pic: Found image on Internet

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by JesseK

No need to spend money on that. It's called Natural Selection.

I fear we've reached a level of civilization where evolution has pretty much settled into maintenance mode. Physically, technology compensates for lack of fitness, and the unfit survive. Stupid "protect me from myself" laws keep those lacking sufficient quantities of common sense, skill, and/or blind luck from being weeded out quickly. We've locked Natural Selection away and replaced it with No Fool Left Behind.

[Jessica Boucher]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

a. the shoulder bag
b. the balance of the mother even without the bag
c. the baby without the helmet
d. the street
e. where is the crosswalk?
f. the reach to the stroller handle

g. Is she wearing heels? High heels on a Segway takes quite a bit of adjustment - as I learned the hard way.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I fear we've reached a level of civilization where evolution has pretty much settled into maintenance mode. Physically, technology compensates for lack of fitness, and the unfit survive. Stupid "protect me from myself" laws keep those lacking sufficient quantities of common sense, skill, and/or blind luck from being weeded out quickly. We've locked Natural Selection away and replaced it with No Fool Left Behind.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Alan Anderson again.

This is one of those times where I assume there's a reason Segway hasn't put one out itself. As someone who's been on an older Segway, similar to the one pictured, two hands is highly recommended (and not just so you can steer with one of them).

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

We've locked Natural Selection away and replaced it with No Fool Left Behind.

As Bernie Taupin observed three decades ago, times are changing, now the poor get fat. His lyric seems almost quaint these days, seeing how far freedom of stupidity has progressed.

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

g. Is she wearing heels? High heels on a Segway takes quite a bit of adjustment - as I learned the hard way.

Can you see her heels?

[Jessica Boucher]

Originally Posted by Richard

Can you see her heels?

No, but it wouldn't surprise me. The telling sign would have been a more engaged leg (as is one of the purposes of heels), but her pants are too loose to be able to tell.

The elevation of the heel changes your center of gravity, and the Segway just accentuates the difference, especially when moving forward and backward.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

g. Is she wearing heels? High heels on a Segway takes quite a bit of adjustment - as I learned the hard way.

What I also wanted to add initially was the hair.
h. Her hair <blond, I can say that> should be pulled back out of the way, esp. with the posture she is in.

And the baby is totally vunerable.
A pull cart behind her like a sidecart for a motorcycle only behind, would be much better.

I didn't even think about heels. Good thing.

[JesseK]

Maybe completely replace the back wheels of the stroller with the segway drivetrain, and make the handles of the stroller the controller for the segway. Add a differential for the front wheels of the stroller so that it turns with the segway. I think that'd be practical and marketable to moms and dads.

Hmm, after typing some stuff out, I realised that the rest of what I have to say is fairly derrogatory to one reaction I didn't previously read, so I'll shorten it to a few sentences: Parenting isn't easy, everyone makes a mistake or two, including you and me. Calling CFS should not be the first words out of your mouth, for most CFS programs have more corruption/disorganisation than the mistakes parents make. I know because I've been there and no doubt some of the kids in FIRST have been too.

Please somehow keep comments more in a positive light, even if a photo irks you.

[Madison]

It's not my place to make comments about how someone else parents, but it's interesting to see that the comments from FIRST folks deal largely with potentially unsafe operation of the Segway, while reaction from folks here in Seattle -- where the photo was taken -- is decidedly about how slothful and lazy the woman must be for even owning a Segway.

http://community.livejournal.com/seattle/4490843.html

[petek]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

It's not my place to make comments about how someone else parents, but it's interesting to see that the comments from FIRST folks deal largely with potentially unsafe operation of the Segway, while reaction from folks here in Seattle -- where the photo was taken -- is decidedly about how slothful and lazy the woman must be for even owning a Segway.

http://community.livejournal.com/seattle/4490843.html

I find the difference in viewpoint and reaction interesting, too. So too are the most common responses in this thread: problem indentification and problem solving. Among the problem solvers seem to be two main camps: a) this is a functional problem deserving of an engineering solution, and b) this is a safety problem deserving of either remediation or to be allowed to continue in order to not interfere with natural selection.

I bet these responses say as much about us as they say about the original subject.

[Tytus Gerrish]

Originally Posted by BandChick

But I agree, VERY dangerous.

Nah. Very Dangerous would be if she was stroling through downtown atlanta or not using her knees to lift. Or riding the segway drunk. or on fire. this is just kinda hazerdous

[Elgin Clock]

Can't you just mod this Segway and make a MASH helicoptor style carrier basket for the kid?




I guess it would need testing for durability, but I think it would still be better than this carrier for cats.

[Ashley Weed]

I rarely ride my Segway without heels, as I no longer can walk in them it is my only way to still wear pretty shoes.

As a disabled user, I've had to tackle much more complicated things than a baby carriage. Costco and Ikea carts are amongst the largest objects I have maneuvered full. Cats aren't too much fun to transport on Segways either.

[Athleticgirl389]

now is there was only a sidecart attached to the segway it would be safer... yall know... like on a motorcycle

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

Intresting note: those are the i2 series, meaning the turning is with the steering column, which I think makes this even more dangerous than normal!

Is it? They come in white and black, and that looks beige.

At any rate, I'd say it's easier to ride the tilt steer one with one hand than the old style. With the old one, you have to support yourself with one hand, as well as rotate it around the grip at the same time. It'd be very easy to accidentally rotate too far while riding over uneven surfaces.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Cory

Is it? They come in white and black, and that looks beige.

I was wrong, darn eyes...