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What's the fascination with "personal movers" like the Segway?

techs

techs

Lifer
I don't get it. I could care less about things like the Segway. If I were handicapped and couldn't walk, maybe. But there are still motorized wheelchairs.
Is it that Americans are just so lazy and wheelchairs have a stigma to them but that a device that lets you stand while it moves you is ok?
How lazy are we?
 
I think they're pretty retarded, but I've seen them used in situations that wouldn't be practical for any other mode of transportation. One of the marathons I ran recently had cops on segways. Officers in squad cars or motorcycles wouldn't have been practical and the fumes would have interfered with the runners. The electric segways produced no fumes, didn't consume a lot of space, and allowed the cops to see over the runners for issues.

But for a normal person, its a waste.
 
I currently work for Target as a protection specialist. I use a segway to do parking lot patrols and I do admit it is quite unnecessary. I believe we just use it to create more visibility outside in the parking lot.

I've seen an old guy or two in North Portland riding them around. Seems much more economical to ride one to the store and back without having to pay for car insurance and having to deal with pushy drivers.

 
It's supposed to look futuristic and cool.

Admit it-- 90% of you here would ride one given the opportunity.
 
Because they're very cool. The gyroscopic balancing, and movement mechanics are unique. Also, there's always something a little special about moving, and not working at it yourself. It started with bikes and skates when little, and now it's cars and motorcycles.
 
hmmmm, if the wheels were gone and it was like a hover chariot?

I know if I was mobility limited and could choose to stand upright vs chair...I'd be upright. Its also tough to keep up a 12.5 mph walking pace over 25 miles😉
 
I'd ride the thing that was from Top Gear when they went to Japan that was made by Toyota 😀

Koing
 
404 fascination not found, by anyone.

the only time i've seen one was in Vegas. some ridiculously hot chick was scooting through one of the malls on one. God damn was she hot. wow
 
There's some crazy guy in my upscale suburban town who zips around on one. He runs over people who are in his way, he goes into the street into traffic - we all hate this dude and are waiting until he kills somebody. Or gets mashed up himself. He was out a lot in the warm weather we had the last few days.

There's a big feud brewing between him and the local packs of feral bike riders - who can better pretend that they are the only people on the roads/sidewalks in this traffic-dense, people-dense town?
 
I'd put my money on the feral bike riders.

Bikes are so much more useful, fast, and take up barely any more room.
 
I think it's just the looking cool aspect. The Segway though seems like a flimsy piece of crap. I wouldn't trust that thing to move me around.

However, the Segways I've seen cops riding are pretty nice. And they go real fast too.
 
It's not just that it's easier than walking - you can cover ground a lot faster on a Segway than you can walking. I believe they move at about 13 mph. You could run faster than it, but most people couldn't for very long (that's a ~5 minute mile)
 
Originally posted by: meltdown75
404 fascination not found, by anyone.

the only time i've seen one was in Vegas. some ridiculously hot chick was scooting through one of the malls on one. God damn was she hot. wow
Click to expand...

At ease, soldier. She was probably a prostitute.
 
Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
It's supposed to look futuristic and cool.

Admit it-- 90% of you here would ride one given the opportunity.
Click to expand...

i would. im not gonna go out and buy one to do it tho. it would hold the same fascination as a gocart for me
 
I don't get it. I could care less about things like motorized scooters. If I were handicapped and couldn't walk, maybe. But there are still motorized wheelchairs.
Is it that Americans are just so lazy and wheelchairs have a stigma to them but that a device that lets you straddle it while it moves you is ok?
How lazy are we?
 
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
It's supposed to look futuristic and cool.

Admit it-- 90% of you here would ride one given the opportunity.
Click to expand...

i would. im not gonna go out and buy one to do it tho. it would hold the same fascination as a gocart for me
Click to expand...

I'd love to ride one. I was captivated the first time I saw it. I wouldn't buy one, but I'd happily pay $10 for the chance to ride.
 
Originally posted by: Bateluer
I think they're pretty retarded, but I've seen them used in situations that wouldn't be practical for any other mode of transportation. One of the marathons I ran recently had cops on segways. Officers in squad cars or motorcycles wouldn't have been practical and the fumes would have interfered with the runners. The electric segways produced no fumes, didn't consume a lot of space, and allowed the cops to see over the runners for issues.

But for a normal person, its a waste.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but wouldn't bicycles have worked just as well?

Cops and campus security ride bikes all the time for patrols where there isn't enough space for cars and motorcycles. Same deal with couriers in congested downtown areas.

Although Segways are clean, they still consume energy, when a bicycle could do the same work on just human effort. Bicycles are still the most efficient form of transportation - relatively low energy to manufacture and maintain, and low energy to operate (especially the upright "cruiser" models).
 
Originally posted by: Scholzpdx
I currently work for Target as a protection specialist. I use a segway to do parking lot patrols and I do admit it is quite unnecessary. I believe we just use it to create more visibility outside in the parking lot.

I've seen an old guy or two in North Portland riding them around. Seems much more economical to ride one to the store and back without having to pay for car insurance and having to deal with pushy drivers.
Click to expand...

Or you could just walk,
the comparison to a car is void - segway still makes you stand on your feet and has very little carrying capacity.
 
Public Safety here uses Segways. Necessary? Maybe. A bicycle would work to travel quickly, but if they're just roaming around watching things, the campus is large for walking purposes.
 
Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
Mall security and meter maids on campus. That's the only people I've seen with them.
Click to expand...

CFOs of the respective organizations need to be canned, that's $5K + maintenance expensive w/o justification. There's very little segway has to offer to an able-bodies employee.
 
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