Would you ever buy a Segway?
Would you ever buy a Segway?
Author
Discussion

srebbe64

Original Poster:

13,021 posts

266 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
quotequote all
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4409649.stm

I reckon they look like fun! Sort of thing you could take to Le Mans, and places like that. Or maybe just ponce around in the garden. I seriously wouldn't mind buying one - just for the hell of it.

groucho

12,134 posts

275 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
quotequote all
I'll trade the Griff in for one tomorrow.

AlexH

2,505 posts

313 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
quotequote all
As a bit of fun, I could take them or leave them.

As a serious mode of transport, I think they're spawn of the devil; something to help unfit, lazy people get fatter and more unhealthy by obviating the need to walk anywhere, and then making the rest of us on the pavements having to dodge these abominations...although its because of safety concerns about the later why I doubt they'll ever be allowed on UK pavements...so up yours Dean Kamen!

shadowninja

79,993 posts

311 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
quotequote all
Watch his dream shatter as the first chavs get hold of them and start adorning them with neons.

Beaconbouy

321 posts

261 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
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As much as I'd like to catch a hand grenade

superflid

2,254 posts

294 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
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No.

But the wheelchair developed from it looks cool, if frighteningly expensive. Last I heard it was rumoured to be around £20,000!

www.independencenow-europe.com/uk/main.html

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
quotequote all
Most definately yes.

It could revolutionise short journeys around town.

Unfortunately governments are too short sighted and scared to accept their use.

Exceptionally significant invention I reckon.

imperialism2024

1,596 posts

285 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
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I might buy one in the future with the intention of tuning it. Though as they are electric, that may prove to be quite difficult...

crazycats

700 posts

278 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
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The staff at EPCOT Disneyworld use them, before intoduction, they apparantly walked 20-30 miles a day !!!!

So now they're all fat(ter)

Hilts

4,684 posts

311 months

Wednesday 6th April 2005
quotequote all
The makers claim it's designed to be effortless and idiotproof however they didn't make it Bush proof.

There are two computers and five gyroscopes inside it to see if you're falling backward or forward.

George W. Bush was the first *and only* man in the world to fall off the untippable Segway scooter.


humpbackmaniac

1,899 posts

270 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
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Does anyone know the story behind the financing of the segway development? Am i right in thinking it was project "Ginger" and that they famously raised HUGE amounts of capital without telling any investors what the product was? Only that it would reveloutionise the way we travel.

Anyway I have a small electric scooter that cost £150 has a three mile range, is faster, looks far safer, and is also illegal to use in any public place.
If they were 2k cheaper didint look so inherently dangerous and you could use them on pavements then they might catch on. New C5 i reckon.

nonegreen

7,803 posts

299 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
quotequote all
They may be the perfect answer to French cities short commuting needs but here in Britain, particularly Northern Britain the weather makes them a non starter. As soon as you get above walking pace you need special clothing to keep dry so not a snowballs chance in hell of it ever being anything other than novelty value. A bit like the walking bus for school kids. Nice idea, market it in the spring and watch it collapse by October. You will be able to buy one for £50 soon so don't bother paying the ludicrous price tag let the greens deplete their capital a bit first.

tuscan_v8

2,496 posts

313 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
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Saw a family (2 adults and 2 children) using it at Miami Beach .. it was a strange sight for sure.

AlexH

2,505 posts

313 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
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I'd like to know how people in favour of them see the needs of motorists and pedestrians being resolved with the potential needs of Segway users; apart from not liking them for the reasons I've given above, they're to slow for the road and completely unsuitable to share pavement space with pedestrians.

Tuna

19,930 posts

313 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
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I wouldn't mind a go, but I'd rather have one of these

burnt

1,371 posts

278 months

pesty

42,655 posts

285 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
quotequote all
humpbackmaniac said:
Does anyone know the story behind the financing of the segway development? Am i right in thinking it was project "Ginger" .


I don't know about the finacing but yes it was project ginger.

When all the hype about project ginger was around the factory I worked at was given "top secret"contract.

We started making gyroscopes and they were for project ginger. so in a small way I had a hand in the manufacture of those things. I introduced and set up the soldering machine they used for the gyroscopes or at least the first few of them.

lotuslad

5,253 posts

283 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
quotequote all
Hilts said:
George W. Bush was the first *and only* man in the world to fall off the untippable Segway scooter.


Not quite

I seem to have gone ar$e over t!t off every novelty form of transport known to man.

lazyitus

19,931 posts

295 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
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Saw a lad whizzing through Crewe on one last weekend.

He looked a right pleb.

mrs fish

30,018 posts

287 months

Thursday 7th April 2005
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lazyitus said:
Saw a lad whizzing through Crewe on one last weekend.

He looked a right pleb.


I can well imagine.