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A Hypothesis On Segway Hate
theodp writes "Admit it, IT is ingenious. Also, IT is surprisingly effective for certain uses, including real cops and mall cops. And if you tried IT, you probably smiled to yourself. So why all the Segway hate? Paul Graham looks into The Trouble with the Segway and offers a hypothesis about what prompts people to shout abuse at Segway riders: 'You look smug. You don't seem to be working hard enough.' Not that someone riding a motorcycle is working any harder, adds Graham, but because he's sitting astride it, he appears to be making an effort. When you're riding a Segway you're just standing there. Make a version that doesn't look so easy for the rider — perhaps resembling skateboards or bicycles — and Segway just might capture more of the market they hoped to reach."
I bought an electric scooter to use on the journey to work, and then after using it a couple of times, realised I'd be a lot better off just walking so as to get some exercise (and it's the best decision I've made for a long time - even since I started driving to work again I have kept up with doing a bit of walking in the evenings and weekends).
Sure a scooter is pretty fast on flat terrain with, but seriously I don't see the use in such a cumbersome device for a cop or mall-cop. If they are chasing someone they are bound to have to get off the thing at some point, and then will be so unhealthy for having not walked anywhere for a year (exaggeration of course) that they won't be able to catch up..
which is totally what she said
I don't hate it. I just don't see the point. It seems to try to fill a convenience gap somewhere between walking on one end and bicycles or scooters on the other. At least for me there's simply no gap there to fill.
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
And now when it failed we have that idiotic attempt at astroturfing. Come one, "Segway hate"? It could only happen if someone actually used that thing.
Next on Slashdot: reports of overwhelming Zune hate. The reason that prompts people to shout abuse is "they look smug and cool and trendy. iPod crowd just can't stand it".
Perhaps, but I haven't ridden a motorbike either. I have no idea what the complexities are, yet would still give more respect for a motorcyclist than a segway user.
But I think my answer is the inability to perceive the utility of the thing. A motorcycle has speed. Even a very low powered scooter can do 30mph. The idea that people want to get from place to place considerably more quickly means I can see why you want one.
A 12.5mph Segway just doesn't seem fast enough to justify the cost. It gives the impression that the owner is a lazy rich guy. Maybe it's just envy, but it seems like a hell of a lot of money to spend to go a little bit faster.
I think anyone who owns a dog or who has taken their kids out for a stroll in a carriage can relate to what you wrote.
The problem, I think, with rollerbladers and skaters is one of scale. If you're a normally functioning biped going about your business, someone travelling at speeds highly disproportionate to your own (or making a helluva lot more noise than you make as skateboarders do) can only be characterised (from your perspective) as somewhere between a danger and a threat.
Cars even more so. Walking your dog or and having cars drive by at 25-30 mph can be acceptable if there's a barrier, or enough distance separating you. Someone speeding by at 35-45 mph, on the other hand, will most likely elicit an extreme reaction from you. The guy in the car, of course, doesn't care and doesn't notice as he considers himself perfectly safe from you.
Segways typically don't speed, and they don't make a lot of noise, but they certainly share much in common with what we perceive as threats: something bigger than we are and something which is capable of moving faster than we move. Practically speaking that means they don't belong on the sidewalk, or anywhere people gather or walk normally. And because a slow-moving object on a roadway is also a threat, they certainly don't belong there. That essentially leaves them with nowhere that's appropriate.
Doesn't help that we tend to view mechanical devices generally with suspicion, and Segway owners specifically as oddballs. That's not to say that Segways themselves aren't interesting.
Its not easy to begin with but you don't really need to worry about banging your head, the natural movement as soon as you start to totter is to just step off onto your feet and I've never heard of falling to the ground. I think probably because your hands are not holding on (when you panic learning on a bicycle, your hands will grip tighter which is exactly the wrong thing to do as it focuses your weight above the centre of gravity :). Shin guards are definitely a good idea though..
I used to ride a unicycle a couple of miles to work and just pushed it under my desk when I got there. Going up hills is ridiculously easy (the steeper the better you can zip right past bicyclists) but going downhill can be hard on the legs unless you get good enough to freewheel (foot on tyre as brake). If you want to get good, get a smaller wheel and find a unicycle hockey group to join.. (20" is maneuverable but 26" would be better for commuting)
That only explains why we don't all get one, not why we despise those that do.
Personally I think it's because it just looks silly / "gay". Some, like TFA, might argue that this is the result of intrinsic aspects of its design. I suspect that it is a more than sufficient combination that
A) We are not used to seeing it
and
B) It does not, unlike, say a motorcycle, exude power to counterbalance that unfamiliarity.
I believe if the regular bike was introduced today, reactions would be much the same.
sudo ergo sum
Apart from being insanely expensive you can't ride it legally in most places, neither on the sidewalk nor on the street. And, oh - did I mention expensive? Nah, it's not that, it's how it makes you look...
Oh yeah, don't forget the incredible hype before the thing even came out. You know, how It was going to change the way cities were designed and It was the most revolutionary thing since the invention of the wheel. Yeah, it must be how it makes the rider look. /s
People hate the Segway because of the over the top, ridiculous pre-release marketing. The Segway is an interesting device, but it is a niche market. It is not a "world changing" device.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
No, it's not an effect of the hate, its an effect of the fact that you're not generally allowed to drive motorized vehicles on the sidewalk, and driving something whose top speed is 12 mph in the street isn't safe.