Yes, it is nothing like an electric scooter. My only experience with two wheeled electric vehicles has been with an electric scooter manufactured about 8yrs ago in Thailand, for an Australian firm.

I bought the scooter second-hand from a Bloor bike shop for $500Cdn.

Since then I have “motored” Toronto sidewalks for three years and over 10,000km.

As a pedestrian in Toronto, the little scooter has been my “running machine”. It is small enough to fly as luggage, makes a great grocery cart walking around the aisles in Loblaws, most of it fits under a subway seat.

The last two tires I had to buy cost $4.50 each.

Ask Segway how much their replacement tires cost? Toronto sidewalks are littered in glass and car parts.

I have been stopped by hundreds of my fellow pedestrian, who always question “How Much?” and “How Far?” and “How Fast?”.

I have handed over the scooter to dozens of neighbours and fellow travelers who generally just “take off” on the thing after a one minute orientation.

Replacement batteries (100% recyclable) cost me $100 incl.taxes last time. Ask Segway how much their replacement battery packs cost?

Have you tried carrying a Segway around? eg up a flight of stairs? The scooter weights about 50lbs, so this is still manageable. How heavy is the Segway?

Canadians are ignorant. And they look foolish. Sorry

Let’s ban running shoes too….can you imagine the real injury hazard of someone getting in these things and RUNNING AT TOP SPEED INTO A PEDESTRIAN! The damage could be deadly, especially if the VICTIM happens to be elderly. In fact, let’s launch a class action suit against NIKE right now….

It would seem to me that you have never taken a serious ride on a Segway, and if you have, and if your informed opinion is that these machines are a menace to the streets, you then, with all due respect, must be a total spaz.

I rode a Segway for 3 hours through Austin Texas. Not one of the 15 riders on the tour had the least trouble negotiating pedestrians, traffic, crosswalks, paths, trails, etc.

To be frank, riding these things is a total joke. You need to understand, Dear Reader, that the Segway is in intuitive experience, such as you have NEVER had before.

It is NOT like a bike, it is NOT like rollerblades, it is NOT like an electric scooter, it is NOT like a skateboard, and it is NOT like a hundred other things you might use to defame the Segway.

It is, in fact, a transportation experience like no other, and must be compared only to itself for safety, etc.

Now, let’s examine the question of actual utility. I have read a few comments, the jist of which went something like: too much money to do something your feet do, and I can’t ride it across the whole city so what’s the point? Blah, blah.

OK, you guys are REALLY not paying any attention at all. I can tell, because you are the ones hopping into the car to drive the 4 blocks to the grocery store, shopping, and driving home. And you think you are just peachy-keen…

Well, here is the punch-line…what’s wrong with your feet? Wouldn’t the walk to the store and back be good for your heart? And carrying all those grocery bags, well, that’s good for the pecks…what an opportunity!

But, YOU CAN’T walk….for one, you can’t spare the extra 30 minutes, because you are disorganized like the rest of us, and for another, carrying the groceries home would be a royal pain…cut into your fingers, and besides, you need MILK…to heavy to carry. So, into your car you go…

How is the view from on top of that high horse now, pal? Not so clear? That’s ok, I am not judging you, so don’t worry.

The fact is that most of us live in suburbs where there are not even any sidewalks for walking on even if you wanted to.

So, here’s the extra kicker….something like 75% of ALL car travel is for tiny little trips here and there.

The idea, and the real hidden value, is that with Segway, these small trips that are really not practical to walk, become not only practical on the Segway, but are fast, fun, efficient, environmentally WONDERFUL, and frankly, BETTER than using your stupid car.

As for the cost, once you accept the FACT that the need for a second, and for sure a third car is eliminated, cost becomes irrelevant…you have saved money.

Bye for now…Evan

Also �The National Safety Council has determined that the average reaction time for an emergency braking situation is three-quarters of a second. At even 12mph (i.e. 20kph), a Segway would therefore travel an average of 13 feet before the user would even initiate braking.� Segway claims that the device can be stopped in an additional 5 feet (which would be a remarkable 1 g of deceleration force if true!) for a total stopping distance of 18 feet — the Question BEGS Is 18 feet stopping distance sufficient safety factor to be used on Toronto�s crowded sidewalks, pedestrian paths and multi use trails? Even if the Segway device were able to come to an abrupt halt from a speed of 12.5 mph, the operator will be thrown forward and into the pedestrian or other object that was struck based on the laws of Newtonian physics. Individuals that speak to how quickly the Segway can stop are also forgetting that a young child can dart unexpectedly in front of one of these devices traveling at top speed with no time for the operator to react. A collision is inevitable and the laws of physics will prevail, and potentially, a significant energy transfer will occur to the pedestrian and also to the operator, resulting in injury. Segway representatives demonstrate a Segway riding over the top of a person�s hand without injury; however, this is irrelevant bafflegab to the real injury hazard of the device colliding head-on into a pedestrian.