What would you say an anti-sidewalk activist?

[BruceWright]

Here's a scenario. First day you have your Segway (you got the early delivery, and you are riding around town on January 3rd).

A mother holding the hand of her two-year-old daughter comes up to you and angrily declares that motorized devices should not be ridden on the sidewalk.
You realize that you are the unofficial ambassador for the newly available segway, but more than that, this woman is a neighbor. She might have the ability to get the city council to ban you from using your device!

What do you say?


You demonstrate to her that you are driving slowly and carefully, and that the device is so easy to control, it is like an extension of your body. She counters that while you seem to operate it thoughtfully, that doesn't guarantee that most people will. She points to the masses of people who zoom around in monsterous SUV's blithly chatting away on cell-phones, safety be-damned. Do we want those folks on the sidewalks in vehicles?

What do you say?

[GlideMaster]

There is no guarantee that her 15 year old son (suppose she has one) is going to operate his skateboard, I mean bike, I mean rollerblades or anything else that he plays on for that matter will be operated in a safe manner. You can not guarantee what most people will do, you can only be responsible for your own actions. Who's to say that when she is in a hurry to take that child to the baby sitter that she will operate her 5,000 lb SUV in a responsible manner? There is always that 20% that will not care for the Segway no matter what.

<center>REMEMBER:
Responsible Riders Ride Segway
and
Segway Riders Ride Responsibly

Segway, The Mind Changer </center>

quote:Originally posted by BruceWright

Here's a scenario. First day you have your Segway (you got the early delivery, and you are riding around town on January 3rd).
A mother holding the hand of her two-year-old daughter comes up to you and angrily declares that motorized devices should not be ridden on the sidewalk.
You realize that you are the unofficial ambassador for the newly available segway, but more than that, this woman is a neighbor. She might have the ability to get the city council to ban you from using your device!

What do you say?


You demonstrate to her that you are driving slowly and carefully, and that the device is so easy to control, it is like an extension of your body. She counters that while you seem to operate it thoughtfully, that doesn't guarantee that most people will. She points to the masses of people who zoom around in monsterous SUV's blithly chatting away on cell-phones, safety be-damned. Do we want those folks on the sidewalks in vehicles?

What do you say?

[Blinky]

Here is an even better scenario, (a pointless example to prove my point)

You see a guy sitting in a bar had to much to drink so he decides to leave. You follow. He walks outside of the bar and is walking towards his car. You follow. He takes out his keys, opens the door and sits inside. He is about to start the engine on the car and drive away, you run towards the car and get his attention...

What do you say?

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer: Nothing.

Well you could tell him he has had to much to drink, he probably should not drive. He might hurt himself, or somebody. But in reality, if he has made it that far, he has decided his own fate. No one can stop him, except for the police. If I decide to ride a Segway, going 15mph on a busy sidewalk, thats my risk. If what I am doing is legal and I have loads of legislation to back it up, what is it to them.

If I do something illegal and stupid like the drunk driver, I should have to suffer the proper consequences. If I hit someone riding anything, I should be held responsible.

So what would I tell that lady who has a problem with my segway, "go tell your local politician about it, he passed the laws". Should I be worried about her complaint? No, especially if I did nothing wrong.

quote:Do we want those folks on the sidewalks in vehicles?
I don't believe people ride 'in' bikes or 'in' skateboards do they? We will one day all ride 'on' Segways.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

It sounds like to me that most people who have a problem with the Segway have a problem in trusting the people who will ride them. The courts and police should penalize all those who break the laws.

[BruceWright]

Here's my idea. I tell the woman that I completely agree with her, and I ask her for her help in getting special Segway-only lanes built along a local greenway.

She may balk, but I will be as agreeable as possible. I will tell her that for the meanwhile, I am sorry, but for safety sake I must ride it on the sidewalk. I will assure her that I will ride it safely, as safety is my primary concern.

[4Seg]

quote:Originally posted by BruceWright

Here's my idea. I tell the woman that I completely agree with her, and I ask her for her help in getting special Segway-only lanes built along a local greenway.

She may balk, but I will be as agreeable as possible. I will tell her that for the meanwhile, I am sorry, but for safety sake I must ride it on the sidewalk. I will assure her that I will ride it safely, as safety is my primary concern.

Bruce,
Seems like reasonable remark. If you downtown in a large city, how about doing away with the vehicles too? (someday).


If we could only be resellers...

Mike
http://www.stlsegway.com
Yahoo: stlsegway

[Blinky]

4Seg writes,
quote:If you downtown in a large city, how about doing away with the vehicles too? (someday).
This sounds great, but the city better offer some kind of public transportation to get around.

[Casey]

quote:<center>What would you say an anti-sidewalk activist?</center>

<center>Beeeeeeepp Beeeeeeeepppp</center>

[n/a]

quote:A mother holding the hand of her two-year-old daughter comes up to you and angrily declares that motorized devices should not be ridden on the sidewalk.

I think she would deserve an answer. I would tell her that I appreciate her concerns. I would point out that so far no pedestrian has been injured by a Segway after thousands of hours of testing and use. I would assure her that Segway is very much concerned about pedestrian safety and so am I. I would explain to her why the Segway is considered very safe and offer her a few demonstrations. I would also invite her to try Segway and see for herself. Then I would follow Bruce's suggestion.

[BruceWright]

I've been hit and run over with a segway. I had one hit me (going pretty slowly) to test the theory that it does stop when my body forces it upright. It does.

I then had it run over my toes with a 200-pound man on it. It hurt a heck of a lot less than if that 200-pound man had stepped on me!

(I kept that tire-track print on my shoe for a week!)

[Casey]

Good first hand information Bruce. There are those who claim what you are saying is physically impossible but apparently don't understand the dynamics of Segway. I watched Dianne Sawyer as DK intentionally ran over her toes as she wore high heels, and she never stopped smiling as the Segway crossed over her foot. She also said she barely felt a thing.

[Blinky]

PT and Flashg,

What would you say to these people? Was this something covered in the Segway training class?

[pt]

quote:Originally posted by Blinky
PT and Flashg, What would you say to these people? Was this something covered in the Segway training class?

i'm not sure, it hasn't happened yet, every situation is different so it's hard to guess what i would besides being nice, being honest, being thoughtful and respecting others.

cheers,
pt

http://www.bookofseg.com

[hodgepoj]

quote:Originally posted by Casey

quote:<center>What would you say an anti-sidewalk activist?</center>

<center>Beeeeeeepp Beeeeeeeepppp</center>


I haven't read anything so far about the HT coming equipped with a horn or bell. If it doesn't, I wonder why. Maybe a good niche for an after-market supplier to fill.

I first thought I would get a mechanical bicycle bell when my HT arrives -- the kind that you push the lever with your thumb and it goes "dring dring."

But after considerable rumination on the subject, I've decided on an electric Ford Model T horn -- ah-u-u-u-ga.

Dr. Paul O. Johnson
Senior Exhibit Developer
The Science Place
Dallas, Texas 75210

[charmed]

Thumb bells are standard (required) operating equipment on bikes here in holland. They work very well for passing and negotiating crowds, alerting bewildered tourists who stray into the bikepaths, etc. Very cheap, very effective.