pic: Found image on Internet

[JesseK]

Come on guys, you're engineers, figure out how to fix the situation instead of complaining about it. People do stupid things every day and it's a great way to get inspired and make some money

1.) Make semi-flexible extensions for the stroller to directly attach to the frame of the segway. That way when the segway moves, the stroller moves. The same force that would cause the segway to tip sideways is the same force that would cause the mother to flip sideways, therefore there's minimal risk due to this. In other words, Segways don't flip their passengers over by themselves, and mother's don't flip themselves over alone either.

2.) Make a carrier or hooks so that bags may be safely placed into/onto them on the segway frame. This way the mother can drive with both hands.

3.) I'm sure there's already speed settings, however the segway could have a sensor that detects when the stroller is attached. Upon detection, it would scale the max speed back to a person's normal walking speed or slower.

4.) If you wanted to get really fancy, you could come up with a simple differential system for the stroller so that when the segway turned the stroller turns slightly as well. This would allow for better direct stroller control.

So with modifications, how exactly is this dangerous? If she could put 2 hands on the stroller, it's as if she were walking behind it. If you compare walking down the street to driving in a car, this is as safe (with mods) as a a mom/dad in a minivan with a bunch of 6-7 yr olds -- and some of us know how much "fun" that can be. And just think -- she could be running across the street with the stroller in front of her.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[Protronie]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

. the baby without the helmet

Since when do babies in strollers need helmets?
Do you really think Mommy Wheels is going THAT fast?

I agree this is just stupid and just lazy.
I'm sure the kid don't mind the ride.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Protronie

Since when do babies in strollers need helmets?
Do you really think Mommy Wheels is going THAT fast?

I googled baby and infant safety helmets and found products for babies that are learning to walk. I also found another article about safety helmets for infants/babies and bicycles. I haven't linked either here. The concern seems to be with the neck and back development of babies and methods of transport like a bicycle trailer and the weight of a helmet on the neck/back.

I do know that an adult on wheels and a baby on wheels is reason for practicing safety and using common sense.

My parents didn't cover me in safety gear... and I'm nice and healthy, as well as incredibly athletic. So I don't see how a helmet should be put on a baby in this situation. Now on the mom? Sure. That's a pretty dumb move with the stroller.

[Jack Jones]

This is not a job for an engineer. A phychologist is needed to develop a test too weed out idiots.

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

This is not a job for an engineer. A phychologist is needed to develop a test too weed out idiots.

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

[Terminator]

Can they make a Segway Carriage so the baby can walk his mother?

[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.

[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).