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Old 08-22-2008, 11:47 PM   #5
Bob.Kerns
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 3,783
5 yr Member HT/PT Owner
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A few thoughts on a great post:

It would help it a bit if it could be made (with assistance) a bit more international. The actual content isn't particularly UK-specific, but it sort of sets up the expectation that it is. You'd like to make international readers comfortable that "It applies to me." One strategy might be to make the text generic and conservative, with a link to a table at the end with country-specific details? You (we -- you'll need international help, of course) will probably need to experiment to find what works best.

It's not just doors of stores -- any blind corner needs a great deal of caution. For example, in downtown areas with sidewalks right up against the buildings, slow WAY down at the corner, try not to be right up against the building, and cautiously stick your head out. The further you are away from the blind corner when you go around it, the more chance people have to see you (and you to see people).

At the local hospital, I was coming out of the laboratory where I was having blood drawn, and I was following this rule, and I *still* had someone walk around the corner and almost run into me. The only harm done would have been to the Segway's reputation, but still, anything we can do to minimize the "startle factor" is good. In fact, that's a good point to emphasize -- when people suddenly see someone towering over them, they tend to have a negative reaction even if no harm is being done them and even if the entire interaction is because they were being inattentive -- like the guy I saw yesterday reading a Kindle with an iPod plugged into his ears, while walking the crowded streets of the San Francisco financial district at 8:55 AM.
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