Segway

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-03-05 06:04am

I'm sure there's been a thread about this before, but I'll be damned if I'm going to find out.
Anyways, the Segway human transporter thing is out now. Let me just say that this is just about the stupidest idea I've ever heard. For almost 5K USD, you get a scooter. I'm sure it's pretty fun to ride on, but I can't possibly think of a useful application for it.
They advertise it as being useful for college students or cityfolk who need to walk a lot of places. I can't imagine someone thinking that this is worth 5,000 dollars. Since when is walking inconvenient? If this thing had a chair, I'd understand maybe, but you still have to stand up, so it's not even really good for the very lazy.

If you really feel that you need to move faster than walking, howabout a bike? Here are the reasons bikes are better than Segways:

- Bikes do not cost 5,000 dollars.
- Bikes do not weigh 83 pounds.
- Bikes give you a good workout.
- Bikes can go faster than 12.5 mph.

The Segway is a bad fucking idea.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2003-03-05 06:07am

Segway the last of the .com hype

Let it RIP soon please.

But it looked sorta cool on Fraiser

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-05 06:10am

Segway, exploring new and expensive ways to blow cash on looking a total prick in public.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2003-03-05 07:25am

looks like fun to use in combination with ramps.

in case this thing makes a breakthrough i see even more fat people than there already are.
for slimnesses sake, bomb that company.

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2003-03-05 07:39am

Ban it, quick, before the sensationalist media comes up with some way for terrorists to use it against Freedom and America!

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-03-05 07:47am

What's a Segway.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-03-05 10:23am

It's a two-wheeled motorized cart that you stand on and move around on.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-03-05 10:29am

Vympel wrote:What's a Segway.

here`s the link to the site.
www.segway.com

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2003-03-05 10:33am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Segway, exploring new and expensive ways to blow cash on looking a total prick in public.

I second this thought....what the fuck?

Are we truly this lazy and dumb?

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-03-05 10:34am

What a braindead idea. Noone would be caught dead riding around on that goofy stupid thing. Ride a bike, for pity's sake.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2003-03-05 10:40am

The Segway is a creation of the Dot Com hype. Now that all the Dot Coms are buried, let's bury this thing too. It had its time, now let's leave it be.

The Segway is a motorized scooter, gyroscopically balanced, wonderfully intuitive, but hideously expensive.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-03-05 10:54am

San Francisco has already banned it on sidewalks and it is not street legal anywhere....just a matter of time before more cities ban it. Stupid dot commers..... those are the same people whothought pinball machines and video games were required office equipment.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-03-05 11:01am

Tollerant you people are not.

The Segway is actually very important because of its egineering and computer control systems. Because of technology pioneered for civilian aplication in the Segway, newer wheelchair type systems are being developed that will give people who do not have the use of their legs greater mobility. They are already developing a wheelchair that can climb flights of stairs and raise from 4 wheels to 2 and bring the person to eye level with standing people. The Segway itself is an interesting way to move someone at a brisk pace around in a city setting. Riding a bike doesn't always work. Wouldn't want to be all sweaty after riding up a hill, though with a Segway you could avoid the bike and using a car and get somewhere relatively fast while carrying your briefcase and wearing your suit.

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-03-05 11:31am

Alyeska wrote:Tollerant you people are not.

The Segway is actually very important because of its egineering and computer control systems. Because of technology pioneered for civilian aplication in the Segway, newer wheelchair type systems are being developed that will give people who do not have the use of their legs greater mobility. They are already developing a wheelchair that can climb flights of stairs and raise from 4 wheels to 2 and bring the person to eye level with standing people. The Segway itself is an interesting way to move someone at a brisk pace around in a city setting. Riding a bike doesn't always work. Wouldn't want to be all sweaty after riding up a hill, though with a Segway you could avoid the bike and using a car and get somewhere relatively fast while carrying your briefcase and wearing your suit.

Okay, so it's a fantastic technological testbed. Wunderbar. That doesn't change the fact that it's also a slow, inefficient, outrageously expensive mode of transportation, as well as supernaturally hideous to behold. It may be a great research tool, but it's simply a fucking lousy commercial product, and it deserves to die.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-05 11:43am

Alyeska wrote:Tollerant you people are not.

The Segway is actually very important because of its egineering and computer control systems. Because of technology pioneered for civilian aplication in the Segway, newer wheelchair type systems are being developed that will give people who do not have the use of their legs greater mobility. They are already developing a wheelchair that can climb flights of stairs and raise from 4 wheels to 2 and bring the person to eye level with standing people. The Segway itself is an interesting way to move someone at a brisk pace around in a city setting. Riding a bike doesn't always work. Wouldn't want to be all sweaty after riding up a hill, though with a Segway you could avoid the bike and using a car and get somewhere relatively fast while carrying your briefcase and wearing your suit.

Technologically outstanding? Maybe. A testament to the continuing laziness of the modern world? Definitely.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-03-05 11:55am

Its pretty usless as a transport device for the average person. It was toted as an item that could change cityscapes, yeah right.

However, it is not bad for warehouses, mailmen, and some other specific applications.

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-03-05 12:24pm

Wasn't this the thing that was touted as 'a device that would change the world', or am I thinking of something else?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-05 12:26pm

3rd Impact wrote:Wasn't this the thing that was touted as 'a device that would change the world', or am I thinking of something else?

Probably the Sinclair C5 which was the original idea in crap design.

Sinclair C5

This tiny electric tricycle was supposed to revolutionise personal transport in the '80s and beyond. It has, instead, become synonymous with crap design and was the first thing we thought of when we were compiling this list. But was it really so bad? Driven by a battery-powered washing machine motor and pedals, it was about as green a vehicle as you could imagine. The problem was that it was far too small (your head just about came up to the top of a 38-ton lorry's wheels) and you looked like a complete prat driving one. Oddly, it never caught on.

-T3 issue 24, Sept 1998

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-05 12:30pm

TrailerParkJawa wrote:Its pretty usless as a transport device for the average person. It was toted as an item that could change cityscapes, yeah right.

However, it is not bad for warehouses, mailmen, and some other specific applications.

I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-05 12:33pm

Darth Wong wrote:
TrailerParkJawa wrote:Its pretty usless as a transport device for the average person. It was toted as an item that could change cityscapes, yeah right.

However, it is not bad for warehouses, mailmen, and some other specific applications.
I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.

Just equip the guy on the Segway with a power suit like that in Aliens...

What? Stop looking at me like that!

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-05 12:51pm

Darth Wong wrote: I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.

What about really, really big warehouses? I'm talking about Huuuge ones
where it becomes necessary to use bikes to move from one point to
another efficiently

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-05 12:55pm

MKSheppard wrote:
Darth Wong wrote: I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.
What about really, really big warehouses? I'm talking about Huuuge ones
where it becomes necessary to use bikes to move from one point to
another efficiently

I'd rather have a small autogyro...

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-05 12:55pm

MKSheppard wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.
What about really, really big warehouses? I'm talking about Huuuge ones
where it becomes necessary to use bikes to move from one point to
another efficiently

Even more reason to use a forklift. Those things can move pretty fast when you put your foot down, and there's no reason to go spelunking in a huge warehouse unless you plan to bring something back, which requires the forklift.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-03-05 12:59pm

Darth Wong wrote:
TrailerParkJawa wrote:Its pretty usless as a transport device for the average person. It was toted as an item that could change cityscapes, yeah right.

However, it is not bad for warehouses, mailmen, and some other specific applications.
I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.

Im refering to smaller level work, where you are picking small but high value product. One of these would be useless for Sysco warehouse ( food, beer, etc) but fine for say Ryan-Herco ( small plastic parts, plumbing, valves, etc ).

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-05 12:59pm

Darth Wong wrote:
MKSheppard wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:I would prefer a forklift in a warehouse, unless you figure the average person can lift a one ton skid and carry it with him on this thing.
What about really, really big warehouses? I'm talking about Huuuge ones
where it becomes necessary to use bikes to move from one point to
another efficiently
Even more reason to use a forklift. Those things can move pretty fast when you put your foot down, and there's no reason to go spelunking in a huge warehouse unless you plan to bring something back, which requires the forklift.

Just whatever you do, DON'T TURN CORNERS AT SUCH SPEEDS.

My dad knew someone who was doing a good 20mph (they can do even more, it was one of the newer gas powered Nissans that I've rode on) in one outside the main warehouse at his workplace and he very nearly made the thing flip onto the side which would probably have crushed him. They have no suspension and have a big height to width ratio so turning in them at any speed is a no-no.

I also read that there was a Darwin award given to a guy in Oz who made his own safety video of what not to do on a forklift and, guess what? He ended up recording his own death as the thing flipped and crushed him.