Quote:
Originally Posted by Tritium
Bicycles have these points:
1. They're large/bulky/get in the way.
2. They're not very stable at low speeds.
3. They are not protected from a car merging into you.
4. They don't run on electricity, which means you never have to recharge.
Conclusion:
They are way too dangerous on NYC streets and sidewalks, and along with being bulky and not protected, a bicycle is just too unsafe for NYC.
Segways have these points:
1.Small foorprint, can easily go through almost any doors, get through back alleys.
2. Nimble, can easily make a 180 in its own space and can swerve to avoid obstacles.
3. Speed restricted, at its max speed, the Segway PT can get up to 12.5MPH, which however is unsafe for sidewalks, but still, limited, unlike a bicycle.
Also, when they are legalised, a speed law can be set in place for a maximum of 4MPH on sidewalks.
4. Compact, no need for big space to store your PT, it takes up approximately the same space as a single stroller.
5. Safe, with added visibility to see over cars and be seen by them, the Segway PT is optimised for cities.
What would you choose?
Please feel free to add or correct any mistakes I have made.
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Bicycles are hear to stay. They are very effective means of transportation for a great many people around the world, in a great many variations.
I myself ride one regularly. I would ride more and want to, time permitting.
As to your points...
I do believe that bikes are longer than segways, but narrower. Overall footprint is bigger for a bike than segway, but not outrageously so. I had an apartment downtown Boston in my days before owning a segway, and I used to wheel it up onto its rear wheel, and balance it like that in the elevator to my room. It took more effort but I do not believe it took too too much more space than my segway. Maybe a bit. And I got more headaches from that, as I was supposed to use the freight elevator, than I get from having my segway in an elevator.
Bikes are not very stable at low speeds, but most of us can drop our feet to the ground in one manner or another to not have a problem with this. Any low speed failure against the segway is compensated for by being able to go much faster than a segway.
I agree that they are not much protection from an impact with a car. Of course, some of us can hit cars with our segways as well, so I don't see how this is much of a point. I believe that if you have a collision with a car when on your bike, you will loose. I further believe that if you have a collision with a car on your segway, you will also loose. I do not know that one is better to collide with cars with than the other.
Bicycles do not run on electricity, that is true for many, but there are also a great many electric bikes, and electric assist bikes, and more. Being on a bicycle does not exclude the use of electricity any more. However, if the point is that bikes use human propulsion instead of electric, I agree for the most part. There are advantages and sweaty disadvantages here.
To conclude they are too dangerous for NYC streets is comical, since they were there before cars, there are hundreds of thousands of them or more in NYC, and they are not likely to go away. I agree they are not designed for, nor should they ride on the sidewalk. AND there are dangers involved, as I am sure there are many collisions with the bikes every day, against cars, pedestrians, and a whole host of other objects. But then there are also collisions amongst the cars, amongst the pedestrians, and I am sure an occasional horse bumps into someone or something from time to time.
Most of your segway comments are okay by me. You post the things you like, and I will not argue against any of them, but I might have used different examples.
I personally do not think this is an us or them kind of thing. I do not see that trying to diminish the bicycle will make the segway user any more accepted. I see that they two items are different, and do some similar and some different things, and even the similar tasks are done differently. It is like trying to say an orange is better because an apple bruises easier. I see them as very different fruit, and hammering the apple does not improve the orange.