Boardwalk in Shreveport, LA Off Limits.
 

We live near Shreveport, LA, actually the Boardwalk is across the Red River in Bossier City, LA.

http://www.louisianaboardwalk.com/

Late this afternoon we went to a movie, Tron, don't bother seeing Tron. Good Graphics, poor story. But I am off subject. We did not have the Segways with us, but I did ask a couple of policeman what the rules were relating to Segway. He told us that there had only been one (incident) on the Boardwalk. I guess everything is an incident from the policeman's view point.

Evidently someone had came into the Boardwalk and Security had told them to leave. That was an "incident". I told them that I have a handi-cap card. But the police told me to contact the Boardwalk office to see what the policy for sure. The Boardwalk is a lot of shops, movies and places to eat along the river. There are sidewalks that are about 12' wide on both sides of the street. No cars are allowed on the streets, but there is a streetcar and the police can ride golf carts on the streets.

I plan to call them and find out. Seems that know one has a policy until an "Incident" happens and they automatically say no.

It is common for those both ignorant and in authority to say no because they feel it is easier than to give a knowledgeable yes.

If they feel they can remove the potential of an 'incident' by simply telling you 'no', they will. It is not till they realize that you will make the incident of requiring them to justify their decree a bigger problem will it likely change.

Even so, be polite, be persistent, and you will likely be successful.

Good luck, good gliding.

Ok, so what would be the best approach, first a phone call, or a personal visit? First I need to get my hauler built, so if they were to say yes I would be ready. And what are my points to make to them?

Everyone will give you different advice. Some would say it is better to ask forgiveness rather than permission, and just glide responsibly, and hope for the best.

For me, I went directly to the Police Chief in my town, explained what was going on, and that I would be no problem for him or his officers, offered a demo, and got approval. (There are no laws protecting or prohibiting them in my town or state. I also do not use the protections of the ADA or use a blue placard, which carries federal protections as well)

There are all kinds of stories on this forum about everything in between. If you use the blue placard, and explain to the police decision maker (not necessarily the cop who stops you) that you will not be a problem and that you have the right to be there, I suspect that most reasonable accommodations can be made.

I would be careful of emails or letters asking for blanket permission, as they often get answered by beaurocratic middlemen and clerks, who presume that if they say no, the problem goes away. If you find yourself here, you must take it upon yourself to make them realize that saying yes is easy, and saying no will cause them to be embarrassed, or work much harder. Government employees in situations like this seem to feel they have more authority than they actually have, and love to flex their muscles. Since they are not required to be productive, you must act on their want to get the issue off their desk, or their possible embarrassment, even in the press if needed, rather than to appeal on right or wrong, or fairness.

I have found very little resistance in most places, and when in public domain, a polite word in advance has served me well.

I have found more resistance in certain retail environments, like malls, and there I make if known that I am happy to shop elsewhere if they give me grief. At Malls, I have been known to speak to people in the anchor stores rather than the mall office directly, and with their endorsement (a big department store at a mall has more impact on Mall employees than a private individual does) I am usually okay.

One thing, if you find that you have laws in your state that protect your access, I would carry a copy of those laws with you. Many security or police officers may simply not be familiar with them, and will err on the side of no, while the law may specifically say yes. Having a copy for the officer to read is very helpful in this case.

I hope others post in with their suggestions as well. Each person and place seems to have a different route to success.

Good luck, good gliding.

Every time is different
 

My husband and I did the entire boardwalk on our segways back in 2005 and had no problems whatsoever.
This won't mean anything to you as each experience is different.
For example, we've been going to the same convention center for over 7 years and one day it was suddenly not ok. I had been there over 100 times with no problem and then a security guard got a bee in his bonnet. Even though it is my mobility device, they were steadfast in their decision to ban segways.
Even more strange, a month later, a well known politician was honored at the very same place and rode to the event and up to the podium ON HIS SEGWAY.

Nelda

I agree that in most if not all cases, people actually don't know the real laws that would apply. Many places don't have specific ordanances explicitly covering Segways yet. Also, many people have actually not encountered a Segway live. So I take the proactive approach. I always smile and say how great it is that the 2010 ADA act explicitly specifies that Segways used for mobility purposes are now to be afforded the same rights as pedestrians, and how lucky and greatful I am for that, now I can do so much more, blah blah, etc.

Very seldom will someone want to rain on a disabled person's parade when they don't actually know the truth. So I basically act like I do and it is a known fact and the law, and I have never been turned down yet.

In my experience, if you be nice and smile, the world will open its doors for you and go out of their way to help you.

If I come gliding in wearing an Ipod with loud music and stunting, they would not be so receptive. So appearances are important to define the situation
and have an outcome that works for you. In an unknown situation, if you look like you know, most people will assume you know. Its easy and it has worked for me every time. Good luck, it sounds like a nice place to glide. I bet before long, you will be well-known as a regular and everybody will wave and say "hi."

I have also found that, as you say, you act like you know what you are doing and most people will not challenge you. I have read the information on this forum about the ADA laws. Where can I find a simple copy of the law?

http://ada.gov has linksto the revised Title II and III regulations to take effect on March 15. Simple? that depends on your definition of simple!

I read and searched thru some of this, but there is a couple of hundred pages. It looks like the health care bill. Sorry I am not a lawyer, it's just to long and too complicated for me to understand or even find an area that is specific to the use of a Segway. Maybe there will be a booklet published that covers Segways.

Check on the DRAFT website. I know there are some there who have described the ADA and updates. It is a great resource.