http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/ Engadget Comments for Orlando to offer Segway-riding city "ambassadors" http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/
Yes, but will they let me ride their Segway?]]>Aug 11th 2007 12:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 11th 2007 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 11th 2007 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 11th 2007 5:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 11th 2007 1:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 13th 2007 7:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/
http://www.atlantadowntown.com/Ambassador.asp]]>Aug 11th 2007 5:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.netcraft.com.au/geoffrey/meta/

I need to learn C so I can contribute to the code... I always feel so powerless without that ability...]]>Aug 11th 2007 6:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 11th 2007 9:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 11th 2007 10:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/--------------
Call me backward, but couldn't this be done on far cheaper scooters (leg and/or electric powered) with a similar small compartment for whatever?



"If this frees up police officers to do law enforcement instead of giving someone directions, then I think that's great," Commissioner Patty Sheehan said. "It's expensive . . . but I think it's going to pay for itself in terms of safety and overall value and assisting people."
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That is, bring more people to the city to pay more property taxes that funds them. Evasive language really annoys.



"The city will buy six Segways, futuristic upright scooters, for a total of $35,501. Most of the rest of the money will cover the salaries of about 16 new employees."
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Expensive. Maintenance too, when the batteries die and need replacement after a few hundred charges.



"At least 14 other cities, including Tampa, Jacksonville and Denver, operate ambassador programs. Some use bicycles or electric vehicles; at least one -- Atlanta -- uses Segways."
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Segway doesn't seem ideal, particularly when initial cost and running costs are added on top of that.


"They'll also help the 50,000 to 60,000 people who work downtown; late-night workers worried about walking to their cars will be able to ask an ambassador for an escort, for instance."
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Like others have mentioned, does this mean a ride on the Segway? If not, I can imagine many wanting one. Otherwise the escort on his segway while you walk would come across pretty hollow.



"But the ambassadors are meant to be the most visible part of the program. They'll patrol from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on busy days, and be most visible during lunch and rush hours -- when visitors are most likely to need help finding sushi."
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We can only hope the batteries don't go flat :)]]>Aug 11th 2007 11:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/
As for cheaper alternatives, you get what you pay for. The Segway is more agile, and safer that any bicycle or scooter made. With its smaller footprint, it parks in a smaller area. It's range is 16 to 24 miles dependent on size of rider and speed it is pushed to. The electric costs of 10 cents a recharge verus the cost of replacement batteries is very reasonable. Maintenance costs are small compared to other vehicles.

Ignorance is bliss, and I see comments by some very blissful people. ]]>Aug 12th 2007 12:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/
"Riding on their armchairs
They dream of wealth and fame
Fear is their companion
Nintendo is their game
Never done jack and two thumbs Don
And sidekick don't say dick
We'll laugh at others failures
Though they have not done sh*t."]]>Aug 12th 2007 1:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/The Lithium Ion batteries will take several thousand charges verus the several hundred as some have commented.
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Where does it state this? And how many thousand is several thousand? So far all I've found on their website is this battery information:
http://www.segway.com/support/faq/frequently-asked-questions.html#8

Would appreciate you pointing me to the several thousand figure.]]>Aug 12th 2007 5:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://search.segway.com/support/docs/battery_care_booklet.pdf
OK, according to this booklet describing battery care for their older NiMH batteries, the expected charge and discharge cycles are 300 to 500 before needing replacement.

Still no word on their Lithiums that I could find.]]>Aug 12th 2007 6:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/As for cheaper alternatives, you get what you pay for. The Segway is more agile, and safer that any bicycle or scooter made.
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This is very much open to debate, IMO.]]>Aug 12th 2007 5:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 13th 2007 5:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 13th 2007 5:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/
You show me a bicycle that can turn 360 on a dime, and I'll eat this yummy, tasty stapler sitting on my desk.
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That is one of its strengths, yes. Is a scooter or bike much less agile? I don't think so.

How is it safer (which was another point brought up above)?
How is it more flexible in any other way, than any bicycle or scooter ever made? Flexibility is actually locking it up outside without it attracting curious looks. Swerving through traffic. Using legpower when electric fails or just expires on your route. Jumping over bumps on your route. Flexibility is being able to do most repairs yourself at very low cost.

And Safety?
http://www.segway.com/support/recalls/recall_002.html

Sure, bikes have been recalled too, but we have many vendors offering these, and they are, by and large, infinitely less complex and time-tested devices where a visual inspection is normally all that's needed to give you a very good idea of the satefy of the unit. Not layers and layers of electronics between you and the road (or footpath/ sidewalk as the case may be).

That's without going into laws banning the use of the Segways on sidewalks and so forth..]]>Aug 14th 2007 3:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 12th 2007 12:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 12th 2007 11:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/11/orlando-to-offer-segway-riding-city-ambassadors/Aug 14th 2007 3:14PM