XT's At SegwayFest?

[Florida Ever-Glides]

Will XT's be allowed to participate at the Fest glides that will be taking place on busy public sidewalks?

Tom Jacobson
http://www.floridaever-glides.com

[Itsi Atkins]

I hope so.

[Stan671]

Good question, Tom. We don't have an answer yet.

Stan Dobrowski

[Florida Ever-Glides]

Itsi,

My friend, please explain why you think they should be allowed on 'busy' public sidewalks? Didn't LLC design the XT for off-road use? If they intended it for sidewalk use, why didn't they include the yellow sidewalk key? Also, if sidewalk use of the XT is sanctioned by SegwayFest, aren't they sending out a message that counters the manufacturers intended use?

I expect the attitude of the chat members attending these fests will demand the 'use' of the XT anywhere and everywhere. I expect no less...

Stan, I hope you don't bow to any outside pressure and you make a decision that is well thought out.

Tom Jacobson
http://www.floridaever-glides.com

[macgeek]

Tom, your in the wrong discussion

Jonathan


"Think outside the car"

Proud Segway NY member
www.segwaynyny.com

[Itsi Atkins]

Tom,
I am not about to begin to explain the thinking of SegwayLLC. I don't think they should have every made the XT or any other recreational Segway. I still hold by the visions of Dean for changing the world, one segway at a time. But since they have abandoned the real issues and gone for the State Fair and crazy teenage mud sliding customers, I can only use the products they make in ways which are safe & positive. It is positive in NYC to establish a street safe Segway which can stand up to the streets and traffic in order to get the State to pass some Segway legal legislation. This will be addressed in detail on my site along with the pictures and video of the XT use in NYC. It is also necessary to use common sense to bring the use of
Segways into the popular culture.
I hear the members of this chat speaking about sidewalks which in most places are just sidewalks maybe 6' wide. When I am talking about the use of XT on NYC sidewalks, I am talking about sidewalks with 4 cement squares which are each about 4 to 5 feet wide or more. This makes the total sidewalk width 16 to 20 + feet wide. The width of most small town streets.
Again the problem is perception of space and the Segways, 11 single file Segways on a 6' wide sidewalk is much more of a problem than 1 Segway taking up 1/4 of the available space. Again the sidewalk in NYC are not just for walking but for anything that moves, yes even the illegal bike deliverymen. We in NYC worry not about what people think, It is about what people DO and how we can CHANGE the urban thinking to ACCEPT new smart, enviromental and green transportation. Don't be a luddite!

[Itsi Atkins]

"Stan, I hope you don't bow to any outside pressure and you make a decision that is well thought out."

Since when does Stan make decisions on policy of Segway use in public, in private or in commercial hotels. If so, Stan please make a law to allow Segways in New York State, New York City and if you want to keep the XT off sidewalks, include that in your decision. If Stan wants to keep Segway out of his backyard, I will agree.

[QuadSquad]

<center>FIREHOSE</center>
def: one who dampens people's enthusiasm, douses the spark of creativity,and just plain puts out the fire, attempting to kill excitement and motivation on the spot!


Tom I think there's already been a precedent set at the first SegFest. Things worked out just fine.

http://www.segwaychat.com/photos/god1138/Chicago%202003%20019%20Big%20Wheels.JPG

http://www.segwayboston.org/pictures/sf2003_pepe_signatures.jpg

And by the way there were a bunch of those lamenting the XT who thought Pepe's Segway was Great, even Dean Kamen had a smile on his face. Check the comments in this thread.

http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5041&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=%2CPepe

[Florida Ever-Glides]

QuadSquad,

You are comparing an 'orange' with an XT. Their's a huge difference...

Thare was only ONE orange, there's many XT's. The tires are much wider and rougher on the XT.

I doubt that the 'fine' hotels will want XT's riding all over the place...

Tom Jacobson
http://www.floridaever-glides.com

[segwayowner]

Ok, here is another question:
Is LLC going to bring some XTs for us to demo in a controlled environment. I just want to try one!! Will a dealer bring some?

DES: Segway owner....
it has a nice ring to it
Dont take a ride, take a G L I D E. . .

[Itsi Atkins]

good idea, lets bring Segways to the public where they can't be used or demoed. That must be a plan from the great LLC marketing department. Do you really think, that XT will only be transported to wooden areas in Hummers and trucks, to be offloaded on approved paths and the helmets, clothing and such. This person will make an all day affair to drive a segway over a few logs, get stuck in the muddy creek, fall over and push the dirty dirty thing back to the truck. Or maybe Segway mud derby day at Spring Break parties, Muddy girls go wild on the XT!
Get real, the XT will be used where it works best for the owners, I have trust they are all concerned with the long range acceptance of the Segway in any form an under the best arrangements the local governments will allow. We are the testers, the investors and the people who take the abuse. So let us work out this XT delemia. Just wait, til the Centaur hits the sidewalks and streets, Maybe you can go under trucks like a sled and pop up at the traffic light as a Segway.

[woodenapple]

quote:Originally posted by segwayowner

Ok, here is another question:
Is LLC going to bring some XTs for us to demo in a controlled environment. I just want to try one!! Will a dealer bring some?

DES: Segway owner....
it has a nice ring to it
Dont take a ride, take a G L I D E. . .
John Grohol said in another thread that "All of the new models and colors will be at Sacramento event (3 colors of the i180, the XT and the GT). Dealers will also be there ready to sell these models."

http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10648

Rodney

May all your days be Segway days!

[KSagal]

To Stan and others.

I like Itsi. I know Itsi.

I have no idea if he is an inside pressure or an outside pressure.

Either way, he is clearly a force for good.

A positive attitude and a good measure of common courtesy are the best possible pressure that could be bowed to.

Itsi has both.

I feel we would do well to not try and force any others to live by any one set of narrowly defined rules of conduct. This also applies to segways...

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[Itsi Atkins]

Thank you Karl, I am continuing to work for the positive role for Segways in NYC and in general. I do have resources which will be used to enchance Segway aceptance and I will not be part of anything which works against that or proves to me to be a negative force on Segway use.
I do believe that I have a better feel for what is working and not working in regards to Segway use in NYC. It is a different set of rules here and trust me with what is best for Segway and the City.

[Mr_Laurenzano]

In california it is still a EPAMD under VC313. I dont know what the problem could be Tom. 12.5mph 1 HP 750 Watts. It like trying to ban the big wheel. You should see some of the vehicals that drive around Pismo from Bakersfield. Way too big.
Roll with it Bro Hows biz going?

Segway-
Half the speed of a car,
Twice as Smart.

[Florida Ever-Glides]

Business is GREAT!!!

Allowing tha XT on 'group glides' during a Segway Fest event will be 'condoning' a product for a use that it was NOT made for. That is a very dangerous legal precident to set. Look before you leap...

Tom Jacobson
http://www.floridaever-glides.com

[Stan671]

The SEG America Executive Board has discussed this issue at length.

For the Sacramento SegwayFest event, there will be no controls on the use of the Segway XT outdoors at all. The XT is legal under the California EPAMD law and it not any more of a safety hazard alone or in a group with other Segway HTs or on the sidewalk or on a bike trail or on the street or in the park.

On the other hand, though, because of a prior agreement with the Sheraton hotel (that only permits the i-series and p-series) and what the Executive Bd considers to be prudent, we will ask that XT owners only ride the XTs in the specific area assigned to us for the SegwayFest consisting of the three rooms and the foyer area. We will ask that the XT be walked everywhere else inside the hotel, including the lobby and the elevators.

Stan Dobrowski

[Florida Ever-Glides]

The XT was specifically NOT designed for street/sidewalk use (like a motocross motorcycle). The HT was. When the EPAMD laws were made there was NO idea that an off-road version XT would ever be made. The XT is NOT an HT!

The fact that SEG America (and possibly LLC) is condoning the sidewalk use of the XT, you are setting a precenence that I beleive will lead to MANY future city restrictions. This could be a very irresponsible direction that may lead to deep regret in the future.

This decision goes AGAINST the philosophy of SEG America...

Was LLC consulted in this decision?

Stan,

Is SEG America taking the position that is is OK to ride the XT on sidewalks anywhere the HT is allowed?





Tom Jacobson
http://www.floridaever-glides.com

[SegwayUtah]

Tom,

Although I'm not going to be a big fan of anything aggressive on the sidewalk, I think that what Stan is saying is that SEG America is not currently putting forward any position regarding XT usage on sidewalks. They are neither condoning or or condemning it.

For the Sacramento SegwayFest at least, SEG America does seem to be requesting that XTs _not_ be ridden inside (where regular HTs would be welcome), with the exception that they might be used in the agility games or other areas--although if the tires are too agressive for carpet, I imagine that might change as well.

Chris

[Stan671]

I am saying that SEG America cannot control the use of XT's outdoors. We have no right or legal authority or any authority at all to tell anyone what they can and cannot do with a Segway XT outdoors in public places.

Whether riding an XT on a couple of sidewalks in Sacramento during one specific weekend while a Segway convention is in town is a bad idea or not is a matter of opinion. The Executive Bd does not feel that it will be a contastophy that will spell doom and gloom for Segway use in Sacramento or anywhere else on the planet.

Inside the hotel, is a different situation and the hotel has the ultimate authority there. SEG America's agreement with the hotel is to allow i-series and p-series to be ridden indoors, but not the XT. There was no XTs available at the time this agreement was reached with the hotel and we did not even know if there would be any at the time of the event. Now that we know there will be, the compromise with the hotel is to only ride them in our specific designated area.

Stan Dobrowski