Flutterby™! : San Segway?

San Segway?

2002-12-10 02:22:37+00 by meuon 3 comments

San Francisco may ban the Segway Human Transporter. It would be an interesting precendent, and would hurt Segway and then I'd never get one to play with. Baawaa!

[ related topics: Bay Area California Culture Segway/Ginger/IT ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment made: 2002-12-10 03:03:31+00 by: Dan Lyke

Interesting notes on the productivity improvements. The building my dad worked in in Bridgeport Connecticut used to have roller skaters moving paper around (back when it was a munitions factory, before it was offices).

As for the ban in SF (I wrote "the city" first...), it makes sense. Motorized scooters of any sort are currently banned on the sidewalks, the state tried to make an exception (presumably based on lots of intense lobbying and campaign contributions), and the city said "no, we like our laws they way they are".

#Comment made: 2002-12-10 12:23:54+00 by: meuon

And the other side.. it's not a ban, it's a 'these would break existing laws'. Makes more sense.

#Comment made: 2002-12-10 14:31:24+00 by: petronius

Many years ago a friend of mine living in a sedate Chicago suburb bought a French motorbike of an unusual type. It was more of a heavy duty bicycle with a little gas engine hinged on the front fork. You pedaled the bike to get it started, started up the motor, and threw a lever that lowered the engine. The motor ended in a hard rubber wheel that contacted the front bike tire and towed you along at a blistering 3 MPH. She took it to the local police station to find out what registration she needed, but they couldn't figure out how to classify it. At that time Illinois motorcycle law was based on horsepower and displacement, but this gadget was so underpowered that it was perhaps better classified as a sewing machine than a motor vehicle. The cops told her to be careful and not to bother them anymore. Its interesting that Segway is trying to get the laws in place first.