Slashdot Mirror
Segways Roll Over Chicago
lpangelrob2 writes "It looks like someone in Chicago finally found a use for Dean Kamen's Segways. The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that a three hour tour of Chicago's lakefront will be guided by Segways traveling on Chicago's sidewalks at 5mph. The cost of the tour is $65, and an instructional class and helmet is provided -- just in case."
"ABC7's Jim Wieder reports supervisors aren't happy to hear the suspect got away."
This is confusing on many levels. First, how did a person on a Segway out run the police? Second, how many people do you see on a Segway? Third, why did some one buy a Segway?
Disclaimer: These questions do not require a response as I understand that people on foot can escape police but any witty reponse (see funny) would be appreciated. Thanks-
Why does that sound ominous too me?
just in case.....you happen to be a leader of a free world.
Left 4 Dead Gaming Group - http://www.l4dgg.com
Washington, DC. You could zip around between the monuments and museums pretty quickly. A lot of the car traffic in that area is really not necessary, and people could get in and out of the area via Metro.
I don't remember the "Chicago Lakefront" screen in Lemmings.
It was a few months ago we had a news story down here about a company giving Segway tours of Sarasota, with full support of City Hall.
666-607: 6th floor apartment of the beast
consider the cost of ownership of a ten passenger van versus the cost of ten segways. The segways win compared to the cost of a new van. Moreover the segaways have better access. Still the segways cant be used just anywhere like this.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
to get people to use the Segway's or somesuch. It might work to get people to view the city... wonder if it's funded in part by a tourist council?
You're reading Slashdot. Of course you like Linux and pc hardware
Here in Seattle I've also seen the people who collect the change out of parking meters using Segways to move up and down the sidewalks.
I guess Kamen is managing to sell these things, but not as many as was originally hoped.
Minneapolis does this to on their "Magical History Tour"
Travel back in time on a Magical History Tour(TM)! Ride a Segway as you enjoy the history of the Minneapolis Riverfront area from 10,000 BC to present without breaking a sweat. Let the Segway do the work as you cover several miles accompanied by a professional guide
Of course, this one costs $70
Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
Nerds?
Finally, I can promote my business and not be off topic...
We have been renting the Segway HT for 6 months now in the La Jolla / San Diego area... We also provide training and a helmet to all riders and to date have not had a single incident.
It is interesting though the reaction we get from the disabled community. While the majority of people who encounter the units see them as a marvel, the Disabled community is split in their view of the units.
Those with minor to severe mobility issues LOVE the units. They see them as a viable alternative to a wheelchair and a way to increase their mobility.
However, those who are confined to a chair, and those who are blind and deaf are strongly opposed to the units being on the sidewalks.
They are afraid that they will be hit by the units and see them as a danger, even though NOONE, in this area at least, has been hit by the units.
To further increase their safety, we also limit the units to 6 miles per hour.
The Code Ninja is swift with his tool, precise in his delivery, and deadly accurate in his execution.
Be painting Segways Yellow- and leaving them around town for just anybody to use who wants to look stupid, just like the Yellow Bike Project
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
How about you beef them up on the front and use them as part of some humn a bowling ball device. Maybe protect the driver in some sort of giant plastic hasmter wheel and then have the contestants drive into 10 ft (around 3+ meter) heigh pins. Make a couple of the pins exploding and you got a nice spring break event. Of course as the SF hit and run article shows, who needs pins when you got people.
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
Surely anything requiring a helmet for safety should not be allowed on sidewalks.
--- What?
A bunch of less cars on the road.
An english translation please?
[I can picture a world without war, without hate. I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it]
For a while now, you have been able to get a Segway tour of Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park. They weren't available the last time the family went to WDW, but next time we're going to give this a try.
or better yet, ride a bicycle, McDonalds, motorized scooters, maybe motorized shoes next, let's get some exercise people. I know some people need assistance, but I'm tired of seeng 5 year olds on motorized vehicles, DAMN.
These things are tricky, eh?
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Riders must leave their pride with the ticket booth before joining the tour.
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
Couldn't the police just come from the opposite direction with 2 Segways with a cable between them and trip up the offending Segway? It works on Imperial Walkers!
We rent the Segway in La Jolla CA. Everyone who has tried the units has come back very excited about them.
Most tell us that the trick is to relax and let the unit do the work for you. They also tell us that it is so responsive that it almost obeys your thoughts rather than your actions.
The Code Ninja is swift with his tool, precise in his delivery, and deadly accurate in his execution.
They're just a Segment of the population.
... a three hour tour ...
Why did I get flashbacks of Gilligan's Island when I saw that phrase? Hmmm...
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
a tale of a fateful day.
That started from Chicago's port,
aboard this here Segway.
The tour guide was way up front,
the crowd was brave and sure.
Five tourists set off that day,
for a three hour tour, a three hour tour
The weather started getting rough,
the Segways all were tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless bunch,
the tour would be lost; the tour would be lost.
The Segways took ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle,
with Gilligan, the guide too,
the Millionaire, and his Wife,
the Movie Star, the Professor and Mary Ann,
here on Lake Michigan's Isle.
For every post, there is an equal and opposite re-post.
Trying to sell you on the concept of the Segway is akin to trying to replace a farmer's horse with a car in the 1900's.
but in all honesty, the segway isnt for you. Your happy on a bike, and thats ok. Just realise that it is picking up steam and sales and you might just have to share the sidewalks in the future.
The Code Ninja is swift with his tool, precise in his delivery, and deadly accurate in his execution.
"The man fled the scene on his Segway. Police think he lives in the neighborhood. " Wow, I would have figured he rode his segway from a different city.
Click for offensive t-sh
I would not characterize it as "a lot". I ride my bicycle on city streets and the lakefront daily, and though I see bicycle cops all the time I have yet to see a Segway.
Assume I was drunk when I posted this.
The CA legislature has limited the Segways speed to 8 MPH on the sidewalks. We rent them at 6mph.
Those who own one and wish to ride them at the faster speeds can ride them in the bike lanes.
And for cites with dedicated bike lanes, that's fine. However, the unit's riders are legally considered a pedestrian. This is because the Segway is MUCH more controllable than a bike, or skateboard.
At 12MPH I can stop within a foot. Which I cant do on a bike. I can also stand still and pivot in place, allowing me to get in and out of tight places.
Its a new machine, with new technology, that's like nothing else on the market.
The Code Ninja is swift with his tool, precise in his delivery, and deadly accurate in his execution.
I guess I'm a little late to this conversation, but just wanted to mention that I've seen these tours already happening. I was downtown, at Columbus and Monroe, on May 15th and saw a group of people on Segways wearing helmets. I overheard one of them telling the group what route they were going to take to complete their tour.
It'll be interesting to see how this affects pedestrian traffic downtown. Shouldn't be too bad as long as they stay close to the lakes and parks; I can't imagine how they'd get around in the Loop without creating huge pedstrian traffic delays.
I've also seen some cops using them. Gives me an ominous feeling when I see that and recall Steve Jobs's comment: "people will build cities around this thing."
"Molest me not with this pocket calculator stuff."
- Deep Thought
Sure it looks like you are just standing there. But remember the Segway is using cues from your body to determine if it should move forward, back, or slow down... so you are actually spending a lot of time readjusting balance in ways you're not accustomed to, and after a few hours your legs can get fairly tired. It's not like being in a car whene the experinece is mostly passive as far as your muscles go.
Heck, even just standing up for a long time without balancing in different ways is more than most people do!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
at the beginning of the twentieth century, a lot of people were concerned about the accidents that could occur from automobiles. the cost of accidents were eventually considered to be a reasonable risk considering the convenience that they give.
... helmet is provided -- just in case.
After reading link about segway accident, I realized
that helmets should be provided also to pedestrian, not just drivers.
It all depends on the exact geography of course, but I think that after two weeks of practice, the hills would cease to be a problem.
I don't think so. I know guys who bike 40 miles a day (not that uncommon in Colorado) and for most of the hills between my house and work, you are not going to be going much better than walking speed up them even with a lot of conditioning. I can tell because I pass them every day in my car and I have never seen any of them going above a crawl.
If the shower is a consequence of having sweated on the trip, then Segways can share that problem. Automobiles can turn the air conditioning up to frosty levels, but of course Segways and bikes can't do this. They'll both have you exposed to hot sunlight for about the same length of time. Of course, the bike also involves some physical extertion, but I think in the summertime you'd sweat regardless.
In Houston I would agree with you. But in any dry climate it's pretty easy to be outside even at 90 degrees or more for a long time and not really sweat at all. As long as you had a hat and some water things would be good (and for commuting the temperatures would be a lot lower when traveling).
Another point I neglected to mention is that bicycles and automobiles have a wheel diameter greater than twice that of a Segway. This becomes important when you get off of neat sidewalks and onto real roads, which can become highly non-smooth, especially at the edges. A thin bike wheel can navigate precisely around the edges of obstacles/potholes, which a Segway could not avoid without swinging way out into automotive traffic.
On the Segway you would simply ride over whatever it was, this to me is actually a weakness of the bicycle in that it's very prone to problems from the smallest of debris. A Segway has a huge amount of tourque as in very stable, you can just about go up over a curb on one. I actually wuld feel a lot more confident on a Segway near traffic than a bike, and I've biked quite a lot in the past. I know I could comfortably use the segway on rocky shoulders where nobody with a road bike is willing to go.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley