This
article is pretty interesting...
One problem with the Segway is that it sits on the fence between a "replacement for walking" and being a motorized scooter. The article points out that the last thing you want coming at you down a narrow Boston sidewalk is a person, driving his 75 pound Segway, at 13 MPH straight at you.
Sure, the Segway loyalists will say "use the sidewalk key." Tell that to some stone headed Bostonian and he'll tell you what to use.
Go-Karts can be operated below 10 MPH, does that mean that we should drive around city sidewalks with them? Should the state set a speed limit on the sidewalk and have police run radar to catch Segway users using the fast keys? Police run radar on normal roads to keep other drivers safe from bad people. There's nothing other than Sidewalk Police or legislation that will keep Boston's pedestrains safe.
Astronouth7303,
The Segway website lists Massachusetts as a state that does "not allow use of powered conveyances on sidewalks and bike paths." However, I would be inclined to think that the motorized scooter used by a handicapped person wouldn't fall under this category. I think there's a distinct difference between someone using a motorized scooter that travels at about 5 MPH because they are handicapped and a normal person using a Segway which has the potential of traveling at 13 MPH.