, but won't allow people to use the Segways as anything more than a toy.
Renting Segways daily or weekly in cities would make a lot of sense. They would be perfect for tourists, etc, who want to explore "on foot".
Around $40-50/day should be profitable and still be affordable. The initial cost for a unit is under $10,000 and the electricity to charge them is negligable. Are maintenance costs and/or life expenctancy bad enough to prevent this from being practical?
I've been surprised at how little (if any, really) I've seen about the possible uses of the HT as a very useful medical device, particularly when considering Kamen's history in medical technology.
For example, I'm working with a patient right now who had a little complication after having some titanium implanted in his back. They had to remove the brace, but the screws they had to leave are now causing incredible pain. Just yesterday, he was so relieved that he could finally actually sit down in a seat and watch TV thanks to some new medication. His day consists entirely of standing and lying down, and switching between the two is almost unbearable. He is able to walk but only with a cane, slowly, and with much pain. Needless to say, a wheelchair is out of the question, if for no other reason than that it would be even more painful. I told him he might look into the Segway as a possible way to get around. At any given time (such as now), I have 2-4 patients (on a 24 patient max unit) that have some problem, be it with their back, knees, feet, or whatever, that makes walking either extremely painful or extremely difficult and hazardous, and my unit has nothing to do with treatment of those types of problems. Taking your dog for a walk, carrying groceries, walking without pain... Simple things most of us take for granted, but which unfortunately many people aren't able to do or enjoy.
Lots of people seem to think these things are useless, or that they're only good for lazy people. It seems to me that such an opinion stems from a reaction to their cost vs. usage value for the average person. Personally, I'd like to see insurance companies catch on to this and start providing these things to patients with cases that warrant it. I could see them greatly reducing costs in a variety of treatment areas while also allowing many disabled people to return to regain some of the lost joy of life, not to mention return to work.
The segway takes some time to get used to and as others have pointed out under this article often misbehaves, running into people when it's supposed to be parking itself, and so on. If you were already familiar with driving one then it might be a useful solution but for someone who has already been injured they are 100% useless.
-- "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Because walking is illegal in the USA... someone I knew went to Los Angeles and was arrested for walking ("jaywalking"):-) I guess somewhere along the line someone decided that cars have right of way over humans (I think this only applies on motorways in the UK - they have signposts on the entrances).
Well ok, it was probably because he got lippy to the cop...
Nope. Walking's fine; that's why they have sidewalks ("pavements" to UKians).
someone I knew went to Los Angeles and was arrested for walking ("jaywalking"):-)
That's illegal in Germany, too, and rightly so. It's dangerous, and those sidewalks and pedestrian crossings are put there for a reason. Roads are for cars (and other wheeled vehicles), not for walking on.
I guess somewhere along the line someone decided that cars have right of way over humans (I think this only applies on motorways in the UK - they have signposts on the entrances).
They decided roads are for cars, and sidewalks are for people. Much safer that way.
Well ok, it was probably because he got lippy to the cop...
Pedestrian fatalities per million population in 1996
Detroit: 50 (1998-2000)
Los Angeles: 25 (1998-2000)
USA: 19
Great Britain: 17
Germany: 14
Seattle: 10 (1998-2000)
Netherlands: 7
So it seems the best idea is to get rid of cars and put lots of bicycles on the road:-)
See also here
why not just use a bike?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Insightful
why spend $5k on this stupid scooter when you can buy a decent mountain bike for under $300 ??? You can go faster on a bike and you won't get stranded either.
i guess we're getting so fat ass and lazy now??
Re:why not just use a bike?
by
dentar
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· Score: 1
I don't know why some frelling yotz modded you as flamebait, but I agree with you wholeheartedly. I, even though I'm relatively out of shape, will bicycle against anyone who thinks their segway, or "IT" can beat me on either speed or endurance.
-- --
I am. Therefore, I think!
Re:why not just use a bike?
by
mesach
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· Score: 1
I got stranded many times on my old mountain bike, Breaking the chain isn't fun when you are a long way from where you parked, same with getting a HUGE spine from a cactus through your whole tire, and not having enough patches
-- moo.
Re:why not just use a bike?
by
Lord+Apathy
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· Score: 1
Amen, but if you really want to spend some money. You can get one of those hi-tech magnisem bikes for 1,500.
--
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
Re:why not just use a bike?
by
mesach
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· Score: 1
when the thorns are all over the trails, they arent easy to avoid.
No I'm not to outta shape to roll the bike, but it was about a mile out on the single track, all that did was piss me off(just started the ride too)>
And in NO WAY was I comparing a $50 mtn bike(mine was $1800, proving that even the expensive ones break down) with a $5k segway... the original poster stated essentially that if you have a mtn bike you it won't leave you stranded! Read the original post before you get all huffy, then you will understand the context of my post.
-- moo.
They're common in NYC already
by
howardcohen
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
FYI, they're now a common sight in Central Park on weekends, among the rollerbladers, cyclists, joggers and strollers.
Speaking of amusement parks, another great location for renting these would be a zoo.
I'm specifically thinking of the San Diego zoo, which has a very large footprint. There are some hilly areas, but this would be great for people who can stand, but just can't take alot of walking around.
Additionally, it could be a good revenue stream for the zoo. I would much, much rather give my money to rent one of these to the zoo than Walt Disney Corporation.
Cheers,
Lasz
You stupid little punk
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Funny
Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, is also founder of the high school FIRST robotics competition. At most regional events, including nationals, there is a venue setup to allow everyone to try out the Segway. Check it out...US FIRST.
Where this would be good...
by
jonbrewer
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· Score: 1
I'd love to see Segway rentals overtake motor scooter rentals in places like Block Island. You've got the range to easily cover the entire island, and none of the noise, pollution, or danger of fat Americans buzzing around on motor scooters meant for people half their size.
$40 per hour is definitely closer to renting a jetski for amusement than a car for travel. Do these things have a purpose?
I did see one used recently. A security guard at Epcot at Disneyworld was using it between the Innovations buildings, never moving more than 30 feet at a time. He was asked to take a photo, and took the picture without getting off of it. He was probably under orders to stay on it.
I thought it was a great idea for security to be able to move fast. But they already have golf carts, which have the additional ability of transporting unwell customers and emergency equipment.
A segway with an upright stretcher for transporting ill customers. Slide the sickly senior on a stretcher and send 'em south for surgery.
I have actually heard of amusement parks (and other such venues) who were interested in it for transport for their guards/employees. I imagine that it'll remain a novelty like the jetski, however. At least the segways have the advantage that they're quieter (although any sound comparison with a jetski isn't saying much).
I was fascinated by the Segway during the Ginger/IT mystery a few years ago, but only saw a Segway in action for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Strolling down Riverside Park in Manhattan were hundreds of people walking, jogging, biking, and rollerblading - all enjoying the fresh air and getting a little exercise. Then one guy came rolling by (at about the same speed as the joggers) on his Segway, and he seemed like the laziest guy in the world. It was at that moment that I decided I had no interest in ever getting one.
-- every stain tells a story
are you kidding?
by
boarder
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Seriously, while a ticket to Disneyland is expensive and you may not enjoy it, think about what this really costs.
$20 for 30 minutes. That's it. A ticket to Disneyland costs about $50 for a 12 hour day (or you can get the 4 day ticket for about $150). Add on the cost of food and souveniers and all that crap kids must have, and you'll be at around $120 for 12 hours. That's only $10/hour, whereas the Segway is $40/hour.
If anyone at Segway Inc. wants an idea why they have a stupid business plan, all they have to do is look at the economics of their machine. I can rent a car for $20/day, but they are charging $20/half hour for something that is supposed to replace cars in the city.
so exactly how many people are there like you - you know, the ones who cant pick up on sarcasm?
neither is an attractive proposition - disneyland just blows unless you are under 10 or serverly mentally impaired, and the half hour segway rental is just a dumb and boring idea.
i was mocking both at once. thanks for ruining it.
Astroturfing...not quite.
by
opti6600
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· Score: 1
I'm an enthusiast. That's all. Check out my associations, I'm quite unaffiliated with Segway LLC or its related companies.
I only have direct work relationships with wavelengths Journal, dreamlabs Network Services, and indirect associations with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and CRESA Partners LLC.
My mom gets Newsweek and it says (C)MSNBC on the cover. I was always a little worried that MS stood for MicroSoft but my parents thought I was paranoid. Now that I have been to the MSNBC site it is aparently a MS news thing.
MSNBC is optimized for
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Windows Media Player
Why in the name of (insert name of deity of your choice here) is this even on Slashdot?? What, con-artist, stock manipulator, and patent abuser Jeff Bezos of Amazon.bomb sells it so it must be cool?
Folks, if you want to pay $40, you can often get an hour of AIRPLANE rental! Let's see here . . . overpriced yuppie toy or Cessna 152, hmmm . . . And for five grand, I could scare up a very nice (and very lightly used) car. These Segway jerkoffs want me to pay that for a scooter? Gimmie a break! As for replacing cars, the damn things are already illegal in several cities.
This is supposed to be "news for nerds." To my knowledge, no self-respecting nerd would be caught dead on one of these things. The only people who would are idiot ex-dot-commers with more money than brains.
Please,/. editors, no more Segway stories! This is hardly "stuff that matters."
Look where this beat-off that's renting the things, Larry Lambeth, is located. That's right, Spokane, Washington, the Town That Means Well. Yes, the same Spokane that took out a HUD loan to build a Nordstrom store when it already had two.
I can scarcely see doing this in "trendy" cities like Seattle or San Francisco, especially given the rampant unemployment and downsizing that's going on.. Spokane? A city that tries hard not to be trendy? Riiiight! In fact, one of its selling points is how un-trendy and un-cool it is.
Wonder if this will be the first case of a Segway getting repoed.
It works for me. Not for everyone.
by
toybuilder
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· Score: 2, Insightful
The Segway is as "pointless" as the horseless carriage and the velocipeds from 100-120 years ago.
In 1897, the Sears Catalog sold "safety bicycles" (i.e., pedal-and-chain style, versus the big "penny farthing" type) for $25. That's equivalent to about $2,200 year-2003 dollars.
The Segway dropped from $10,000 two years ago, to $7,000 last year, to $5,000 now. Give it time.
It will find its place in the spectrum of transportation choices. Some people will always walk. Some people will always drive gas-guzzling SUV's and exotic cars that cost more than my 2 bedroom home. Most people will find something in between.
I have some friends that where laughing at a guy on a moped. I said those exact words to them, "he's getting a 100 miles to the gallon." They stopped laughing.
--
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
Re:If you can get there on a Segway...
by
ptorrone
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· Score: 1
i wouldn't walk 15 miles total per day going to work and back...but i do take my segway. i used to take a car. sometimes i take a bike. lazy? lazy is posting as "Anonymous Coward" those are just keystroke, good gawd man.
cheers, pt
Another Austroturfer!
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2, Funny
So here you are, bragging about the size of your peni^H^H^H^Hwallet on an internet site and using feel good marketing speak.
Humm, I think you are just an austroturfer, and looking at your history confirms it. I wonder if all 108 of your comments are just like the current 24 and you can't shut up with the bragging about your $$$ and your scooter.
Why don't you waste you time at some other site related to the scooter instead of posting PR stuff to every/. story you can work the scooter into.
I don't think ExpensiveOverhypedScooterOwningRabidPrSpewingFanbo ys.com has been taken yet.
Re:It's dangerous enough being a pedestrian
by
Lord+Apathy
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· Score: 3, Funny
Now there is a ideal. Wonder how difficult it would be to take out the motor/battery assembly and put in one from say a weedeater or a chainsaw?
I imagine you couldn't remove the electric motor and it still work but I don't think it would stop you from replacing the battery with a small generator and engine. You might even be able to get some decent range out of the bitch.
--
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
You people are chumps. The segway may have some interesting technology, but it's more of a marketing experiment than a technological breakthrough. They've pulled out every trick in the book, from lobbying local governments to planting media articles like this one (remember those astroturfed fan sites they made?), to the exaggerated sales on Amazon.com.
If you ever thought about buying a segway, or fantasized about how cool it might be to have one - you're just a sucker! That's right, you've been had.
The saddest people are the ones who think they're cool because they call it an "ht". Those are the real victims of marketing. Do you think Pepsi is cool? Does the Coca-Cola logo make you think of "good times"? Have you been asking your friends if they're "gellin" like they do in the commercial?
This isn't a flame or a troll. This is the sad truth. There are people out there that are so stupid that they actually believe a $5000 tricycle is "cool".
-dbc
Yeah, Kamen, I Gotcher Munny Riiiight Heah
by
LaCosaNostradamus
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· Score: 1
40 bucks an hour?
When for that price, I can get a rental car for a day, and a rental bicycle for a week?
The rental prices alone continue to make it obvious that the Segway is a machine powered not by electricity but by hype.
Hype is fickle, basically fraudulent and can disappear for good in a short second.
I'm sure Kamen's promotional apparatus is very, very annoyed with people like me, who have become so resolved against bulldada like the Segway that we can't be converted and must be attacked.
In order to get my money (which is the entire point to running the Engine of Hype {tm}) they will have to frisk my body for my wallet, since even at gunpoint I will resist and must be killed into submission.
Despite such drama -- and sadly for the Kamenistas -- there's only so much they can do to get my money.
But their hook (the alleged product, the Segway Transporter) is too expensive to effectively hide in some fee assessed by some government agency.
It should stand as perfectly obvious that this high price makes it impossible to lure me into buying it voluntarily, as well as renting it.
The reality of the Segway is that by its design, maintenance costs and purchase price, its application is very, very limited and will thus be compelled to remain there.
The purchase price alone is a major undermine of the hype and guarantees niche-marketdom.
But I do get tired of hearing people talk the thing up, as if this very, very limited machine can actually revolutionize our transportation world.
But I guess that's only to be expected given the dotcom era we are still mired in.
-- [You have a stable society when some nut guns down a schoolyard and the law doesn't change.]
Saw someone on a Segway in downtown San Jose last week, trying to pick up girls. They didn't go for it.
Saw another one in downtown Palo Alto. Walgreens wouldn't let him ride it into the store, and he was trying to figure out where to park it.
Re:It's dangerous enough being a pedestrian
by
drinkypoo
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· Score: 1
You can't do this because the balance of the unit depends on having electric motors connected to the wheels independently; In order to keep its balance it will move either wheel (or both of them) forward or backward as appropriate.
If you replaced the electric drive system with something else you wouldn't be able to stay on the thing.
-- "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
fm6
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Maybe if enough people had Segways, more cities would be pedestrian friendly. Unfortunately, at these prices, few people will have Segways. The main appeal seems to be the clever engineering rather than the cost-benefit.
One notable PF city (San Francisco) has gone and banned the Segway. I blame this on kneejerk anti-business attitudes. Now, "kneejerk" is not a word I use lightly -- it's too popular with right-wingers who are too lazy to properly rebut the arguments of left-wingers. (Indeed, you could say that using the word is itself usually a kneejerk reaction.) I say "kneejerk" in this case because the main anti-Segway group loves to make comparisons with SUVs and other corporate stupidities. But they themselves admit that there's only been one Segway-related injury so far.
The big concern seems to be that Segways will be misused by irresponsible riders who will speed down sidewalks, scattering senior citizens right and left. But the Segway designers seem to have anticipated precisely this issue: how fast your Segway can go is determined by which key you use to turn it on. The keys are conspicuously colored, so it would be easy to require Segwayers to use the "beginner" key in heavily trafficed areas. That limits the scooter to 6mph, which is about how fast most people walk.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
PCM2
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· Score: 1
One notable PF city (San Francisco) has gone and banned the Segway.
Totally false. San Francisco has banned Segways from the sidewalks. You can take them on the street, if you're brave enough -- just like a bicycle. It seems completely appropriate to me that the burden of bravery should be on you, for riding a Segway, rather than on me, just trying to walk down the street without getting run over by some yuppie who'd rather ride a $5,000 electric scooter than use the legs god gave him.
-- Breakfast served all day!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
fm6
·
· Score: 1, Troll
The maximum speed of a Segway is twelve miles an hour. If riding it on a busy street isn't illegal, it should be.
Grow up. Not everybody has the "legs God gave him". There's older people, people with respiratory problems, etc. Even a healthy person has a limited range on in a hilly city like SF.
You apparently resent the prosperity of potential Segway users. You're within your rights to be prejudiced (even if it is a little childish). But that's not an excuse to avoid addressing the issues. Do you have actual evidence that a Segway operated with the Beginner's Key is a threat to pedestrians? Come back when you do. And spare me your bigotry.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
tupps
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· Score: 1
I don't know about most cities in the US but here in Australia Skateboards, Scooters, Rollerblades, etc are all banned on City streets. It is just to dangerous and crowded for people crusing about on scooters. 12mph is about the same speed as a slow bicycle rider, and they are definately not allowed on the street.
-- Go out and get sailing!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
driptray
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· Score: 1
In Australia, bicycles must be ridden on the street. They are not allowed to be ridden on the footpath.
It's not just speed that is relevant to whether the footpath or the street is appropriate - it's how nimble the device is, and how much space it takes up. Segways seem to me to be much more "pedestrian-like", whereas bikes are much more "car-like". Segways don't take up much room, and they can stop and turn very quickly, with an almost zero turning-circle. They move just like a pedestrian, but faster. And if it's crowded, they don't have to move faster.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
fm6
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· Score: 1
I certainly agree that any vehicle that goes 12 MPH is too fast for the sidewalk. And typically bicyclists travel at least twice that fast. Indeed, bicyclists often seem to have trouble obeying street speed limits.
Same goes for skateboards and rollerbladers, which also have safety issues that don't relate to speed. Although I have to confess, I hate seeing skateboards banned -- I enjoy watching them, even though I'd never get on one!
But a Segway can only go 12 MPH if you operate it with an "open country" key. Of course that should be illegal on a sidewalk. But there is also a "sidewalk" key (8 mph) and a "beginner" key (6 mph).
I don't want to sound like I feel very put out that I can't operate a Segway in SF. I don't own one, and won't until the price comes down. That won't happen until there's a lot of history with the vehicle in other cities. By then, I think, people in SF will realize how silly the ban is.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
tupps
·
· Score: 1
I wasn't talking about bicycles, but Rollerblades, Skateboards skooters as well. All these are very much like the Segway in there stopping and potential speeds. On a busy sidewalk there just isn't room for these devices. And of *course* everyone is just going to go at walking speed on these when it is crowded.
-- Go out and get sailing!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
tupps
·
· Score: 1
To me 8mph is still quite fast, more like slow jogging speed. I live in Melbourne that like SF has big wide footpaths. During the morning and afternoon these footpaths are very crowded, you would be lucky to walk at 1 or 2mph. Even for people on rollerblades it becomes quite awkward to get around all the obstacles etc as you are constantly shifting left and right. I am sure that stopping and making a shifting around people/buskers/outside cafes/dogs/ street merchants/everything else is going to be quite a hassle.
-- Go out and get sailing!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
driptray
·
· Score: 1
Well, you did say that bicycles weren't allowed on the street....and that aint true.
But I disagree that rollerblades, skateboards and scooters are similar to segways. From the videos I've seen of segways, they seem to be far more agile, maneouverable and stable than anything else on wheels. They can stop very quickly if they have to. I don't think they'd cause a problem on even the most crowded footpath - all that would happen is that the segway user would have to travel at the same speed as the pedestrians.
I like the segway, but I'm unlikely ever to buy one. For very short distances I'll walk, and for medium distances I ride a bike (on the road). The segway seems to be aimed at people who are too lazy, scared or incapacitated to ride a bike, but I'd much rather those people be on a segway than in cars creating traffic that slows me down on my bike!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
fm6
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· Score: 1
I think I'd go crazy if I went out for a stroll, and couldn't go faster than 2 MPH!
When you talk about busy streets filled with idlers, merchannts, and buskers (we call them "street musicians") the issue isn't speed, but control. That's why rollerbladers are such a nuisance -- it isn't hard to go slow on blades, it's hard to stop, at any speed! That's not true of the Segway, since it's controlled by instinctive body postures. You see somebody in front of you, you instinctively lean back, and the thing stops. Check out these videos.
The real concern on a crowded sidewalk isn't careless or poorly trained Segway riders. The real concern is malicious riders. I would think there'd be a way to handle this without completely banning the product.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
tupps
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· Score: 1
Well I am not talking about a stroll (eg when you want to go for a walk) I am talking about the 8:00-->9:00AM and 5:00->6:00PM and lunch times in the city when the streets are packed. Lots of people getting on Trams, going to the subway. Sort of imagine the scene from the Matrix (1st one) where Neo is in the test simulator (girl in the red dress scene) walking along the street dodging everyone. That is what busy streets end up looking like, but without everyone walking in an orderly manor. It is frustrating to walk in, and I am sure it would be frustrating on a segway, especially with jostling etc.
-- Go out and get sailing!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
tupps
·
· Score: 1
Actually I don't mind the cars on my bike rides (ride ~30k/18miles to and from work) if the traffic is really banked up. Most of the roads I ride on have bike lanes, which are about 1 meter wide and are next to the parked cars. You still have to watch for cars coming in/out of parking spots but if the traffic is stopped then you don't have to worry as much. We also have a bike 'start position' which is a 2 meter spot in front of the cars at traffic lights which means the cars always have 3 or 4 bikes in front of them.
-- Go out and get sailing!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
fm6
·
· Score: 1
OK, I admit it, it'd be stupid to use a Segway in a situation like that. But should it be illegal? And what about the rest of the day?
In San Francisco, you have a similar situation in subway stations, streetcar stops, etc. I think I might actually go along with a ban on segways at such locations, and perhaps a certain distance away.
But it's a moot point. Nobody's gonna spend US$5K for something like this. Segway's big hope was that entities like the post office and warehouse operators would buy huge numbers of them, and that would drive the price down. But it's not happening. I'm just carping because the anti-Segway activists in SF are behaving with the usual self-righteous stupidity.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
tupps
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· Score: 1
I don't see it in Australia either. It would be getting close to 2/3 the cost of a small car. Plus we have pretty good public transport (not excellent but good). Trams will go to most suburbs 10km from the city and the Train and Bus networks extends much further than that. So for anyone in the inner city (Segway target) you would get about 3 years of tram tickets, and you don't have to recharge your tram!
-- Go out and get sailing!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
by
fm6
·
· Score: 1
Well, you guys seem to have a relatively sane attitude towards transit issues. Here in the U.S. there's a serious prejudice against anything resembling mass transit. We even built our biggest bridge in such a way that it could not be retrofitted to support trains!
This prejudice has turned American cities into congested, smoggy messes, where thousands of people are unemployed simply because they can't find a job that will cover the cost of buying a car. Perhaps Dean Kamen thought he could get people of their cars if he could provide them with an alternative to public transit. I mean, we're talking about people who own $50,000 SUVs! What's a $5,000 scooter?
Actually, there's only one reason the Segway exists. It's just a variation of Kamen's revolutionary IBot Wheel Chair, which has been stuck in the FDA approval process for years. The IBot certainly has a future (imagine a wheel chair that climbs stairs and allows the user to talk without any neck craning!), but the Segway is probably just an idea looking for an application.
Try one today (Sunday) for FREE
by
jeremedia
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· Score: 1
Los Angeles Downtown Marriot, 4:30 - 6:00. Should be fun. I really don't understand the hostility some of you feel over this thing. Subjects that lead to Geek Rage would be an interesting research topic.
Cheaper in Vancouver, BC
by
darewreck
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· Score: 1
Here in Vancouver, BC, a guy invested some $100,000 in segways and is offering them at $20.00 per hour or $100 per day (24 hours). Now all that remains is for the city and the insurance corporation (ICBC) to come to some agreement on whether or not to allow these on sidewalks or on streets and what liability it should have. As usual lots of red tape unless you have friends in the city council to make people look the other way while they make the money.
Re:Cheaper in Vancouver, BC
by
biafra
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· Score: 1
wow, sweet... Do you have any more info on this guy? I just moved here and I'd love to be in line on day one.
-- :wq
Re:Cheaper in Vancouver, BC
by
Jetson
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· Score: 1
The Vancouver Segway rental site is on Granville Island. The city is trying to decide how to classify it:
1) As an electric vehicle it would require a license and insurance, even though ICBC (the socialized insurance scam) refuses to license or insure electric vehicles.
2) As a non-vehicle, it would be banned by existing bylaws against the use of skateboards, etc. on public property.
(And if it floats then it must be... a witch!)
Maybe the Segway folks should put a tiny wind-up key on it somewhere so that it can be classified as a "gas/electric-assisted human-powered vehicle", in which case it can fall into the same category as the classic moped....
The alternative would be to add a 3rd wheel and a basket and try to convince people it was just another one of those electric shopping carts that the grey-haired speed freaks like to zoom around in.
Re:Cheaper in Vancouver, BC
by
darewreck
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· Score: 1
I read about this in the Province newspaper for Thursday May 15th. As another poster has pointed out, there is debate now as to where to allow the use of the segways. Sorry I can't be more helpful, I didn't know at the time that this was going to become a/. news item:(
Re:Cheaper in Vancouver, BC
by
biafra
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· Score: 1
even though ICBC (the socialized insurance scam)
Don't complain too much about ICBC or you'll wind up with a system like Alberta (I just escaped from 5 years there). When I first moved to that provence they wanted 4-5k/yr for simple car insurance. They based this on the fact that I was a white, unmarried male who was under 25. They did not take into account the fact that I had never had an accident, never had a speeding ticket, and never had a parking ticket. That really made me wish I was back in BC paying ICBC:>
My dad and I actually came up with the idea to charge for test drives at local malls, at $1/min, there are bound to be dozens of people willing to pay each day.
The logistics became a problem though when trying to get insurance, as well as the fact that we'd have to travel to the US to take training before they'd ship us any segways. And on top of all that, according to their sales, we could only order 2.
So the idea kind of died..:(
I don't know about everyone else but...
by
Cowclops
·
· Score: 1
I never had a problem with riding my bike around Block Island. It would be nice if they outlawed scooters on the island, but I don't think its even that big of a problem to start off with.
I cannot envision how it could work without unbalancing the Segway, but the concept of having someone strapped in and at the mercy of the driver in such an unstable vehicle is quite humorous.
--- Could they find some way to add a tow hitch that does not interfere with the Segway's operation? Since the base rotates forward and back, maybe they could make the tow truck have an open channel so the hitch could move up and down.
The Segway has a top speed of 12 mph. Do they have the power to pull anything? If the speed is being limited by the controls, which seems possible since the top speed is determined by which key is used, then maybe the power is already there. But that leaves the possibility of mods that allow much faster movement. There are some people who would be zipping around at 40 mph until they damaged themselves, bystanders, or property.
I cannot imagine to would be a comfortable ride for anybody being pulled on a stretcher on the tow truck. And if it slows the Segway, then having four people run with the stretcher would be both faster and more comfortable.
--- I did think of one use for Segways: parking enforcement. Zip around putting parking tickets on cars. It is unlikely that anyone would steal one with police markings.
In the U.S., we have bicycle paths that are supposed to give bicyclists an escape for our psychotic motorists. (Well, not all American motorists are crazy, but most of the ones in Silicon Valley are!) Problem is, they're always in some pleason area that attracts strollers, and there's no room for bicylists!
One of the hazards of being a pedestrian around here is bicyclists who just ignore crosswalks, stop signs, and traffic signals.
One last irony: SF actually has more fatal pedestrian accidents per capita than any place in the U.S. The main culprit is that strange group of people who don't understand that a red light means "stop right now" not "stop, unless you think you can make it accross the intersection before the cross traffic appears." The obvious cure is red-light cameras (intersections that have them in SF have drastically fewer accidents) but such cameras are widely considered to be tools of an evil fascist conspiracy.
What could a Segway do to solve someone's transportation problems that a bicycle could not?
Spoken like a true flat-lander. Have you never biked up a long hill? I can go for miles on flat land without breaking a sweat, but somehow always end up drenched after a two or three mile stretch of 8% grade. At least on a Segway the rider doesn't need to leave time in the morning commute for a shower upon arrival at the destination.
The original poster lives in Miami. Florida isn't exactly known for its mountainous terrain.
Finally saw a Segway in action.....
by
SomeoneGotMyNick
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· Score: 1
It was at a local Flea Market. Some 6'+ guy was coasting along on the thing in tight crowds, silently running over people's feet, I'm sure. Sure was easy to spot with his head sticking up above the crowd.
The guy was obviously there to show off because the other 3 people he was with were still using their feet to get around. Or maybe they were there to carry the stuff he buys because he surely couldn't carry it with him on the Segway.
Maybe the next time I go to that flea market, I'll ride my motorcycle through the crowds. At least I have saddlebags to carry my stuff in.
I'd pay a few dollars to test ride it just to see how it stays up and controls itself but I would not do it more than once.
I doubt these things would work in amusement parks. Where would you put it if you want to stop and eat or go on rides? People don't follow road rules either so you'd basically be riding as slow as the walkers weaving in and out.
You can get two 50cc scooters and plus have money left over for the price of one of these SHTs.
-- --
After all is said and done, more is said than done.
Yes, the renting is a few other people cashing in on the hype, but the overall price is set by Segway. Those things are ridiculously expensive for what you get. If they were cheaper to buy, then the renters could charge less. That was my point.
If you are saying Disneyland just blows unless you are under 10, I can't argue for or against since I've never been there. I have been to Disney World since I've become an adult, and it was actually pretty fun (well, it was fun since I didn't go with kids but with other adults). Epcot center is pretty cool, if only for good food and to have fun with their "technology" exhibits. They even have dance clubs for adults in the park.
As for picking up on sarcasm, I understood what you were trying to say, but I just felt that the point of your sarcastic statement could be enhanced with cold facts. Disney Land/World is pretty damned expensive, and the Segway is even worse (which is what I showed using data).
Slashdot Mirror
its still cheaper than a trip to disneyland.
get on kids, this is your E ticket...
turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
So, aside from pedestrian-friendly cities like Boston and New York, where the hell would you take it from one place to another and back in a half hour?
damn, that was terrible spelling....never first post before your morning coffee!
Still overpricing something that doesn't DO anything. Too many americans are overweight.. but we don't do anything about it. Now we've got this thing.. *sigh* What ever happened to WALKING somewhere?
I really have no idea what I am talking about.
... in three easy steps.
;-)
1) Rent a Segway
2) Cart on over to the neighborhood Barnes 'n Noble
3) Rent an Internet station, browse Slashdot
These things are supposed to replace cars in some sort of "brave new world" and they cost more for 20 min. than a pickup truck costs for all day?
Sorry, you lost me on the segway.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
I can't see paying $20 to look like a pansy for 30 minutes. Most people can find ways to do that for free.
20 bucks ? thats more expensive than renting a car. The last time I saw, these things weren't half as expensive as a car.
Lets see how long the sizzle lasts.
Siggy Say, Siggy Do
renting is a good idea, the ht for many people is a big investment, trying one out first is often worth it. the challenge with the segway ht is most people can't imagine what's like to use a self-balancing device like the ht and if it would make sense for their travel needs. i have a segway ht, and at first, the my commute took a little longer that i calculated mostly because people would stop and ask me questions, most would ask to try it out and many would be so impressed with the technology and ease of use, they would purchase one, i didn't expect that either, in my city (seattle) there are quite a few people with segway hts, also the city uses them as opposed to cars for many tasks.
i'm up to 800 miles on mine, click here to read the trip log.
the city of seattle let me interview them, so good info (some of it pretty technical, but very detailed) can be found here.
cheers,
pt
As someone else pointed out earlier, these would be great for amusement parks. I just wonder if they could keep enough around to rent so that it wouldn't piss people off who couldn't get time on one. $40/hour seems like a good way to keep the users down to a minimum to start with, but I could eventually see a park having a few hundred around to use for, let's say, $15/hour or so, or perhaps $80/day. Put a little credit card slider thingy on it so you can 'pay as you go' and you're all set. $40/hour is just too pricey at the moment for most people, but amusement parks *do* seem a somewhat logical place to do 'rentals'. It's an enclosed area where people already do a large amount of walking, and are looking for entertaining/fun experiences.
creation science book
It seems that they whole purpose of the Segway was to get rid of using cars, not get rid of walking. Seems that this rental thing is trying to supplant walking. It was supposed to be for inner-city commutes, not tourism.
The more this thing flops, the more I'm proven right that it was going to flop. It's the next Furby.
They will never be able to make enough money on this to cover their huge start up costs and ongoing fixed costs. Look for company announcements about restructuring or refocus in the next 12 months. Followed by discounts, chapter 7, and inevitable lawsuits about accidents.
Unless, of course, they start running them on hydrogen. Then, I'll buy 12 of them.
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
I can see it now.. the sun shining, birds singing, old people on scooters riding around with their shopping on the handlebars and over in the distance in an abandoned skatepark a bunch of kids busting up SICK moves on their Segways. A new extreme sport is born. Geriatric Scootering.
In less than 2 segway hours, you can buy an okay used bicycle. For around 20 segway hours, you can get yourself a brand new bicycle with electric assistance that'll go just as well as the segway, for hundreds or thousands of miles, faster, and without letting you fall flat on your face when the batteries die.
...
I know it's cool technology, and the balancing act is impressive to watch, but from an economics standpoint, no segway for me, no siree
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
If they want me to buy one of these things, why should I have to pay $5 to test it? They're going to have to do better than that to get me to waste my money on crap like this.
-- Even if a god did exist, why the fsck should I worship it?
Sure thing dude. A GPS receiver and tracking transmitter are SO tiny, dare I say microscopic, that there's NO WAY anyone could find it in your Segway. NOT!
It's not like the Segway is the size of a dump truck where it would be a pain in the neck to look for.
There are only so many places they could hide it in the Segway: in the post, in the handles, and in the part you stand on.
Gimme some Torx drivers and I'll find it in under 10 minutes.
... more fun to *accidentaly* hack the segway, install your rc car controllers and a servo for the steering, bungee cord* a blow up love doll on it, then drive it around to watch peoples expressions.
Really,to not be silly, I see segways as way more useful as a robot base to work from. Who needs a dedicated robot for each task? Like the roombah, a segway could have an adaptor for house vacuuming, then it could go outside and mow the lawn. This is just the normal "tractor" concept, one platform that has "modules" that attach that can do a myriad of tasks.
Inter-factory/warehouse/office deliverybot perhaps. Remote controlled security guards that roam the hallways at night,perhaps use one for transporting various things inside hospitals, things of that nature that a human might normally do but would be better to just have a drone do, freeing up the humans for the more demanding and specialised work. Geez, just floor washing and buffing at night in stores it would be neat. All done with the same base and just different attachments. Tons of different uses really. It has real decent range, is highly maneuverable, and will carry some decent weight. Seems a natural to me.
*all good projects need a bungee cord and duct tape someplace, it's da roolz n stuff
"On Friday I rode on a Segway, that newfangled two-wheeled transporter. Disney has some promotional deal with them and was offering 10-minute rides. I was watching Noah for a while so I strolled him up and parked him on the edge of the basketball court. The Segway is technologically cool but I am baffled by people who think it is going to revolutionize anything. There may be a small niche for people who need to go twelve miles an hour with both hands occupied, but it's pretty small. The thing was pretty easy to ride. I only fell off twice, once when I was trying to determine how fast you could go around a corner (and found out the answer), and once when I got off at the end and it decided to back up and attack my shins, then lurch forward ten feet before slowly keeling over in a rough approximation of the climactic scene of 'Bonnie and Clyde'. The cast member [Disney-speak for employee] who was helping me assured me everything was fine and the machine just had to be reset. He whipped up out his little reset key and applied it to the reset dealie, which seemed to have no effect. I quickly grabbed the stroller and left, glancing over my shoulder once to see him ministering to the thing with a worried look on his face. Still a few bugs in the system I guess. When we get our final bill, I will check if there is an item for $4,995 marked 'destroyed Segway'".
- adam
In Canada, we don't fancy things like socks
The pricing seems a bit high for such a short-term rental. $40/hour might work for a test-drive, but won't allow people to use the Segways as anything more than a toy. Renting Segways daily or weekly in cities would make a lot of sense. They would be perfect for tourists, etc, who want to explore "on foot". Around $40-50/day should be profitable and still be affordable. The initial cost for a unit is under $10,000 and the electricity to charge them is negligable. Are maintenance costs and/or life expenctancy bad enough to prevent this from being practical?
I've been surprised at how little (if any, really) I've seen about the possible uses of the HT as a very useful medical device, particularly when considering Kamen's history in medical technology.
For example, I'm working with a patient right now who had a little complication after having some titanium implanted in his back. They had to remove the brace, but the screws they had to leave are now causing incredible pain. Just yesterday, he was so relieved that he could finally actually sit down in a seat and watch TV thanks to some new medication. His day consists entirely of standing and lying down, and switching between the two is almost unbearable. He is able to walk but only with a cane, slowly, and with much pain. Needless to say, a wheelchair is out of the question, if for no other reason than that it would be even more painful. I told him he might look into the Segway as a possible way to get around. At any given time (such as now), I have 2-4 patients (on a 24 patient max unit) that have some problem, be it with their back, knees, feet, or whatever, that makes walking either extremely painful or extremely difficult and hazardous, and my unit has nothing to do with treatment of those types of problems. Taking your dog for a walk, carrying groceries, walking without pain... Simple things most of us take for granted, but which unfortunately many people aren't able to do or enjoy.
Lots of people seem to think these things are useless, or that they're only good for lazy people. It seems to me that such an opinion stems from a reaction to their cost vs. usage value for the average person. Personally, I'd like to see insurance companies catch on to this and start providing these things to patients with cases that warrant it. I could see them greatly reducing costs in a variety of treatment areas while also allowing many disabled people to return to regain some of the lost joy of life, not to mention return to work.
GWB tard? No.. he already been re-tard.
meh
I wanted to test drive the new Explorer, but it was $5 to have the sales person open the door, and $20 to drive it around the block.
Yeah, I know. This guy isn't selling them, but at $5 to stand on the thing for a few seconds, it's a freakin' crime.
Well ok, it was probably because he got lippy to the cop...
buy a decent mountain bike for under $300 ??? You can go faster on a bike and you won't get stranded either.
i guess we're getting so fat ass and lazy now??
FYI, they're now a common sight in Central Park on weekends, among the rollerbladers, cyclists, joggers and strollers.
Speaking of amusement parks, another great location for renting these would be a zoo.
I'm specifically thinking of the San Diego zoo, which has a very large footprint. There are some hilly areas, but this would be great for people who can stand, but just can't take alot of walking around.
Additionally, it could be a good revenue stream for the zoo. I would much, much rather give my money to rent one of these to the zoo than Walt Disney Corporation.
Cheers,
Lasz
If I saw you on your Segway, I'd jack you.
Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, is also founder of the high school FIRST robotics competition. At most regional events, including nationals, there is a venue setup to allow everyone to try out the Segway. Check it out...US FIRST.
I'd love to see Segway rentals overtake motor scooter rentals in places like Block Island. You've got the range to easily cover the entire island, and none of the noise, pollution, or danger of fat Americans buzzing around on motor scooters meant for people half their size.
$40 per hour is definitely closer to renting a jetski for amusement than a car for travel. Do these things have a purpose?
I did see one used recently. A security guard at Epcot at Disneyworld was using it between the Innovations buildings, never moving more than 30 feet at a time. He was asked to take a photo, and took the picture without getting off of it. He was probably under orders to stay on it.
I thought it was a great idea for security to be able to move fast. But they already have golf carts, which have the additional ability of transporting unwell customers and emergency equipment.
Segways only weigh 83 pounds, and are small enough to store in the trunk of a midsize sedan, so theft would be a major concern.
Again, where is the use in the real world?
I spend my life entertaining my brain.
I was fascinated by the Segway during the Ginger/IT mystery a few years ago, but only saw a Segway in action for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Strolling down Riverside Park in Manhattan were hundreds of people walking, jogging, biking, and rollerblading - all enjoying the fresh air and getting a little exercise. Then one guy came rolling by (at about the same speed as the joggers) on his Segway, and he seemed like the laziest guy in the world. It was at that moment that I decided I had no interest in ever getting one.
every stain tells a story
Seriously, while a ticket to Disneyland is expensive and you may not enjoy it, think about what this really costs.
$20 for 30 minutes. That's it. A ticket to Disneyland costs about $50 for a 12 hour day (or you can get the 4 day ticket for about $150). Add on the cost of food and souveniers and all that crap kids must have, and you'll be at around $120 for 12 hours. That's only $10/hour, whereas the Segway is $40/hour.
If anyone at Segway Inc. wants an idea why they have a stupid business plan, all they have to do is look at the economics of their machine. I can rent a car for $20/day, but they are charging $20/half hour for something that is supposed to replace cars in the city.
IANAL, but I play one on
"...users are asked to sign waive any liability claims if they are in an accident.""
I thought this thing was so safe. Who takes the liability when the accident involves another person?
Don't tell me that something that weighs 250+ lbs, can go 12mph is safe on the sidewalk.
Harley Davidson Sportster rental: $75 / day
Harley Davidson Sportster retail price : $5,975
Segway retail price: $4,950
Segway rental price: $60 for 90 minutes.
Step 1. Buy seemingly useless Segway.
Step 2. ???^H^H^HRent Segway
Step 3. Profit!!
I just wasted your mod points! HA!
I'm an enthusiast. That's all. Check out my associations, I'm quite unaffiliated with Segway LLC or its related companies.
I only have direct work relationships with wavelengths Journal, dreamlabs Network Services, and indirect associations with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and CRESA Partners LLC.
MSNBC is optimized for Microsoft Internet Explorer Windows Media Player
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
What is the world coming to...
Learn lisp today!
I think he's bluffing.
Why in the name of (insert name of deity of your choice here) is this even on Slashdot?? What, con-artist, stock manipulator, and patent abuser Jeff Bezos of Amazon.bomb sells it so it must be cool?
Folks, if you want to pay $40, you can often get an hour of AIRPLANE rental! Let's see here . . . overpriced yuppie toy or Cessna 152, hmmm . . . And for five grand, I could scare up a very nice (and very lightly used) car. These Segway jerkoffs want me to pay that for a scooter? Gimmie a break! As for replacing cars, the damn things are already illegal in several cities.
This is supposed to be "news for nerds." To my knowledge, no self-respecting nerd would be caught dead on one of these things. The only people who would are idiot ex-dot-commers with more money than brains.
Please, /. editors, no more Segway stories! This is hardly "stuff that matters."
Look where this beat-off that's renting the things, Larry Lambeth, is located. That's right, Spokane, Washington, the Town That Means Well. Yes, the same Spokane that took out a HUD loan to build a Nordstrom store when it already had two.
I can scarcely see doing this in "trendy" cities like Seattle or San Francisco, especially given the rampant unemployment and downsizing that's going on.. Spokane? A city that tries hard not to be trendy? Riiiight! In fact, one of its selling points is how un-trendy and un-cool it is.
Wonder if this will be the first case of a Segway getting repoed.
The Segway is as "pointless" as the horseless carriage and the velocipeds from 100-120 years ago.
In 1897, the Sears Catalog sold "safety bicycles" (i.e., pedal-and-chain style, versus the big "penny farthing" type) for $25. That's equivalent to about $2,200 year-2003 dollars.
The Segway dropped from $10,000 two years ago, to $7,000 last year, to $5,000 now. Give it time.
It will find its place in the spectrum of transportation choices. Some people will always walk. Some people will always drive gas-guzzling SUV's and exotic cars that cost more than my 2 bedroom home. Most people will find something in between.
I have some friends that where laughing at a guy on a moped. I said those exact words to them, "he's getting a 100 miles to the gallon." They stopped laughing.
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
i wouldn't walk 15 miles total per day going to work and back...but i do take my segway. i used to take a car. sometimes i take a bike. lazy? lazy is posting as "Anonymous Coward" those are just keystroke, good gawd man.
cheers,
pt
So here you are, bragging about the size of your peni^H^H^H^Hwallet on an internet site and using feel good marketing speak.
/. story you can work the scooter into.
o ys.com has been taken yet.
Humm, I think you are just an austroturfer, and looking at your history confirms it. I wonder if all 108 of your comments are just like the current 24 and you can't shut up with the bragging about your $$$ and your scooter.
Why don't you waste you time at some other site related to the scooter instead of posting PR stuff to every
I don't think ExpensiveOverhypedScooterOwningRabidPrSpewingFanb
Now there is a ideal. Wonder how difficult it would be to take out the motor/battery assembly and put in one from say a weedeater or a chainsaw?
I imagine you couldn't remove the electric motor and it still work but I don't think it would stop you from replacing the battery with a small generator and engine. You might even be able to get some decent range out of the bitch.
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
You people are chumps. The segway may have some interesting technology, but it's more of a marketing experiment than a technological breakthrough. They've pulled out every trick in the book, from lobbying local governments to planting media articles like this one (remember those astroturfed fan sites they made?), to the exaggerated sales on Amazon.com .
If you ever thought about buying a segway, or fantasized about how cool it might be to have one - you're just a sucker! That's right, you've been had.
The saddest people are the ones who think they're cool because they call it an "ht". Those are the real victims of marketing. Do you think Pepsi is cool? Does the Coca-Cola logo make you think of "good times"? Have you been asking your friends if they're "gellin" like they do in the commercial?
This isn't a flame or a troll. This is the sad truth. There are people out there that are so stupid that they actually believe a $5000 tricycle is "cool".
-dbc
40 bucks an hour? When for that price, I can get a rental car for a day, and a rental bicycle for a week?
The rental prices alone continue to make it obvious that the Segway is a machine powered not by electricity but by hype. Hype is fickle, basically fraudulent and can disappear for good in a short second.
I'm sure Kamen's promotional apparatus is very, very annoyed with people like me, who have become so resolved against bulldada like the Segway that we can't be converted and must be attacked. In order to get my money (which is the entire point to running the Engine of Hype {tm}) they will have to frisk my body for my wallet, since even at gunpoint I will resist and must be killed into submission.
Despite such drama -- and sadly for the Kamenistas -- there's only so much they can do to get my money. But their hook (the alleged product, the Segway Transporter) is too expensive to effectively hide in some fee assessed by some government agency. It should stand as perfectly obvious that this high price makes it impossible to lure me into buying it voluntarily, as well as renting it.
The reality of the Segway is that by its design, maintenance costs and purchase price, its application is very, very limited and will thus be compelled to remain there. The purchase price alone is a major undermine of the hype and guarantees niche-marketdom. But I do get tired of hearing people talk the thing up, as if this very, very limited machine can actually revolutionize our transportation world. But I guess that's only to be expected given the dotcom era we are still mired in.
[You have a stable society when some nut guns down a schoolyard and the law doesn't change.]
50$/hr
Some dude back at my highschool paid one 5$ to cop a feel.
God spoke to me
Saw another one in downtown Palo Alto. Walgreens wouldn't let him ride it into the store, and he was trying to figure out where to park it.
If you replaced the electric drive system with something else you wouldn't be able to stay on the thing.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
One notable PF city (San Francisco) has gone and banned the Segway. I blame this on kneejerk anti-business attitudes. Now, "kneejerk" is not a word I use lightly -- it's too popular with right-wingers who are too lazy to properly rebut the arguments of left-wingers. (Indeed, you could say that using the word is itself usually a kneejerk reaction.) I say "kneejerk" in this case because the main anti-Segway group loves to make comparisons with SUVs and other corporate stupidities. But they themselves admit that there's only been one Segway-related injury so far.
The big concern seems to be that Segways will be misused by irresponsible riders who will speed down sidewalks, scattering senior citizens right and left. But the Segway designers seem to have anticipated precisely this issue: how fast your Segway can go is determined by which key you use to turn it on. The keys are conspicuously colored, so it would be easy to require Segwayers to use the "beginner" key in heavily trafficed areas. That limits the scooter to 6mph, which is about how fast most people walk.
Los Angeles Downtown Marriot, 4:30 - 6:00. Should be fun. I really don't understand the hostility some of you feel over this thing. Subjects that lead to Geek Rage would be an interesting research topic.
Here in Vancouver, BC, a guy invested some $100,000 in segways and is offering them at $20.00 per hour or $100 per day (24 hours). Now all that remains is for the city and the insurance corporation (ICBC) to come to some agreement on whether or not to allow these on sidewalks or on streets and what liability it should have. As usual lots of red tape unless you have friends in the city council to make people look the other way while they make the money.
My dad and I actually came up with the idea to charge for test drives at local malls, at $1/min, there are bound to be dozens of people willing to pay each day.
:(
The logistics became a problem though when trying to get insurance, as well as the fact that we'd have to travel to the US to take training before they'd ship us any segways. And on top of all that, according to their sales, we could only order 2.
So the idea kind of died..
I never had a problem with riding my bike around Block Island. It would be nice if they outlawed scooters on the island, but I don't think its even that big of a problem to start off with.
I cannot envision how it could work without unbalancing the Segway, but the concept of having someone strapped in and at the mercy of the driver in such an unstable vehicle is quite humorous.
---
Could they find some way to add a tow hitch that does not interfere with the Segway's operation? Since the base rotates forward and back, maybe they could make the tow truck have an open channel so the hitch could move up and down.
The Segway has a top speed of 12 mph. Do they have the power to pull anything? If the speed is being limited by the controls, which seems possible since the top speed is determined by which key is used, then maybe the power is already there. But that leaves the possibility of mods that allow much faster movement. There are some people who would be zipping around at 40 mph until they damaged themselves, bystanders, or property.
I cannot imagine to would be a comfortable ride for anybody being pulled on a stretcher on the tow truck. And if it slows the Segway, then having four people run with the stretcher would be both faster and more comfortable.
---
I did think of one use for Segways: parking enforcement. Zip around putting parking tickets on cars. It is unlikely that anyone would steal one with police markings.
I spend my life entertaining my brain.
One of the hazards of being a pedestrian around here is bicyclists who just ignore crosswalks, stop signs, and traffic signals.
One last irony: SF actually has more fatal pedestrian accidents per capita than any place in the U.S. The main culprit is that strange group of people who don't understand that a red light means "stop right now" not "stop, unless you think you can make it accross the intersection before the cross traffic appears." The obvious cure is red-light cameras (intersections that have them in SF have drastically fewer accidents) but such cameras are widely considered to be tools of an evil fascist conspiracy.
Spoken like a true flat-lander. Have you never biked up a long hill? I can go for miles on flat land without breaking a sweat, but somehow always end up drenched after a two or three mile stretch of 8% grade. At least on a Segway the rider doesn't need to leave time in the morning commute for a shower upon arrival at the destination.
It was at a local Flea Market. Some 6'+ guy was coasting along on the thing in tight crowds, silently running over people's feet, I'm sure. Sure was easy to spot with his head sticking up above the crowd.
The guy was obviously there to show off because the other 3 people he was with were still using their feet to get around. Or maybe they were there to carry the stuff he buys because he surely couldn't carry it with him on the Segway.
Maybe the next time I go to that flea market, I'll ride my motorcycle through the crowds. At least I have saddlebags to carry my stuff in.
Tel - E - Port - Er
All problems solved. =)
I'd pay a few dollars to test ride it just to see how it stays up and controls itself but I would not do it more than once. I doubt these things would work in amusement parks. Where would you put it if you want to stop and eat or go on rides? People don't follow road rules either so you'd basically be riding as slow as the walkers weaving in and out. You can get two 50cc scooters and plus have money left over for the price of one of these SHTs.
-- After all is said and done, more is said than done.
Yes, the renting is a few other people cashing in on the hype, but the overall price is set by Segway. Those things are ridiculously expensive for what you get. If they were cheaper to buy, then the renters could charge less. That was my point.
IANAL, but I play one on
If you are saying Disneyland just blows unless you are under 10, I can't argue for or against since I've never been there. I have been to Disney World since I've become an adult, and it was actually pretty fun (well, it was fun since I didn't go with kids but with other adults). Epcot center is pretty cool, if only for good food and to have fun with their "technology" exhibits. They even have dance clubs for adults in the park.
As for picking up on sarcasm, I understood what you were trying to say, but I just felt that the point of your sarcastic statement could be enhanced with cold facts. Disney Land/World is pretty damned expensive, and the Segway is even worse (which is what I showed using data).
IANAL, but I play one on