Home - Comments from Segway users

Location: Blogs New York City Segway 101
Posted by: Itsi Atkins	7/26/2008 2:51 AM
First of all thank you for your amazing site. Your blogging is thorough and succinct. I'm cannot tell you how disheartened I am by the Governors ruling against Segways - especially since he is disabled! Could this have anything to do with the fear of potential lost revenue in the subway/bus system by the throngs of people adopting Segways instead of mass trasit? Is it about fear of rubbernecking drivers who are going to fenderdent another? What possible justification is there for this? I really don't get it! Our politicians are promoting electric cars, our newscasters are telling us about "new energy solutions", we even have a green network, but it doesn't matter. My opinion --- we are not ready as a society to accept and adapt --- we hate change. We are afraid. Afraid that we might fall over, we might look stupid, we would lose control, we would get hurt, we might love it but then can't afford it, we might get in trouble with the cops, it would get stolen, it might malfunction. . . we are even afraid of progress. New York was once the most progressive city in the world, lately the wheels of evolution have gotten clogged. The Segway, a non-polluting vehicle that does not contribute to our dependency on oil or to greenhouse gases is an American invention that defies the descriptions and laws created for all past modes of transportation. Despite its efficiency lawmakers have shoved it into a too small box. In New York, new bike lanes have been created, but Segway riders are not allowed? America was once the land of the free and home of the brave. Segway drivers add to the fabulous Quilt of Humanity that is New York. Isn't that partially why we all came here, to be amongst progress? If so, why the resistance? Why then do we allow the fear of the future to hinder us from seeing the good that is here right now? While the Segway may not be for everyone, those who do not applaud this amazing new technology as a possible solution to a crippling problem are either small-minded and ignorant or fear-mongering Luddites. It's been six years since the introduction of "Ginger" and five years since President Bush failed to heed directions and "fell off". It is time we get people to take another look? I am ready to join forces. If you are up for it, together we might be able to do something to fight this ruling --- after all, Bloomberg likes Segways. I am committing myself and my resources to this cause. I have access to four Segways and I have Segway dancers. Let's figure out a way to get some press that gets our cause to be heard. I have the moves and you have the ideas. Let's figure out a plan and get others to be involved. Christopher Harrison, President AntiGravity Inc.

Permalink \| Trackback

Comments (4) Add Comment

Re: What others are saying about NYC

By itsiatkins on 7/27/2008 12:25 AM

Congratulations, Matt, on the first EPAMD law (S07509A) that equates Segways with motor vehicles without granting them motor vehicle rights, does not make them legal on sidewalks, requires helmets on all gliders ($50 fine) and declares them totally illegal in the largest city in the nation. "THE OPERATION OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES IN A CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE IS PROHIBITED."

Some people will say that at least this is a start. But ask yourself this: Are the Segway owners of New York State any better off today than they were yesterday? Certainly the Segway owners of New York City are not.

Members of TA are probably dancing in the street tonight.
__________________

Re: Comments from Segway user i

By itsiatkins on 7/27/2008 12:38 AM

I think that Matt has to focus on state law rather than local. Granted that NYC has a population that exceeds several states, but still his focus needs to remain on a national level. It's now in the hands of the gliding voters in the Empire State to curb their own 'evil empire'. I don't know about NYC, but I do know that if someone came down here to Virginia from New Hampshire (or any other state - nothing personal implied in that) and tried to tell our county or town what to do, they wouldn't get very far. I had a heck of a time getting our politicos to admit that Segways could be on the sidewalks, and I LIVE HERE! And Matt was a GREAT help with that, adding both moral support and good suggestions/ideas. Spend two minutes talking with him and you realize what a real pro he is. It's largely because of him and his advice that I was able to get things settled here. Reading the new NY EPAMD law, and all the stuff that was included in it, you can see what he had to deal with. I get the mental image of every legislator in Albany wanting to add their own paragraph to it in order to satisfy their own egos. I think that he had his hands full, and that he was lucky to get what he did from them!
__________________

Re: Comments from Segway user in NYC

By itsiatkins on 7/27/2008 12:30 AM

I've read over that several times too, and I'm not sure about it because there seems to be a pair of similar but different phrases with seperate definitions: "(a) electrically-driven mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person with a disability" and then it is immediately followed by "(A-1) ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES". And the whole purpose of S 125 seems to be to define what is and is not a "motor vehicle". I wish that they had just added a specific line about people with disabilities using EPAMDs being exempt from the sidewalk law. That would have been a heck of a lot clearer. By adding sub (A-1), they make it look to my layman's eyes as not being included under the 'protection' of S 125 (a). But maybe they didn't want it clear so that it gets challenged in Federal Court, and then they can point their fingers at DC rather than accept responsibility in Albany. Who knows...
__________________

Re: Comments from Segway user

By itsiatkins on 7/27/2008 12:32 AM

This is typical of JohnM's "remote" position regarding matters Segway: not a Segway owner himself and merely comments about things "over there."

From my point of view as a Segway owner and a resident of Florida, a state with much saner and more reasonable, more "hands off" EPAMD legislation, it is yet incumbent upon us OWNERS to take the "proaction" ourselves.

Though favorable legislation does indeed help in getting Segways accepted for general use in public areas, it's only a gesture if it doesn't somehow trickle on down to local levels. I've experienced that myself in my area.

Again, in Pinellas County, I just happened to meet the county executive over its parks who just happened, himself, to be pro-Segway, and therefore, on his own initiative, coupled with the Florida statutes, granted specific permission for Segway use in county parks.

And in another matter which I, myself, was involved in and in which I myself took some proacive action, I communicated with a district commander of our town's police department to politely inquire over Segway use in one Pinellas county park in particular for which the police had jurisdiction, it being adjacent to city limits and it being a beach park with high attendance and requiring special monitoring by the police.

General Segway acceptance is going to be driven ultimately by Segway users and their interaction with their respective governmental bodies. We are, after all a democracy, and as such, WE are responsible for the quality of it. IT'S UP TO US, yes, INDIVIDUALLY (despite how "scary" or despite "how difficult" that may be) to make our voices heard and to be persistent in getting our respective officials EDUCATED as to the special qualities of Segway use, so that they can recoginize it for what it is, as different from every other mode of transportation, and, because of that, grant it special permission for uses in places and manners not granted to other different modes.

For example, and as a hedge against possible future restriction against Segway use in my community, once more of them come into use as more people move into new condo residences downtown, I plan on making occasional pro-Segway presentations to our city council.

So I think SegSailor is spot on in his assessment of the matter. As difficult as it may be to get Segway use in New York LESS restricted and even permitted, perhaps with some REASONABLE restrictions, in NYC, it's going to take some action on local levels.

Though that could indeed be a tall order for NYC. As "ballsy" as Jonathan has been, he's, after all, "only" a Brooklynite. So all you NYC underground Segway users better strap on the ol' brass cojones and take some action!

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnM
Will Segway Inc now take an proactive roll in acquiring the green light for sidewalk use in NY's counties and towns? Or does Matt declare 'Mission Accomplished" and move on to ..... Massachusetts?
__________________

Your name:
Title:
Comment:

Add Comment Cancel