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Segways Roll Over Chicago 286

Posted by michael from the modern-day-palanquin dept.
lpangelrob2 writes "It looks like someone in Chicago finally found a use for Dean Kamen's Segways. The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that a three hour tour of Chicago's lakefront will be guided by Segways traveling on Chicago's sidewalks at 5mph. The cost of the tour is $65, and an instructional class and helmet is provided -- just in case."
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Segways Roll Over Chicago More

Segways Roll Over Chicago

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  • From the just in case link... (Score:5, Funny)

    by thebra ( 707939 ) * on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:48PM (#9337660) Homepage Journal
    "ABC7's Jim Wieder reports supervisors aren't happy to hear the suspect got away."

    This is confusing on many levels. First, how did a person on a Segway out run the police? Second, how many people do you see on a Segway? Third, why did some one buy a Segway?

    Disclaimer: These questions do not require a response as I understand that people on foot can escape police but any witty reponse (see funny) would be appreciated. Thanks-
    • A lot of the Police here in Chicago are now on Segways. Perhaps their Segway couldn't keep up with his overclocked/turbocharged Segway? ;-)

      Seriously though. Segways may not sound fast, but when you see them in real life, you realize just how fast they really are. They can maintain the speed of a brisk run and quickly maneuver around obstacles. Someone on foot would have trouble keeping up and would run out of breath long before the Segway ran out of a charge.

      • Taking out a Segway Jedi style (Score:2, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Couldn't the police just come from the opposite direction with 2 Segways with a cable between them and trip up the offending Segway? It works on Imperial Walkers!

      • Re:From the just in case link... (Score:4, Insightful)

        by gl4ss ( 559668 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:25PM (#9338150) Homepage Journal
        like, rtfa?

        there was no implication that there was a chase at all, the guy just probably simply left after the incident.
        ******
        The child was walking outside her father's Potrero Hill store on Tuesday when a Segway ran her down. Witnesses say it was traveling about 10 miles per hour.

        Joel Bleskacek, father: "I was quite angry and I confronted him. I asked him why he was driving so fast during the crowded lunch hour on the sidewalk. He claimed my daughter jumped in front of him."
        ******
        That implies that the father hadn't even SEEN the incident. the girl was _3_ years old. Now, I might be stupid but what the hell was the parent thinking letting her toddle around like that in the first place? into a what the father even himself claims that was a crowded lunch hour sidewalk. Imagine the girl wandering into the car crowded street from that sidewalk.. 3 year olds don't know much about the world.

        ****
        Sophie Maxwell, S.F. supervisor: "This just reiterates our concerns and our fears that this is exactly what can happen."
        ****
        yeah, well, 3 year olds can get hurt in situations just involving joggers if they're allowed to just jump around the place(or skaters or bicyclists or just about _anything_).

        • Joel Bleskacek, father: "I was quite angry and I confronted him. I asked him why he was driving so fast during the crowded lunch hour on the sidewalk. He claimed my daughter jumped in front of him." ****** That implies that the father hadn't even SEEN the incident. the girl was _3_ years old. Now, I might be stupid but what the hell was the parent thinking letting her toddle around like that in the first place?

          Uh, no it doesn't. For one thing, the girl might actually have "jumped" in front of the guy no
      • I would not characterize it as "a lot". I ride my bicycle on city streets and the lakefront daily, and though I see bicycle cops all the time I have yet to see a Segway.
    • The overwhelming response form the police was:

      Lag

    • Sounds like a great business model that would suit a large number of tourist locations. With a few thousand bucks invested, you could live in a vacation paradise assuming that paradise has large sidewalks, and not a lot of n'ere-do-wells who hope to fund their luxurious life by knocking down tourists and taking their Segway.

      Third, why did some one buy a Segway?

      I can't see a reason to buy one...but it would be a fun thing to try. Which, I guess means people buying the things to rent 'em.

    • First, how did a person on a Segway out run the police?

      There was an episode of Reno 911 where they went to arrest some old guy at his home. They didn't think he was much of a threat.

      The guy asked if he could change clothes before they carted him off to jail. He went to another room while the cops admired his house.

      A few seconds later, the old man drives right out his front door on a segway... and just keeps going down the street. The cops tried to chase him down on foot, but he was long gone.

      It was a p
    • As for your question on why someone bought a Segway, keep in mind the patron in question. This is a guy that hit the little girl, and kept on going. Do we really want to compare this guy to someone with common sense?

      I mean, a decent person, even if the girl did jump out in front of him, would have gotten off the Segway and been like "OH NO I'M SORRY!" and made sure she was ok, and apologize to the dad.
      • Joel Bleskacek, father: "I was quite angry and I confronted him. I asked him why he was driving so fast during the crowded lunch hour on the sidewalk. He claimed my daughter jumped in front of him."

        Sounds like he did stop, but after getting yelled at by the father, probably got back on his segway and left. The article is biased against the segway rider (who really should not have been on the sidewalk), and it would be interesting to hear from witnesses what the father's reaction was. It could be the guy fl

      • I'm a decent person, but... That's not what I'd have done. I'd have stopped and yelled at the dad for leaving his 3 year old girl unsupervised...
    • This is confusing on many levels. First, how did a person on a Segway out run the police? Second, how many people do you see on a Segway?

      Not sure where you are from, but being from a rather larg city (Atlanta) response time from the police for anything short of shots fired or a SERIOUS car accident (ie: fatality) is at least 20 minutes. 20minutes at 10Mph==3.3+mi, which is a big enough radius and long enough time to allow the segway rider to easily evade police, even if they were to start searching immedia

    • This perpetrator sounds like the classic 20something gadget-phile guy who knows nothing about children. He blames a 3-year-old for suddenly changing direction??!!

      Of course, SF is -- for various reasons like expense and convenience -- relatively empty of children, so the lack of experience at least is predictable. I suppose there are a lot of equivalents to this guy around.

  • Three Hour Tour (Score:5, Funny)

    by boristdog ( 133725 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:49PM (#9337673)
    Why does that sound ominous too me?

  • just in case... (Score:5, Funny)

    by netfool ( 623800 ) * on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:49PM (#9337675) Homepage
    just in case.....you happen to be a leader of a free world. [ananova.com]

  • The city that should have these is (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Washington, DC. You could zip around between the monuments and museums pretty quickly. A lot of the car traffic in that area is really not necessary, and people could get in and out of the area via Metro.
    • DC does have these. I've seen it reported on TechTV, FOX News and CNN. A number of other cities have these two. I've probably heard half a dozen just on television reports alone.

      Kind of not news at all anymore. *shrug*

  • Missing screen? (Score:4, Funny)

    by michaelmalak ( 91262 ) <michael@michaelmalak.com> on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:51PM (#9337701) Homepage
    I don't remember the "Chicago Lakefront" screen in Lemmings.

  • Been there, done that - Sarasota Florida (Score:5, Informative)

    by tbase ( 666607 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:51PM (#9337709)
    It was a few months ago we had a news story down here about a company giving Segway tours of Sarasota, with full support of City Hall.

  • Makes some sense (Score:5, Insightful)

    by goombah99 ( 560566 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:52PM (#9337710)
    consider the cost of ownership of a ten passenger van versus the cost of ten segways. The segways win compared to the cost of a new van. Moreover the segaways have better access. Still the segways cant be used just anywhere like this.

    • Re:Makes some sense (Score:4, Insightful)

      by taped2thedesk ( 614051 ) * on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:58PM (#9337818)
      Another plus:

      If the ten-passenger van breaks down, there are ten 'seats' out of commission until it gets fixed. The capacity of your business goes down by ten people.

      If one of the segways breaks down, the other nine still work. Thus, you're only missing, and chances are you'll have a few spares around anyway. Your capacity only goes down by one.

      • Re:Makes some sense (Score:3, Insightful)

        by tftp ( 111690 )
        A ten-passenger van will happily run for many, many years before it breaks down - that is because its technology is simple, mature and well known. Just service it as the manual says. Also, how much of a rough ride you would expect from a bus tour in a city?

        Segway, on the other hand, is a tricky thing. Its batteries can run out at any time, and they wear down gradually (your fuel tank doesn't.) Your tourists have to have good body coordination to ride anything (bike, Segway, monocycle - anything), but they

    • Re:Makes some sense (Score:4, Interesting)

      by timeOday ( 582209 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:02PM (#9337867)
      Plus it's a lakefront tour, surely it would be more fun out in the open air rather than in a van.

      Bikes could work, but only for cyclists. I run regularly but definitely don't have the butt callouses to sit on a bike seat for 3 hours.

      Walking would be nice, but you couldn't go as far in 3 hours, and besides nobody would pay you $60 to let them walk for 3 hours.

      Besides being a great attention-getter, I have to admit the Segway actually makes some sense here!

      • Great, so now lakefront cyclists have to avoid:

        a) scads of people walking on the bike trail
        b) tourists pedalling those weird car-bikes from navy pier
        c) tourists on segways which will take up an entire lane (and riders who are probably novices)
      • Actually, since I use the lakefront path for transportation I am kind of dreading these. Bike Chicago already rent sociables [quadracycleinc.com] (side-by-side pedal powered vehicles) for the non-cyclists along the lakefront, and of course lack the rear-end-toughness issue. Tourists wandering all over the path and taking up several feet of space in these things are a real problem.

        The Segways will not be as wide, but I expect that the clueless tourists using them will not ride single file, but rather wander all over, risking
    • I won't argue about your access point. Segways can get around in a lot more areas than driving a van.

      As to cost, however, I think you are off. Segways are about $4,000 each, so the total cost is $40,000. That's a third more than a new Ford ten-passengar van (brand new E350 XLT with 15-passenger seating- $29,685 according to For's website). I'd have to imagine the liability insurance and upkeep for ten Segway rentals is higher than a single van.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:Makes some sense (Score:4, Informative)

      by jCaT ( 1320 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:13PM (#9338028)
      consider the cost of ownership of a ten passenger van versus the cost of ten segways. The segways win compared to the cost of a new van.
      What?

      Segway Human Transporter (HT) I Series [amazon.com]
      Price: $4,495.00
      X 10: $44,950.00

      2004 Chevrolet Express 2500 15 Passenger Van [chevrolet.com]
      MSRP: $26,175.00

      According to This site [wingnut.com], an estimated cost per mile for the segway is 18 cents per mile, with battery purchases included. Multiply that by 10 people, and you have a cost of $1.80 per mile.

      According to Edmunds.com [edmunds.com], the cost per mile on the Chevrolet van is $0.66 per mile.

      I wont argue with the fact that segways have better access, but it's just not true that they are cheaper in any way, whatsoever.

    • Re:Makes some sense (Score:3, Interesting)

      by sulli ( 195030 ) *
      consider the cost of ownership of a ten passenger van versus the cost of ten segways. The segways win compared to the cost of a new van. Moreover the segaways have better access. Still the segways cant be used just anywhere like this.

      consider the cost of a ten passenger van versus the cost of ten bicycles. you get the same features, and can take an awesome trip around the world with the money you save. plus the passengers lose weight.

  • How exactly should you refer to a bunch of people on segways?

  • Looks like it's a Gimmick (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Inhibit ( 105449 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:52PM (#9337714) Homepage Journal
    to get people to use the Segway's or somesuch. It might work to get people to view the city... wonder if it's funded in part by a tourist council?

  • They've been doing this in Paris for over a year. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by flanksteak ( 69032 ) * on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:52PM (#9337718) Homepage
    I saw people touring Paris last year on a bunch of these. One of the tourists almost pulled a GW onto the pavement, but the guide showed them how to properly mount the Segway before they tried again. If you're going to Paris, Nice, or New Orleans anytime soon, check out City Segway Tours [citysegwaytours.com].

    Here in Seattle I've also seen the people who collect the change out of parking meters using Segways to move up and down the sidewalks.

    I guess Kamen is managing to sell these things, but not as many as was originally hoped.

  • Minneapolis (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Judg3 ( 88435 ) <jeremyNO@SPAMpavleck.com> on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:52PM (#9337723) Homepage Journal
    Minneapolis does this to on their "Magical History Tour" [magicalhistorytour.com]

    Travel back in time on a Magical History Tour(TM)! Ride a Segway as you enjoy the history of the Minneapolis Riverfront area from 10,000 BC to present without breaking a sweat. Let the Segway do the work as you cover several miles accompanied by a professional guide

    Of course, this one costs $70
  • Now you can tour Chicago while looking like an idiot.
  • I see Segways here all the time in Nice, France, doing tours of the Promenade d'Anglais. Quite funny watching people drifting past dressed in a helmet and green bicycle jacket, though they appear to be having great fun. Might give it a go myself one day.

    Phillip.

  • Ive been doing this for 6 months. (Score:5, Informative)

    by dallask ( 320655 ) <codeninja.gmail@com> on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:55PM (#9337766) Homepage
    Finally, I can promote my business and not be off topic...

    We have been renting the Segway HT for 6 months now in the La Jolla / San Diego area... We also provide training and a helmet to all riders and to date have not had a single incident.

    It is interesting though the reaction we get from the disabled community. While the majority of people who encounter the units see them as a marvel, the Disabled community is split in their view of the units.

    Those with minor to severe mobility issues LOVE the units. They see them as a viable alternative to a wheelchair and a way to increase their mobility.

    However, those who are confined to a chair, and those who are blind and deaf are strongly opposed to the units being on the sidewalks.

    They are afraid that they will be hit by the units and see them as a danger, even though NOONE, in this area at least, has been hit by the units.

    To further increase their safety, we also limit the units to 6 miles per hour.
  • Be painting Segways Yellow- and leaving them around town for just anybody to use who wants to look stupid, just like the Yellow Bike Project [c2.com]
  • How about you beef them up on the front and use them as part of some humn a bowling ball device. Maybe protect the driver in some sort of giant plastic hasmter wheel and then have the contestants drive into 10 ft (around 3+ meter) heigh pins. Make a couple of the pins exploding and you got a nice spring break event. Of course as the SF hit and run article shows, who needs pins when you got people.

  • Who's providing helmets for the pedestrians? (Score:3)

    by sjonke ( 457707 ) * on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:57PM (#9337790) Journal
    Surely anything requiring a helmet for safety should not be allowed on sidewalks.
  • I know of someone who actually tried the Segway out, and judging by his usually calm personality, the machine was quite an experience for him.

    They have got to let more people try this thing one way or another. Otherwise it'll just become urban legendware.

    • Re:Segway Experience (Score:3, Interesting)

      by dallask ( 320655 )
      We rent the Segway in La Jolla CA. Everyone who has tried the units has come back very excited about them.

      Most tell us that the trick is to relax and let the unit do the work for you. They also tell us that it is so responsive that it almost obeys your thoughts rather than your actions.
  • There was a bizarre hit and run that took place in San Francisco on Tuesday between a 3-year-old girl and a Segway.

    Three-year-old Ruby Bleskacek sustained cuts, bruises and a nasty bump on her head.

    Will they be provideing helmets and pads for all the peds that arn't rideing the Segways?
  • So, a three year-old [go.com] girl was hurt. While that truly is sad, I'm waiting for the first pedestrian fatality attributed to a Seqway.

  • Segway tours of Epcot (Score:2, Informative)

    by ralphb ( 15998 ) *
    For a while now, you have been able to get a Segway tour of Walt Disney World's Epcot [allearsnet.com] theme park. They weren't available the last time the family went to WDW, but next time we're going to give this a try.

  • How about (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Prince Vegeta SSJ4 ( 718736 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:00PM (#9337839)
    you charge me $2 bucks and let me ride one of THESE [urbanscooters.com]

    or better yet, ride a bicycle, McDonalds, motorized scooters, maybe motorized shoes next, let's get some exercise people. I know some people need assistance, but I'm tired of seeng 5 year olds on motorized vehicles, DAMN.

    • Re:How about (Score:3, Insightful)

      by dallask ( 320655 )
      The segway is not meant to replace WALKING! It is meant to replace DRIVING...

      I assume you own a car? Do you walk to the grocery store? How about to the movie theater?

      When was the last time you walked between 5-15 miles to get to a destination. Now, when was the last time you DROVE there?

      The Segway is meant to replace driving in short trips to and from locations between 10 and 15 miles from your departure point. It uses no gas, and cost $0.10 a day to charge.

      Its transportation, not exercise.

      • Re:How about (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Minna Kirai ( 624281 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:31PM (#9338212)
        The segway is not meant to replace WALKING! It is meant to replace DRIVING...

        Neither, really. It's suppose to fit a zone in between that has previously been poorly-serviced.

        Do you walk to the grocery store?

        That'd be an especially bad use of the Segway. Grocery customers buy numerous large bags, which you can't transport standing on a scooter. Keeping the purchase size down to what a Segway can carry would nessecitate more trips.

        The Segway is meant to replace driving in short trips to and from locations between 10 and 15 miles from your departure point.

        The Segway goes maybe 12 miles in an hour. Depending on road conditions, automobiles do between 20 and 60. For the 10-15 mile trips you're talking about, a car is the rational choice for the following reasons:
        1. More than twice as fast, meaning a 10 mile trip is 20 minutes instead of 50. (Saving 60 minutes bidirectionally)
        2. For trips longer than 15 miles, a car is needed. And since you've already got an expensive vehicle for long distance, why not use it for shortrange too?
        3. Protected from the weather
        4. Transport cargo/people
        5. Less expensive (a used car starts at $400, 1/10th the price of a Segway)
        6. Headlights for nighttime operation
        7. Longer range (Segways die after less than 3 hours travel)


        Segways don't do well compared with bicycles either. Bikes are about equivalent in terms of speed, cargo, and weather protection, but can cost just 1% of the sale price, and have the benefit of increasing the operator's cardiovascular health.
        Plus, in uncongested areas, the bike is faster too... and of course it goes longer between recharging.

        The market niche for Segways is apparently people who'd like to make small bicycle-level trips, but are too obese to pedal themselves.
      • Do you walk to the grocery store?

        No, and I also don't buy so little that I could fit a week's worth of groceries on my back for the trip home. I don't see how the Segway would help anyone do their grocerie shopping.
        • http://www.segway.com/images/shop/lower_cargo_lg.j pg

          Use these... you can fit a surprising amount of stuff in them.

          I wouldnt use the Segway for large shopping trips... but I ride it 2 miles to work every day.
  • They've had Seqway tours of Sarasota, Florida, for quite a while now.

    And yes, a line of turistas on Segways looks just as idiotic as you're imagining it does. See? [floridaever-glides.com] :)

  • Deposit required (Score:5, Funny)

    by Hoi Polloi ( 522990 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:02PM (#9337874) Journal
    Riders must leave their pride with the ticket booth before joining the tour.
  • Happens in Minneapolis too, and they have a cool URL:

    http://www.humanonastick.com/
  • Its hard enough to bicycle along the lake while people that don't follow normal riding rules don't know how to not ride down the middle of the sidewalk or swerve or ride on the wrong side. Now you'll have to share traffic with segways that will crowd the sidewalk even more? The drivers will probably act like suv drivers and think that they have the right and only way.
  • Better not ride them south past McCormick Place, or they will find people that will quickly dismount them from the device and then beat the crap out of them for looking so dorky.

    I can't wait until Chicagoans set up Segway jousting at Navy Pier. It's just a matter of time.

  • A three hour tour (Score:3)

    by Virtex ( 2914 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:20PM (#9338098)
    ... a three hour tour ...

    Why did I get flashbacks of Gilligan's Island when I saw that phrase? Hmmm...

    Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
    a tale of a fateful day.
    That started from Chicago's port,
    aboard this here Segway.
    The tour guide was way up front,
    the crowd was brave and sure.
    Five tourists set off that day,
    for a three hour tour, a three hour tour
    The weather started getting rough,
    the Segways all were tossed.
    If not for the courage of the fearless bunch,
    the tour would be lost; the tour would be lost.
    The Segways took ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle,
    with Gilligan, the guide too,
    the Millionaire, and his Wife,
    the Movie Star, the Professor and Mary Ann,
    here on Lake Michigan's Isle.
  • According to this [segway.com], max segway speed is about 12.5 mph (20 km/h). Sidewalk speed is about 8 mph (12.9 km/h).

    On my blades, my last trip on even ground was about 18.2km/h. That puts the segway at a little over me when maxed, but probably fairly under at sidewalk speed. I'm sure I'm not the fastest blader around...

    The point being, the safety issues with the segway aren't so much centric to speed as they probably are to weight and carelessness. The added weight of the machine could be somewhat of a dange

  • From the "just in case" link (Score:4, Funny)

    by Sinful_Shirts ( 784047 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:25PM (#9338152) Homepage
    "The man fled the scene on his Segway. Police think he lives in the neighborhood. " Wow, I would have figured he rode his segway from a different city.
  • I'm pretty sure I saw a spot on the news that harford PD was allocated a handful of these and some of the streewalking, er.. foot patrol cops were trying these out...

    *shrug*

    e.
  • "Police say this could be the Bay Area's first injury accident by a Segway, known as a high-tech people mower."

  • Seen 'em (Score:2, Informative)

    by Suffering Bastard ( 194752 ) *

    I guess I'm a little late to this conversation, but just wanted to mention that I've seen these tours already happening. I was downtown, at Columbus and Monroe, on May 15th and saw a group of people on Segways wearing helmets. I overheard one of them telling the group what route they were going to take to complete their tour.

    It'll be interesting to see how this affects pedestrian traffic downtown. Shouldn't be too bad as long as they stay close to the lakes and parks; I can't imagine how they'd get around

  • to whom? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by krokodil ( 110356 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @04:39PM (#9339106) Homepage
    ... helmet is provided -- just in case.

    After reading link about segway accident, I realized
    that helmets should be provided also to pedestrian, not just drivers.

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