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So, yeah, I own a Segway. It's not a rich-boy-toy for me. It's my transportation. I don't have the amount of balance needed for a bike, and I don't really want a car.
This thing goes at a top speed of 12 mph, so is ridden on the sidewalk save in places in some neighborhoods where there are none. I obey laws, try to be courteous in all cases, yield to cars, and at night (on the occasion that I go somewhere by day and have to return by night) I wear red LED flashers on my rear pockets and have a white LED headlight in front. Only thing I cannot do is give turn signals by hand, because these require the left hand, which operates the turning control and must stay on the left handlebar at all times.
I ALWAYS wear a helmet. I've taken a few spills on this, and I can tell that scrambled b rains would be a possibility. Only one of these spills has resulted in injury, and it was my own fault.
Now, I know Segways have a standing rep as a nerdmobile. First rant is on cars' drivers and the way they deal with me. First of all, many will roll down a window as I pass and YELL comments - some nice, some not, but all bad in that scaring a driver is always bad. My turning is controlled by a rotary cuff on the left handlebar. Jerking this suddenly while moving can easily result in a nasty spill, and this is often the result of having someone yell at me out of nowhere. When the comment IS nice, they're not going too fast for me to catch it, and I don't jump, I do wave and smile.
Second rant: at night, when I'm ON THE SIDEWALK, passing cars nearly always flip on their brights to see what's behind the LED headlight, and guess what? I'm suddenly 100% BLIND. Also not good. I might be a dick for this, but I do have a tendency to yell "I'm blind!!" when this happens, in hopes that maybe they heard me.
Then there are stupid punks. No race noted here, just the age range, which tends to be teens to early 20s, and most of these guys are walking with some chick (girlfriend?) they seem to be trying to impress. I ride by, they suddenly leap straight into my path, wave their arms frantically and SCREAM. I swerve and nearly go off the curb into traffic, and I usually hear one of three responses:
"Whoa, don't get all crazy, I was kiddin' around! Chill, man!"
"Yeah, you BETTER jump, Mr. rich boy! Motherfucker"
Or simply LMAO laughter, as if it's the funniest thing they've seen since Steve-O snorted wasabi on Jackass. I have half a mind to swerve AT them, and crash into them, but I have a sneaking suspicion they'd sue my ass off.
Last but not least, there's you, Mr. Racer. A guy in his early 30s, looks mature enough, on a racing bike and in racing gear. First I saw him waaay out of town on a bike trail. I had stopped to light my pipe, and he rolls by in the opposite direction, and hollers "Segways are fucking gay!!" as he flies past me. Okay, you look mature, but apparently looks aren't everything - I'm actually bi and I'm NOT offended by the comment, so much as I find his incredible immaturity incredibly sad. A few weeks later, I'm at a corner waiting to cross a street, and he pulls up at the light on his bike, a few feet away from me... looks up... points a finger so it's a foot from my face, and bursts out laughing so hard he's screaming. Once again, sir, if you think I look like a fool...
Aside from these assholes and nutjobs, I have a good time, and I usually give interested parties a try at the controls, since they're so unbelievably easy to learn.
Skunk rant mode off.
This thing goes at a top speed of 12 mph, so is ridden on the sidewalk save in places in some neighborhoods where there are none. I obey laws, try to be courteous in all cases, yield to cars, and at night (on the occasion that I go somewhere by day and have to return by night) I wear red LED flashers on my rear pockets and have a white LED headlight in front. Only thing I cannot do is give turn signals by hand, because these require the left hand, which operates the turning control and must stay on the left handlebar at all times.
I ALWAYS wear a helmet. I've taken a few spills on this, and I can tell that scrambled b rains would be a possibility. Only one of these spills has resulted in injury, and it was my own fault.
Now, I know Segways have a standing rep as a nerdmobile. First rant is on cars' drivers and the way they deal with me. First of all, many will roll down a window as I pass and YELL comments - some nice, some not, but all bad in that scaring a driver is always bad. My turning is controlled by a rotary cuff on the left handlebar. Jerking this suddenly while moving can easily result in a nasty spill, and this is often the result of having someone yell at me out of nowhere. When the comment IS nice, they're not going too fast for me to catch it, and I don't jump, I do wave and smile.
Second rant: at night, when I'm ON THE SIDEWALK, passing cars nearly always flip on their brights to see what's behind the LED headlight, and guess what? I'm suddenly 100% BLIND. Also not good. I might be a dick for this, but I do have a tendency to yell "I'm blind!!" when this happens, in hopes that maybe they heard me.
Then there are stupid punks. No race noted here, just the age range, which tends to be teens to early 20s, and most of these guys are walking with some chick (girlfriend?) they seem to be trying to impress. I ride by, they suddenly leap straight into my path, wave their arms frantically and SCREAM. I swerve and nearly go off the curb into traffic, and I usually hear one of three responses:
"Whoa, don't get all crazy, I was kiddin' around! Chill, man!"
"Yeah, you BETTER jump, Mr. rich boy! Motherfucker"
Or simply LMAO laughter, as if it's the funniest thing they've seen since Steve-O snorted wasabi on Jackass. I have half a mind to swerve AT them, and crash into them, but I have a sneaking suspicion they'd sue my ass off.
Last but not least, there's you, Mr. Racer. A guy in his early 30s, looks mature enough, on a racing bike and in racing gear. First I saw him waaay out of town on a bike trail. I had stopped to light my pipe, and he rolls by in the opposite direction, and hollers "Segways are fucking gay!!" as he flies past me. Okay, you look mature, but apparently looks aren't everything - I'm actually bi and I'm NOT offended by the comment, so much as I find his incredible immaturity incredibly sad. A few weeks later, I'm at a corner waiting to cross a street, and he pulls up at the light on his bike, a few feet away from me... looks up... points a finger so it's a foot from my face, and bursts out laughing so hard he's screaming. Once again, sir, if you think I look like a fool...
Aside from these assholes and nutjobs, I have a good time, and I usually give interested parties a try at the controls, since they're so unbelievably easy to learn.
Skunk rant mode off.
I dislike inconsiderate bicyclists, I've had a lot of problems with them darting out in the middle of traffic. Same with some pedestrians, too. Mostly the college kids.
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