If you have never seen a Segway, it is this little two wheeled "thing" that is supposed to me a personal transport vehicle. A long time ago some inventor got the idea for a very small vehicle that people could use to get around instead of a big car. It would respond to simple body movements; lean forward, it goes forward. pull back, it stops and then goes backwards. Word on the street is that this guys spent a pile of money developing this thing, maybe 200 large, maybe a million, but it does not matter, it was a shitload of money.
when I was bored to death in Montreal waiting for the Bjork show to start, I decided to go give one of these things a try at a rental place. For fifty bucks you get to ride around a little bit for maybe 30 minutes. But of course they dont trust you so one the guys there has to go along with you.
They start out giving you a little traing course and yes, it was pretty easy to figure out. I was the only one there, and for good reason, it started raining. they were nice enough to give me a raincoat for the ride. I asked lots of questions while riding, like "How do you lock it up if I want to park outside a store and go inside?". "You can't lock it". "Well, what keeps anybody from stealing it?". He informed me that it was designed to roll inside the store. It did not matter if you took the key with you, I could pick up this thing and throw it in the back of a pickup truck pretty easy.
The inventors actually thought that people would drive this thing right through the front door, into the elevator, then to their desk, work the day, and then ride it home.
It has a pretty short range, I think under an hour for sure. It costs a lot of money, I think $4,000 or so.
The best complment I can give this thing is
"A worthless toy"
The Segway model you have pictured is one of the OLD Generation 1 models. Too bad if that is all you got to try out where you went to rent! The Generation 2 models have been out since 2006 - and are vastly different: more sporty design and easier to use by virtue of the "Lean Steer" mechanism - so the entire steering column tilts left or right, so that you can actually lean and steer in the direction you want to go vs. turning with your left hand attempting to coordiante fine motor musch skills that really require training. New models sell between $5,000-$6,000 ... and sales have doubled every year since Segway first came on the market in 2001. Range on the Segway Personal Transporter is 24 to 25 miles and additionally has regenerative braking that recharges when braking or riding down hill. The Segway has EPAMD (electronic personal assist mobility device) status in virutually every place in the US - thus giving riders the option to ride anywhere a pedestrian can (at pedestrian speeds) or wherever a bicycle can go. It is pretty nimble and adept at getting you places, especially with the 12.5 mph (you were most likely locked down to 6 or 8 mph on your test ride). SEV (shord distance electric vehicles) will no doubt be part of the solution to help our modern societies learn how to change our poor transportation habits - over 50% of all travel is from single passenger transport of 3-5 miles or less - shocking really. There is no doubt that the non-pessimists are excited by and flocking to try the Segway in Tours and Rentals across the US - It is a very fast growing business; some even end up purchasing them (wink-wink)! Personally - I use mine for practically all of my short distance travel. I love it because i'm outside, in control, able to zip around while in my business clothes (can't do on my bike), have opportunity to interact with people easily, on the sidewalks, or the side of the street (can't do in my car without blocking traffic), and riding it just feels like so much fun. Worthles?? Haha - only to the unimaginative, or deeply disaffected. Toy? Haha - more useful than my car - I can travel any short trip, park anywhere (Oh - it comes with a built in alarm and lock on the Gen 2), save on parking costs, and i'm so much more efficient with it than with a car - making my days so much more productive. And yes - I do go to the store and get my groceries. I'll leave it to the imaginative to figure out how that works - and yes, it works very well!
ReplyDeletewell I am glad to hear that the new models are so much improved, really, that is great news. Like scooters, they are not a solution for but a small portion of society, but i guess they do have their place.
ReplyDelete