Segways 'faster' than cars

We think it is the "last mile" in the train-lightrail-segway transportation system of the 21st century. Segway sales are growing, modestly. But police are buying segways like crazy, according to news reports.

The police say segways are "faster" than cars.  I think what that means is they have more flexibility, can get in and out of alleys, sidewalks, buildings, narrow spots, more quickly.  They also keep our finest closer to people, and that has always been a positive thing for the community (the walking beat patrol officer has always had better community relations than squad car officers).

We saw some civilians on segways in Hawaii last month. Segway sales will grow when light rail takes hold and people get rid of their cars.

Comments

[Phil Houseal]

Electric cars, light rail, Segways, and lofts all stimulate the imagination, but you are letting your inner-city bias show. Vast regions of the country - if not most of it - comprise rural living, small towns, and miles and miles between work and home. In Texas, for example, your Segway is not going to get you to the grocery store, let alone give you room to haul your feed back from the feedstore. Most of us have plunged into lifestyles (regular commutes) that may tie us to internal combustion, but that free us to pursue far-flung careers and stimulating adventures, and to live in otherwise remote locales. One future I still await is when we don't need to transport our bodies to the office (or the grocery store) every day.