05-30-2003, 05:46 PM | #1 |
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Location: seattle, wa, USA.
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i'm going to rent on saturday...
here's what i found out about the place called glide at greenlake in seattle, wa. i'm going in person, but did speak with them on the phone. ironically, it was my demo that i gave her 4 months ago that got her interested in these and she started this biz.
i was upfront with her and said i wanted to check them out to make sure they're safe because as an owner it matters to me, i go there at 11am on saturday. i'm also going to chat with folks who rent. folks, if a rental place comes to your area, i highly suggest this. i also told her why i was worried (see the jack posts). here's what they do (i'll confirm when i get there). 1. safety video. 2. $500 deposit on card. 3. 30 minutes of hands on training. 4. black key only, yellow if they glide for long enough. 5. the city said no to the park, so they go on sidewalks, parking lots and bike lanes. 6. the contract that folks sign sounds like a standard "waiver of liability" i'll know more when i sign one. she stressed safety all along, i think that's a good thing, i recall when i met her she was a nice person, that still holds true, she's super nice. i'm a little distressed about the park thing, but she said the park is really busy and the ht isn't a good fit there so it's good. i'm going to see how or if they worked with the city (details) i'm pretty sure they did not, at least the contacts i have in the city didn't know their plans. i'll know more soon, should have some video too. i'll then be able to say as an owner and renter how i feel, i think that's fair. cheers, pt ====================== segway ht journal: http://www.bookofseg.com other stuff: http://www.flashenabled.com |
05-30-2003, 06:12 PM | #2 |
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pt...here's the other thing you need to do. Get your wife to come in, act like a -complete- novice. "Ooooh! That's the first one I've seen!" Get her to oscillate and everything, and show no association. Make it a complete undercover deal. She even kept her maiden name, so the rental folks won't figure out what's happening.
I just want to see how they act when they deal with the average user. Best regards, Jordan |
05-30-2003, 06:15 PM | #3 |
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what's it like to rent a bike in the same area?
http://www.greggscycles.com/ at greenlake you can rent a beachcruiser bike and ride around the park. -$5 per hour -they hold your drivers license -must be 18 years -you sign a waiver (whatever you do is your fault) -there have been accidents, but they're not banned -no safety video or training. i'm going to pop in there on saturday as well. here's what i think. if something does happen on a rental segway ht, unlike bikes, which are common (as are bike accidents) we'll see city wide bans, just a guess. because of the math behind rentals (lots of new people using the ht a lot) it's likely at some point there will be an accident. if someone rents hts, they need to know the power they have, power as far as they truly can make the ht a wonderful experience or they can be the cause of a ban. i'll know more soon. cheers, pt ====================== segway ht journal: http://www.bookofseg.com other stuff: http://www.flashenabled.com |
05-30-2003, 06:17 PM | #4 |
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Location: Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), California, USA.
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Most folks renting a bike have ridden a bike before.
-Bruce Wright Segway: Vehicle of Dream |
05-30-2003, 06:18 PM | #5 | |
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i was going to go undercover and then i thought, that's not my style, it's not fair, i'm there to check them out on how safe they are, i should tell them. beth is a great glider, it wouldn't be fair not tell them. i might not get the best results, but it seems like the right thing for me to do. stupid conscience :-/
that said, i am going to watch the other gliders and chat with them, that is for sure. cheers, pt Quote:
segway ht journal: http://www.bookofseg.com other stuff: http://www.flashenabled.com |
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05-30-2003, 06:27 PM | #6 | |
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Quote:
well, i think you train them the best you can. you make them watch the video, do training, wear a helmet, etc... bicycles and cars had a long time to become ubiquitous before rentals, lawyer, waivers (and video cameras)...so i think no matter how hard one could try to compare, you really can't. cheers, pt ====================== segway ht journal: http://www.bookofseg.com other stuff: http://www.flashenabled.com |
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05-30-2003, 06:29 PM | #7 |
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Location: Los Angeles, CA, .
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Pt..
Hate to say this.. but you won't accomplish anything other make the rental place make more money with your wasted $$$. If you're really interested in getting the HT safely accepted in your city and not be banned, go the your city council and convice them to NOT ban the HT. I think you have a much better chance than wasting your time and effort on "seeing how and if" this place did the renting correctly or not. The issue is not whether people who Rent out the HT can cause bans. The issue is whether IT should be banned at all regardless of the cause of the ban. |
05-30-2003, 06:37 PM | #8 |
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vpv-
my city doesn't have any plans to ban and they won't -unless- something happens (that's how they feel at this time). to me, the odds are stacked toward rentals causing an issue (10 hts, new gliders, busy area, not trained as much as owners, renters are different than owners (my opinion)...etc..) it's just math. i work closely with my city, if i said "please don't ban the ht" they would say "um, it's not phil, well- in the park it is". this isn't a waste of my time, i can't stop rentals (and why would i, it's their right). what i -can- do is try my best to make sure they're doing it as safe as they can. i'd love for rentals to work out in my area, that means more people may buy hts (less cars, cleaner air, etc..). if there is ever talk of a ban, you darn right...i'll fight as hard as i can to make sure it doesn't happen. but i will say this, if tons of people are going to get hurt because of rentals, and the only to stop it is a ban- i can see the city banning them and there's nothing anyone will be able to do. cheers, pt ====================== segway ht journal: http://www.bookofseg.com other stuff: http://www.flashenabled.com |
05-30-2003, 08:05 PM | #9 |
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Any idea if they are associated with LLC in anyway? Or did they just buy the ht's and are now just renting them out? Also, any idea how many ht's they have out for rental?
just curious... gotseg? |
05-30-2003, 08:08 PM | #10 |
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gotseg-
they are in no way associated with segway, llc in any way. if they told them they planned to rent the hts they bought, segway would have not sold them to them. these folks bought them and are renting them out. there is only one place at this time that works directly with segway, nevrland, inc. more in the works. as far as total number of rentals, i would say at least 100 at this time nationally. it's a smaller number than owners and always will be, but those units will be around more people (different ones too) more places, on a regular basis than all of us put together. cheers, pt ====================== segway ht journal: http://www.bookofseg.com other stuff: http://www.flashenabled.com |
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