Segways banned in Britain

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by Stu Bloom

Mike ... WHO ARE YOU ?? And what gives you the right to pass judgement like this??...
If "these laws" are not designed for Segway owners then who are they "designed for" ??

I probably could have researched his name and found a more sensitive way to characterize his disabilities. My apologies. I have a great respect for people with severe disability because I don't know what I would do if I were them. Probably live life just like them. I might even want to use the Segway...

My stance on the issue doesn't change. It is not safe for him to ride a Segway. That doesn't mean I think he shouldn't. He is a person and he has every right to risk his personal safety. It's not the best idea to sky dive but some people find it fun. Everyone has the right to take whatever risk they want. As an engineer I can't condone his actions. As Ken has said, the failure mode in the Segway has the operator hitting the pavement. On an iBot the failure mode is the chair attempts to land safely on all four wheels (this is a guess.)

As for the laws and to whom they apply... I think the Chief Delphi community is a group of great citizens. It would probably be fairly obvious to everyone that one shouldn't murder someone else. Some people need laws to tell them that. Thats who the Segway laws will be written for. Someone who only cares about themselves and will turn the sidewalk into their personal expressway. That's why Segways won't be allowed on sidewalks.