I finally saw one of these things rolling down Market Street, trying to blend in along with the rest of the bicycle commuter pack. It sure took a while for these things to demonstrate any usefulness beyond being utilized for carefully managed guided tours in the Marina, but this guy is doing his best towards entrenching the Segway as the revolution in personal transportation it initially claimed to be.
However, I wouldn’t worry about these things taking over the roadways any time soon. The lack of exercise expended forced this dude to dress for his morning ride like he was preparing to ascend K2 (between his roles as Kyle Reese from T1 and Corporal Hicks from Aliens, Michael Biehn is easily the best actor on the planet) on one of the warmest mornings of the year so far.
While the Segway accelerated quickly off the stoplight line, that only forced cyclists to repeatedly pass him after every intersection since his top speed left much to be desired. The Muni buses didn’t take too kindly to him either. Too fast for sidewalks; too slow for streets. So where do they belong?
Probably the junkyard, although these Sci-Fi versions look pretty badass!
Previously:
McCafe Pushers on Segways: A Symbol of Economic Progress
The guy is wearing old man jeans from like, walmart. The problem with Seqways is the people who ride them always look right out of an Edward Koren cartoon.
Sartorial tragedy indeed. I mean hasn’t this guy heard of Self Edge?
There’s another guy I see every day riding down Market on a Segway, though he’s in a full on business suit and has a ponytail.
Power-chairs for hipsters. I hope I never have to admit to being that lame, although I already have arthritis in both my feet.
I will survive.
Segways aren’t legal– street or sidewalk. They endanger pedestrians and cyclists and shouldn’t be on any public right of way.
Jerks on fixies endanger pedestrians and cyclists but somehow they are still allowed on public rights of way. It’s all about who is driving the vehicle, not the vehicle itself.
Mcas — you’re just wrong, on all points.
Only in SF, Mountain View, and maybe one or two other cities in CA ban them from sidewalks. Otherwise, in CA, you are considered a pedestrian, period. Explicitly. Go look it up; I’m tired of looking it up for people who spout off like this as if they knew something they don’t.
Also, for those of us who are disabled (and MANY Segway users are disabled — such as both myself and my 77-year-old mother), the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act apply, and the SF ban does not. I commuted for a year and a half on Market Street, with no problem, except for a couple of self-appointed vigilantes. Mostly I got a whole lot of positive comments — including from police, and from Willy Brown himself.
They’re not a danger to pedestrians. They’re designed to be very compatible with pedestrians; taking up the same amount of space as a walking adult male. They move like a pedestrian, except they can’t step sideways without turning first. They’re EXTREMELY stable, despite appearances to the contrary. The tires are soft — safer for feet than a businessman’s shoes, and FAR safer than a wheelchair’s wheels (as my daughter can attest, having experienced both). They STOP when they encounter an obstruction. I routinely train new riders by having them run into me. They Segway will stop, even if they haven’t figured out how to stop by then. (It takes just a couple minutes to teach someone the basics).
In a rather bizarre point, the author of the blog here has derided the Segway user for dressing for the weather much as a pedestrian would, rather than as an overheated bicyclist must. When you think about it, that’s a HUGE advantage over a bicycle — not arriving at work dripping sweat.
However, you do get a lot more exercise than you think, on a Segway. After all, you ARE standing! And using your legs, over all those bumps and things. But no question — if your goal is to get yourself a maximum workout, dripping sweat and all, well, the bicycle is an excellent choice. But really, shouldn’t you be applauding that Segway user for not being in a car? Must EVERYONE conform to YOUR exercise standard?
What is it about certain people that they have to have people to look down on and make fun of, anyway?
Yeah, most folks with Segways ought to be riding bikes…but at least they’re not driving cars.
Wow, another ignoranus jumps on the Segway bashing bandwagon. It’s an alternative form of transportation, not a method for avoiding exercise. I’ve gone over 10,000 miles on my Segway, miles I would have otherwise done in my car. I exercise daily, and get this, I even ride a bike.
Here: learn something…
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dean_kamen_on_inventing_and_giving.html
nuf time wasted on you.
[...] on the sides of Valencia were supposed to be used for. For all we know, they could have been meant for Segways. One of the painters suggested to me, “You should take that home and paint it on your [...]