Beware of Falling Segways

Those revolutionary personal transport devices that were going to change the way cities are designed have been recalled. Seems they fall over and hurt people when the batteries get too low.

Since they came out I've only actually seen one in use, and if I remember correctly it was in O'Hare International Airport. They use them to help security and information personel get around a bit quicker, and that's really one of the only practical uses I can think of for them. Has anyone else seen them in action?

Comments

[D Lap]

When I first saw the news reel about the up and coming Segways two years back, I honestly thought it was a joke.

I waited to anxiously hear what this Transporation revolution was and how it was gonna change my world.

And lo, a big, fat n' clunky machine with two wheels that goes 12 km an hour.

Sorry, here's yet another thought no one paid me four million dollars to figure out. -- Don't we already have 2-wheeled vehicles that can go even faster than 12 km/hr? -- And they're lighter to carry.

[kevin]

I've seen them used at Granville Island by tourists. Apparently some company down there got the bright Idea of renting then out hourly. Sort of like the scooter rentals you see in a lot of tourist destinations. However, while most people can learn to use a motorized scooter in a couple of minutes, the segways apparently take a bit more time. The three times I've seen them in use have all included an endless stream of spills, falls, bumping the curb, jumping off, and just generaly trying to avoid injury. I'm betting these things are headed to the dust bin.