Celebration, Florida "Invaded" By Segways (1 Viewer)

[Michael St. Clair]

Seriously, the negative response to Segway has become so frenzied in some quarters that it is almost funny.

Kind of like the negative reponse to the use of $200 bicycles and $50 skates on public sidewalks?

That kind of (reasoned) response has been around for 50 years or more.

Yet for some reason, Segway owners seem to want to whine that they are singled out. Some owners say it is because they are pricey. Some say that it is because they are new.

Bicycles and skates are neither new nor pricey. But in certain places they can be a menace.

Segways to skates and bikes is apples to apples. Segways to SUVs is apples to oranges. I dislike SUVs, but I'm not silly enough to pretend I could haul one of my 600 pound arcade games in a Segway, or take it up a 20-mile Tenessee mountain incline. Sometimes, for certain people, SUVs do have a practical use. Segways, not really.

Edwins response about the Celebration project are likely right. Is there any evidence that Segway would not be making a profit on even the sales of these vehicles?

And I have spent (literally) weeks on the streets of Celebration, FL. It is a very unique faux-community. How well Segways would fit there has no bearing on how they would fit in typical contemporary society.

 

[Zane Charron]

I can understand why Segways would be banned from sidewalks, the same way bikes, rollerblades, skateboards and those' scooters' are. Having said that, they are ideal for recreational trails and such.

Celebration (and other New Urbanist communities) are a perfect (if unrealistic) place to evaluate the uses of the Segway. Wide sidewalks, 'pedestrianized' areas, relatively compact development. Though honestly, the claim that people will use them to commute to work is one of the fallacies of the program. How many people do you think that LIVE in Celebration also WORK in Celebration? Very few, if any, I'd say. The houses there are very pricey, and so are their "affordable" appartments located near the 'downtown' area. Maybe housewives would use them to run a few errands (though where I don't know, since none of the stores cater to the everyday needs), or see a movie or something. Michael is right in saying that how they work in Celebration is NOT how they would work in 95% of the places that people in the US live.

 

[Peter Kline]

Why such cynicism?
Of course Segway is making money selling the product to the Celebration individuals. However, it should be pointed out that over 100 million dollars was spent in the development of the Segway. At some point the company has to start getting a return on their investment. But the individuals in Celebration will get a rebate at the end of the test period if they stay with the program and do the necessary log work, reports, etc. The city of Atlanta is using Segways in their downtown area. Segways are being used in tests by various post office departments across the country. THe U.S. Parks department tested the vehicles last summer. I agree that in certain metropolitan areas, the Segway should be banned from sidewalks. But many of these areas have bicycle lanes and the Segways could use them. Some cities can accomodate the Segway on sidewalks, some can't. Making blanket statements that they should be banned nationwide is myopic in my opinion. Innovation is not a ditry word.

 

[JayV]

Keep the autogyro (the car) off the roads!

It would be a bad sign indeed if we saw autogyros all over our roads.

An autogyro is a flying machine with a propellor as well as a unpowered rotor.

Back on topic, I saw a Segway at Disney World (there is a pic on my site), but they wouldn't give rides.

The woman riding it zipped up and down a crowded walkway.

Given what I saw, I have trouble understanding the vitriol sometimes directed at Segways. It didn't seem very fast (maybe the woman didn't speed it up?).

With her permission, a couple onlookers, including me, jostled and pushed her and the Segway as she tooled around in an attempt to cause an accident. Nothing happened.

Skateboards, bikes and rollerblades require skill to operate. Nor is there any check on their speed. It seems like the only ability required to use a Segway is the ability to stand up.

I feel like I'm missing something about the Segway debate.

-j

 

[Charles J P]

I think the reason people get pissy about Segways is becuase they are being touted as something that will change everyones lives, yet right now they are nothing more than an expensive toy for the upper middle class (at the very least if not the downright rich). Its like heading over to AVS and seeing a thread about how the new popularity of digital projectors has driven CRT projectors down to reasonable prices ($10,000 - $20,000). Its a slap in the face to someone who cant even afford a new 27" direct view. I think sour grapes is people's natural reaction to something that they cant have (whether its a matter of money or whatever). So they say that they're toys, or worthless or whatever. Just watch all the people pile on after this post saying how its not sour grapes, they really are worthless toys for the rich.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Just watch all the people pile on after this post saying how its not sour grapes, they really are worthless toys for the rich.

Heck, they aren't that pricey. Some of my friends have motorcycles in addition to their 'daily driver'. Lots of families these days have more cars than drivers, and I'm pondering doing the same thing. Not all of these people are 'rich'.

Don't many of us have home theaters that cost much more than a Segway? I could definitely buy a couple of Segways for what I've spent on HT. Heck, I don't even like to think about it.

Look, I have a bicycle. I have skates. I'm smart enough to know they don't belong on a sidewalk in an urban setting. Suburban residential areas, fine. How are Segways different?

Yeah, Segway owners are being discriminated against by a bunch of spiteful people who can't stand that they are 'affluent'. :rolleyes

 

[Todd Hochard]

It's about priorities. I paid about the same for my 53" Pioneer Elite HDTV, as the SRP of the Segway. I have a "play" car that I've had for 12.5 years (bought it when I was 21). I am decidedly middle class, and have never earned even close to a six-figure income. I have sacrificed to obtain the things that I want, at the expense of other things. It takes a while to save for these things at my income, but again- priorities.

It does seem that most of the venom is born of envy.

Having said that- while the Segway is very high on the "cool" scale, it just won't work for most neighborhoods. The suburbs are too spread out, and the stores that people actually shop at aren't close enough to the homes. That's the case for virtually all of Orlando. One could argue that, if the planners had half a brain, it wouldn't be this way (I would), but, the reality is different.
So, as much as I'd like one to get my butt out of a car, it would wind up being strictly a toy. And my rule is that "toy" transportation needs to be REALLY fast.

Zane- you sure know a lot about Celebration for being in Germany.

Todd

 

[Zane Charron]

Todd,

I'm American, grew up in Florida and am an urban-planning/urban-history buff. So maybe that explains it.

I don't think the Segway should be banned from ALL sidewalks, but from the more crowded ones, such as SF and NY.

As far as the claim that the Segway will transform our cities, I don't see that happening. Not any time soon or on it's own accord. The car is still king and will be for quite a while (unfortunately). Yes, transportation has been one of the 3 prime factors in the way cities have been shaped, but the Segway has a long way to go (and a lot of price to drop) before it starts affecting city planning.

 

[Todd Hochard]

Ah, that DOES explain it.

 

[MickeS]

I have only seen the Segway on pictures and on TV, but I gotta agreee with JayV, it seems like the Segway is very different from bikes, rollerblades and skateboards, even though they might appear to be similar modes of transportation.

The Segway is controlled not by the person's muscles, but by the sophisicated navigation system built into it. If someone wants to stop, it has (as I understand it) breaks, and it doesn't require that the person puts his/her feet down or loses balance, like on a bike. It seems much harder to cruise around people on a sidewalk with a bike than with a Segway, and it seems much harder to control one's speed and balance on a skateboard.

/Mike