# Damn Segway! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 4, 2001, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876 "2001-12-04T18:55:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/41 "2001-12-06T04:01:39Z")
As soon as I heard the official name, I lost my will to live. God knows “segue” is misspelled “segway” often enough **now**. If these things ever get popular, the real spelling will go the way of the passenger pigeon. ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/42 "2001-12-06T15:17:19Z")
“So stupid he fell off his Segway.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/43 "2001-12-06T15:41:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*(If I were to make a serious rant, I would note that they are talking about putting a silent machine going 12 mph on the same sidewalks with little old ladies and leashed poodles. I suspect that society has some issues to deal with before this thing takes off.) \*\* Like do they make sidecars for old ladies to put their poodles in? And what happens if they have chihuahuas or pomeranians instead of poodles? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/44 "2001-12-06T15:59:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Juniper200 \* > \*\*As soon as I heard the official name, I lost my will to live. God knows “segue” is misspelled “segway” often enough **now**. If these things ever get popular, the real spelling will go the way of the passenger pigeon. \*\* Don’t you mean the Passenger pydgyon? ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/45 "2001-12-06T19:55:10Z")
**You will take my Segway from me when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers!** Seriously, though, while the technology that produced this little device is amazing (what does it have, something like 5 gyroscopes in it? Neat!), I can’t see much practical use for them, especially in urban areas like NYC or LA. You’d get soaked if you used it in the rain. You can’t carry much more than a briefcase when using it. Streets and sidewalks would still be congested; they’d just be congested with Segways, which would then probably make walking actually faster. Not to mention the fact that the gummint simply and absolutely **has** to get involved. Safety features, restraining devices, registration, insurance. The boondoggle would be incredible. They will probably become expensive toys for teens, college kids and yuppy-types. (“Hey, Brad, why don’t you drop by Saturday, Winnie and I are going Segging out in Mamaroneck.”) But I admire your forethought, Chaim. A pre-emptive rant. You trendsetter, you! ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/46 "2001-12-06T21:52:31Z")
E’ctually, the gubmint _is_ already involved. I recall one bit in one of the articles that said OSHA was favorably impressed with the safety of the device. I’ll look around and find the specific quote. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/47 "2001-12-06T22:20:32Z")
From [here](http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,186660-4,00.html): > [@](#): > > Only slightly less emphatic, and slightly more plausible, was the verdict of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which began reviewing the device last May. According to Ron Medford, a senior CPSC official, the Segway has “safety features that are far more substantial than we normally see in a consumer product–features closer to those associated with medical devices.” ---
**Author:** ![k.os](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@k.os](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k.os)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/48 "2001-12-06T22:50:54Z")
I started a thread inspired by **cmkeller** and **mrblue92** ’s ideas. It’s appropriately called [Damn interstellar pirates!"](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102590). So far it’s been getting some pretty interesting responses… Drop by, we’ve got soilent green for everybody! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876/49 "2001-12-07T05:27:54Z")
It’s the year 2001, and where are the flying cars? I was promised flying cars! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-segway/96876.md?page=2)