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Brooster
09-25-2002, 11:45 PM
It's been a week since the news story broke of the City of Chicago leasing six Segways for a three-month trial.

Not one word has been said in the media here since the Sun-Times article of 9/20 ... and no sightings have been reported. Not in the parks, not on the lakefront bike path, not in the downtown area, not at the airports.

Nothing. Daley got his ride. Did he reneg on the deal?

Your Chicago reporter,
Broo

Edit: GyroGo tells me to be patient. Well, okay ... yep, it's only been a week.

Brooster




ftropea
09-26-2002, 12:18 AM
Hey, if everything happened in a week.. why would I need to have a retirement plan? Right? RIGHT?! :P

Yeah.. who knows. I wouldn't be concerned, although I know it's tough to be patient :)

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

Brooster
09-26-2002, 12:39 AM
It's killin' me, Frank. LOL

I'll say it again ... once you ride the thing, you'll be on a "high" for a week. You'll want one. You'll at least want to see one. :)

Brooster

ftropea
09-26-2002, 12:46 AM
Hey, am I not enthusiastic enough!? Now you want me to actually ride one? Are you nuts? I'll probably leave my wife for Ginger ;)

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

Brooster
09-26-2002, 01:16 AM
NO, don't do THAT, Frank ... especially after what we heard about your wife (former model, gorgeous, obviously a wonderful gal, etc.) ... Ginger can wait! LOL

All the best,
Broo


Brooster

ftropea
09-26-2002, 03:25 PM
Any progress in Chicago since your last message? :P

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

Brooster
09-26-2002, 04:01 PM
Not that I've seen, Frank. There were a ton of TV trucks out at O'Hare this morning at 7am, but I doubt it was Segway-related ... I'll keep watching the newspapers, the TV Web sites, and keep watching the lakefront bike bath, but so far ... not a thing. I'd really think that if they didn't want to use them on the sidewalks, the lakefront bikepath would be one of the more obvious choices. They could get out and interact with the public, and they could really get a good test of the distance capabilities of the machine ... there are milepost markers.

Brooster

Brooster
09-28-2002, 02:23 AM
Still no sightings (that I'm aware of) and no word in the local media.

Brooster

Brooster
09-29-2002, 01:34 AM
Another day gone by, with no word ...

As I said on the DC today, I'm beginning to wonder if the lady cop's comments in the 9/19/02 Sun-Times article (see the "Mayor Daley" thread on this board) didn't rub the New Hampshire folks the wrong way ... causing them to recall the machines and scratch the whole program. That'd really be a shame. I can see how that might happen, but let's hope that's not the case. I've sure been looking forward to seeing them personally, and reading/seeing good things in the media.

Let's hope the six machines are still here, and that we will indeed see them being used. Again, as I suggested on the DC, perhaps one Segway is now in the mayor's basement--and he and his buddies are doing laps around the pool table, yuking it up.

In the meantime, I hope you've all seen Casey's news post about the Toledo, Ohio test. Two months, 20 machines, with very specific assignments for all 20. This is the way a test should be run. Thanks to Casey for the article.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20020927&Category=NEWS11&ArtNo=109270068&Ref=AR

Brooster

Brooster
10-02-2002, 07:49 PM
Well guys, I'd hoped to have something to report by now, but it's now nearly two weeks later ... and there's not been a word in the media. I have to think this program has quietly been scratched.



Brooster

Brooster
10-02-2002, 09:22 PM
Well I've done a little digging on this. I just got off the phone with the Chicago Police Department's Central District (downtown) office. This is the district that was supposed to be testing the Segway for a 3-month period.

I told the officer I had a general "curiosity-type" question, and mentioned the articles I'd read in the Tribune and Sun-Times. I asked him if the Segway was still there. "Oh, ya mean that little scooter thing?" he asked. "Yeah, that's it," I said.

"Oh, well, we don't have it anymore ... they took it away," he replied. I don't know what "they" he might have been referring to. I tried to press him for anything else he might know, mentioning that the city had leased six machines for a 3-month test. "Anything else I know is the same thing you and I read in the paper." Seemed like he wasn't very interested in discussing it any further. What's perhaps more telling is what he DIDN'T say ... like, "it's gonna be used out at the airports," or "the so-and-so district is gonna be using it for a while."

So there ya go ... it pretty much sounds like it's gone. If my little "theory" about why it disappeared so quickly is correct, Chicago's missed out on a unique opportunity.

I may call the city news desks of the papers and see what else I can dig up over the next couple of days. If I learn anything, I'll let you guys know.

Broo



Brooster

Brooster
10-02-2002, 11:09 PM
Here's the article with the policewoman's comments from the 9/19/02 Sun-Times. Thanks to Casey for saving it. Hell, she didn't say anything THAT bad, did she???

Chicago cops testing high-tech scooter

September 19, 2002

BY FRANK MAIN CRIME REPORTER

After a day of tooling around Grant Park on a Segway Human Transporter, Chicago police officer Megan Griffin was not ready to trade in her bicycle for the battery-powered scooter.

"It seems like this would be good for writing parking tickets," Griffin said Wednesday after her first full-day test of the $5,000 device. "But I think for aggressive patrol, an officer is better off on foot, in a car or a bike."

The city has leased six of the scooters, which feature self-balancing technology that stemmed from research on wheelchairs. They are getting three-month trial runs at the Police Department, O'Hare and Midway airports and other city departments at a cost of $9,600.

Griffin attracted stares from passersby while her Segway hummed along the bike paths and grassy lawns in the park.

"How fast does that thing go?" she was asked over and over.

The answer: 12.5 mph.

Griffin and another Central District officer will test the scooter for the Police Department until Dec. 16.

Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the 85-pound Segway in December 2001.

It looks a bit like an old-fashioned push lawn mower with big rubber wheels. Push forward on the handlebars and the Segway moves forward. Lean back and it stops. No brakes. No gas pedal.

"The movement gets so natural you don't notice you are leaning forward to make it go," Griffin said.

Gyroscopes and computers allow the rider to negotiate curbs and ruts.

"It works really well on grass and can go up hilly areas with dirt," Griffin said. "But you have to worry about hitting tree stumps, and slippery grass can be dangerous. It is best to keep to the pavement."

There are other limitations: Griffin said she was forced to charge the battery twice Wednesday in two 30-minute sessions. Joseph Eppolito, Central Police District manager, said officers would not have time to put down the kickstand before getting off the scooter to chase a suspect and would not want to leave the expensive machine unprotected.

He thinks the Segway might be best suited for patrolling the long corridors of airport terminals.

The Chicago Police Department is keeping the Segway off city streets and sidewalks during the pilot program. Griffin's Segway was delivered to Grant Park in a squad car.

How the devices affect pedestrians is a major issue for the company, which is on a mission to persuade states to pass legislation allowing the devices to be used on sidewalks. Thirty-three states have passed such laws, a company spokeswoman said. Such legislation is pending in Illinois and California.

Segway sells the scooters only to businesses and governments, but consumers can start buying them next year.

The Atlanta Police Department tested six of the scooters earlier this year downtown and at Hartsfield Airport. The U.S. Postal Service tested the Segway for mail delivery, and Disney Cruise Line announced last week the devices will be available on ships.

"Chicago is a good example of the way municipalities can improve the efficiency and productivity of their work with the Segway," said the spokeswoman for the New Hampshire-based company. "It is an urban, sidewalk-friendly city that would be a good fit."

Brian Steele, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation, said the goal of the city's pilot program is twofold: to see whether Segways would make city services more efficient and to learn how they would affect pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

"How will this brand-new technology fit into an already vibrant transportation mix in Chicago?" he said. "That's what we want to know."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------







Brooster

n/a
10-03-2002, 12:15 PM
quote:Thanks to Casey for saving it. Hell, she didn't say anything THAT bad, did she???


Lets have a closer look at her comments:

quote:After a day of tooling around Grant Park on a Segway Human Transporter, Chicago police officer Megan Griffin was not ready to trade in her bicycle for the battery-powered scooter.

"It seems like this would be good for writing parking tickets," Griffin said Wednesday after her first full-day test of the $5,000 device. "But I think for aggressive patrol, an officer is better off on foot, in a car or a bike."


Here are her reasons:

quote:"It works really well on grass and can go up hilly areas with dirt," Griffin said. "But you have to worry about hitting tree stumps, and slippery grass can be dangerous. It is best to keep to the pavement."

U have to worry about tree stumps and slippery surfaces whether u run or ride bikes also. According to one neutral tester, Segay handles most slippery and rough surfaces better than bikes would.

quote:There are other limitations: Griffin said she was forced to charge the battery twice Wednesday in two 30-minute sessions.

The question is how much riding was the officer doing to require 2 recharges. Would an battery powered scooter have done better? Might it have been an idea to carry an extra battery and change it? The battery problem will hopefully be soon solved by the stirling solution.

quote: Joseph Eppolito, Central Police District manager, said officers would not have time to put down the kickstand before getting off the scooter to chase a suspect and would not want to leave the expensive machine unprotected.

A police officer might have to abandon a bike or scooter to chase a suspect as well under some circumstances. These vehicles would be easier to steal than Segways. Segways are supposed to be useless without those smartkeys. In light of these points I wonder if the officer knew what she was talking about.

Casey
10-03-2002, 12:54 PM
quote:Hell, she didn't say anything THAT bad, did she???

I'd call her comments personal observations. Some people have a hard time accepting anything new, both on the job and at home. It just looks to me like she prefers status quo. Given time to become accustomed to Segway, and she may come to prefer it. I don't think anyone is going to force it off on her.

There also seems to be an idea that if Segway is not perfect for all applications it is a failure. Point out any form of transportation that fits that description. I don't think one exists, yet the horse, bicycle, motorcycle, car etc are not considered overall failures. It is just accepted that they can't do everything. Try chasing a thief down Michigan Ave using each of those vehicles. Is any one of them perfect for that situation? Or try each going through heavy pedestrian traffic in O'Hare terminal. Which is best?

n/a
10-03-2002, 01:02 PM
quote:I'd call her comments personal observations.

I am a little surprised that someone who is involved with such a pilot test would allow themselves to make such personal observations to the media... or have I misunderstood something?

Brooster
10-03-2002, 01:17 PM
I don't think you've misunderstood anything, Lawrence. I'd really like to get to the bottom of why this program has seemingly been scratched. It seems like either the police department never gave it a chance, or someone never gave the police department a chance. I'll see what I can find out.

Brooster

Brooster
10-03-2002, 02:10 PM
BTW, Groovy over on TIQ dug up this letter to the editor of the Sun-Times from yesterday, 10/2/02. I have to admit, I got a chuckle out of it ...

Another waste

On Sept. 19 you ran a story on the front page about the Segway people mover, which was being reviewed by the Chicago Police Department. There was a photo of a female police officer on the Segway, and three male officers standing in the background looking at it. The story stated that they really didn't care for this unit, that it would be better on foot, or bicycle.

I wonder if their opinion would change if the Segway unit had a built-in cup holder and tray on the handle bar? Also, I question the city of Chicago looking into these units at price tags of $5,000 each. Looking at the picture of the three policemen in the background, a little walking couldn't do them any harm.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/letters/cst-edt-vox02a.html


Brooster

n/a
10-03-2002, 02:24 PM
quote:Originally posted by Brooster

BTW, Groovy over on TIQ dug up this letter to the editor of the Sun-Times from yesterday, 10/2/02. I have to admit, I got a chuckle out of it ...

The point about the cupholder was a little funny. The point about the police needing more exercise may have been valid.

quote:The story stated that they really didn't care for this unit, that it would be better on foot, or bicycle.

If they didnt care for the Segway, they sould be allowed to walk or cycle. Cant win em all!

Brooster
10-03-2002, 02:45 PM
Okay, here's a little more news!

I just spoke with the "Community Policing" officer from the Central District. I asked him if the machines were still there and being tested. He said "Y'know, I don't really know the status of the thing ... but there's one just sitting here in the corner. Let me connect you with the foot officers who are using it." <puts me on hold> The same officer came back on the phone and said, "I'm told the test is ongoing." I asked if it was still going to be used in downtown Chicago, or at the airports, or where? He replied "I really don't know, all I can tell you is that it's still in the testing phase." So there IS at least one machine sitting in the Central District station. But like the desk officer I spoke with last night, this guy didn't seem to have much more to say. Verrry interesting!

Cool ... maybe there's hope yet?

Brooster

Casey
10-03-2002, 02:52 PM
Sounds like typical bureaucracy to me. One hand doesn't know what the other is doing. And after all, It IS Chicago.

Brooster
10-03-2002, 02:53 PM
LOL! You nailed it right on the head, Casey!

Brooster

Casey
10-03-2002, 02:56 PM
I've been trying to figure out if they have any "Genuine Segways" for sale on Maxwell Street.

Edit: Or is that all over on Roosevelt Street now? :) I haven't been to Chcago in many years.

n/a
10-03-2002, 03:00 PM
Good work Brooster! I am surprised that there seems to be so little interest in the testing though.

Seg-wager
10-03-2002, 03:28 PM
If they're testing it, haven't they signed an nda or something to that effect? What can they say publicly under those circumstances?

Anyway, I didn't see any Segways when I went into D.C. the other night but I didn't expect to really for that part of town. Hopefully I'll see one downtown or near the mall sometime soon.

Brooster
10-03-2002, 03:35 PM
Whatever they're doing is obviously being kept out of view for the time-being. I'm just happy that it's still here!

Brooster

Brooster
10-03-2002, 03:50 PM
quote:Originally posted by Casey

I've been trying to figure out if they have any "Genuine Segways" for sale on Maxwell Street.

Edit: Or is that all over on Roosevelt Street now? :) I haven't been to Chcago in many years.


The entire Maxwell Street neighborhood (or what you remember of it) is completely gone, just within the last year or so. All being replaced by upscale apartments and condos ... they've really cleaned it up.

Brooster

4Seg
10-04-2002, 04:30 PM
quote:Originally posted by Brooster

I wonder if their opinion would change if the Segway unit had a built-in cup holder and tray on the handle bar? Also, I question the city of Chicago looking into these units at price tags of $5,000 each. Looking at the picture of the three policemen in the background, a little walking couldn't do them any harm.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/letters/cst-edt-vox02a.html
Brooster


Perhaps a donut holder would have made the Segway more attractive to them. ;) (don't mean to be too cynical, I'm just disappointed)


If we could only be resellers...

See the Segway clips! http://www.stlsegway.com/movies

4Seg
10-04-2002, 04:37 PM
Great work Brooster! Keep that video cam of yours handy just in case you see one, k?!
Oh, btw, I met a guy who might be buying 4 or 5. More on this later on a different posting.

If we could only be resellers...

See the Segway clips! http://www.stlsegway.com/movies

Brooster
10-05-2002, 09:29 PM
The i-Series machine in the triangular plexiglass case at the Museum of Science and Industry is still there ... I saw it yesterday. I guess it's scheduled to go away sometime this month.

No other news.

Broo

Brooster

Brooster
10-07-2002, 03:02 PM
quote:Originally posted by 4SegwayAdmin

Great work Brooster! Keep that video cam of yours handy just in case you see one, k?!
Oh, btw, I met a guy who might be buying 4 or 5. More on this later on a different posting.

If we could only be resellers...

See the Segway clips! http://www.stlsegway.com/movies


4Seg, I'm one of those few people who doesn't own a video camera. Besides, there's been nothing to shoot video of, unfortunately. I just left a voice mail message for the Sun-Times reporter who wrote the story about the policewoman testing it in Grant Park, back on September 19th. We'll see if he returns my call, and see if we can't get the lowdown on what's going on with this supposed 3-month evaluation.

Let us know about your friend who may be buying 4 or 5!

Brooster

4Seg
10-07-2002, 08:12 PM
Broo,
I wonder where the static Segway is going! Smithsonian? Kamen's Closet? Your living room? :-P

IT would make a great conversation piece.



If we could only be resellers...

See the Segway clips! http://www.stlsegway.com/movies

Brooster
10-07-2002, 08:47 PM
quote:Originally posted by 4SegwayAdmin

Broo,
I wonder where the static Segway is going! Smithsonian? Kamen's Closet? Your living room? :-P

IT would make a great conversation piece.



If we could only be resellers...

See the Segway clips! http://www.stlsegway.com/movies


Ha! Don't I wish ... [:p]



Brooster

GlideMaster
10-15-2002, 09:10 AM
Good Morning Brooster!

I hate to laugh but I had no idea that you all were having this much fun looking for the Segway. I thought I had it bad. I can't help but laugh. Don't take it personal: believe me when I say I have it bad also. Maybe even worse than you because I get teased by being able to ride it sometimes but can't take it home. If I had come across your site sooner I could have saved you a whole lot of aggrivation or maybe caused you more because you could have seen it but not be able to do anything about riding it.

quote:Originally posted by Brooster

Well I've done a little digging on this. I just got off the phone with the Chicago Police Department's Central District (downtown) office. This is the district that was supposed to be testing the Segway for a 3-month period.

I told the officer I had a general "curiosity-type" question, and mentioned the articles I'd read in the Tribune and Sun-Times. I asked him if the Segway was still there. "Oh, ya mean that little scooter thing?" he asked. "Yeah, that's it," I said.

"Oh, well, we don't have it anymore ... they took it away," he replied. I don't know what "they" he might have been referring to. I tried to press him for anything else he might know, mentioning that the city had leased six machines for a 3-month test. "Anything else I know is the same thing you and I read in the paper." Seemed like he wasn't very interested in discussing it any further. What's perhaps more telling is what he DIDN'T say ... like, "it's gonna be used out at the airports," or "the so-and-so district is gonna be using it for a while."

So there ya go ... it pretty much sounds like it's gone. If my little "theory" about why it disappeared so quickly is correct, Chicago's missed out on a unique opportunity.

I may call the city news desks of the papers and see what else I can dig up over the next couple of days. If I learn anything, I'll let you guys know.

Broo



Brooster

Brooster
10-15-2002, 02:08 PM
Now you know why we've been so happy to see you here! LOL

I sent you an e-mail, weskifm.

Broo

Brooster

GlideMaster
10-15-2002, 11:33 PM
never got your email

try [u]weskifm@hotmail.com</u>

quote:Originally posted by Brooster

Now you know why we've been so happy to see you here! LOL

I sent you an e-mail, weskifm.

Broo

Brooster

Brooster
10-16-2002, 01:20 AM
Check the e-mail address you gave to 4Seg ... msn ... otherwise I can re-send if necessary.

Broo

Edit: I'll go ahead and send to the new address. Thanks.

Brooster