Segway marketing plan.

[mm123]

Hi Segway-enthusiasts,

I am a MBA student trying to come up with a marketing plan (to reposition) Segway. Segway is particularly interesting because it was hailed as a revolutionary product by many and yet its sales did not match up to the expectations. We are trying to interview Segway dealers, employees and above all Segway user group.

We would like to hear from Segway user group about the things they particularly like or dislike. Your thoughts on why Segway was not the phenomenal success it should have been and things that you would change to make that happen (make it more attractive for the general consumer market).

Your help will really be appreciated!

Thanks.

Regards,
-Manish

[DCTenor1]

Have you searched the archives? There's probably a lot of talk about this.

[Florida Ever-Glides]

Segway is a textbook example on what the lack of a media driven marketing plan will, or will not accomplish...

The fact that they are still in business amazes many, including some dealers. I hear horror stories frequently.

On the other hand, Segway Inc. is somewhat like the Eveready Battery. They keep going and going...

[Cube128]

At this point in time, I highly doubt even a huge marketing plan encompasing television, Internet, and alternative marketing would do much to help. At best, its considered a curiosity. At worst, its a joke, or even something horrible, a safety hazard and obesity generator.

BTW Tom, any particular stories you wish to share? You always seem to have a pretty good idea of what's going on in the world of Segway.

[Mr_Laurenzano]

Yo' Tom, I just got my hands on a i-167 10.0 connecter prehypertronic. Some surfer dude showed me how to fiberglass the crack's. Its wicked shizat. They hold.
Yo Kid'(make it more attractive for the general consumer market). I could put a blonde wig on it and ride around in a pink g-string mowing my lawn with a push mower, i could splater it with chem lights at night and wish I handent in the morning, i could write a song about it and then pitch the CD into the ocean, i could grab two 12 foot steel pipes and try to knock your head off at 25 yards, i could paint gun fight as point, i could help a group of girl scout's cross a buzy fareway, i could get a custom key @2.5mph and show grandma the glide. Essentially making everyday fun.
If they dont smile at the end of a glide, they wern't there.
CRASH
senior member twice.

[jgbackes]

My take...

My Segway is:

A little too expensive
Much easier to use than people think
Perfect for taking short trips

Segways Are Not:
Perfect for everyone
The end all and be all of transportation





Hi Segway-enthusiasts,

I am a MBA student trying to come up with a marketing plan (to reposition) Segway. Segway is particularly interesting because it was hailed as a revolutionary product by many and yet its sales did not match up to the expectations. We are trying to interview Segway dealers, employees and above all Segway user group.

We would like to hear from Segway user group about the things they particularly like or dislike. Your thoughts on why Segway was not the phenomenal success it should have been and things that you would change to make that happen (make it more attractive for the general consumer market).

Your help will really be appreciated!

Thanks.

Regards,
-Manish

[polo_pro]

My take...

My Segway is:

A little to expensive
Much easier to use than people think
Perfect for taking short trips

Segways Are Not:
Perfect for everyone
The end all and be all of transportation

Ahem...you forgot to mention one VERY important topic.

(And to think, jgbackes even partook of it today. Hmph!)

[bentbiker]

Hi Segway-enthusiasts,

I am a MBA student trying to come up with a marketing plan (to reposition) Segway. Segway is particularly interesting because it was hailed as a revolutionary product by many and yet its sales did not match up to the expectations. We are trying to interview Segway dealers, employees and above all Segway user group.

We would like to hear from Segway user group about the things they particularly like or dislike. Your thoughts on why Segway was not the phenomenal success it should have been and things that you would change to make that happen (make it more attractive for the general consumer market).

Your help will really be appreciated!

Thanks.

Regards,
-Manish
Manish,

Your work is done. Check out the following thread:
http://forums.segwaychat.com/showthread.php?p=137798#post137798

[quade]

Your thoughts on why Segway was not the phenomenal success it should have been and things that you would change to make that happen (make it more attractive for the general consumer market).

Marketing is only part of the problem.

Are you only interested in the device itself, human nature or the legacy infrastructure into which the device is trying to squeeze?

[guyler]

I live in Palm Beach County. If I should want to buy a polo pony or a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce or a mega yacht, I would have no problem. One phone call would do it. But when I decided to buy a Segway, I had a problem. Called INC for a dealer. No Segway dealers in the area, so I phoned about five within 200 miles. Either I got a 'ring no answer' or an answering machine. Nobody home. Then I sent e-mails. Only one reply giving a price of full retail plus freight plus dealer prep. Finally I found a Chrysler dealer on the East coast (about 250 miles away) that would agree to sell me a Segway. I drove over and did the deal.

I think that INC needs more than a marketing plan. Everything I see is that they want to make it as difficult as possible to buy a Segway.

[GlidingAlan]

It's all about the PPL... price, politicians and lawyers! This was made for places like Manhattan but they are illegal there! Get them down to $1500 and more people will buy them. Use your imagination on how to deal with the politicans and lawyers. I'm not trying to offended anyone, I'm just stating my opinion.[B)]

[SegwayDan]

The theoretical target market for the Segway PT is a medium dense to dense urban area in which a good number of key elements of urban living are within five miles or so of each other: residence, work place, shops, service shops, recreation, etc.--a substantial number of core destinations for a person or family.

In such a scenario, one could replace a second car with a Segway PT, and would pretty much have to, as a second parking place in one's condo is either unsecured space-available, or secure and exorbitantly expensive.

Currently, use of Segway PTs is limited in various sectors by various liability considerations and/or considerations that PT use would cut into rental income from golf carts and other mobility devices. Various municipal ordinances have not been updated to distinguish Segway PT classification as a "non-vehicle".

Various other fixed ideas and vested interests are also "against" Segway use.

But my vision of the the future includes newly revitalized urban areas which have been re-built with more pedestrian-friendly areas and ADA-conforming sidewalks and ramps. These include condo's and apartments along with new retail spaces--all designed to encourage people to move back "downtown" and to spend a majority of their time there.

This is the context in which the Segway PT will not only start to make sense, but will be much more enthusiastically supported, and which may even come to encourage more people to make such a move, as they will come to recognize the Segway PT as an essential element of modern urban living.

[Tarkus]

I live in Palm Beach County. If I should want to buy a polo pony or a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce or a mega yacht, I would have no problem. One phone call would do it. But when I decided to buy a Segway, I had a problem. Called INC for a dealer. No Segway dealers in the area, so I phoned about five within 200 miles. Either I got a 'ring no answer' or an answering machine. Nobody home. Then I sent e-mails. Only one reply giving a price of full retail plus freight plus dealer prep. Finally I found a Chrysler dealer on the East coast (about 250 miles away) that would agree to sell me a Segway. I drove over and did the deal.

I think that INC needs more than a marketing plan. Everything I see is that they want to make it as difficult as possible to buy a Segway.

Segway INC is doing better now then any time in the past. The reason is they have started to pick up the market they need.

Commercial/industrial/security is where the money lies. It's been stated how you see this police force or that golf coures etc. using Segways and thats where the money is.

The good thing is that will keep the parts/service supply line going for the "private" user.

The down side is that I believe that INC sees that user as a "bonus" sale at this point.

The market they originally envisioned didn't get the poorly sent message, but another more lucrative market presented itself.

Fleet sales = profit.

Be Big,
Alan

[takedown65]

Considering i could buy a motorcycle for the price of a segway id get a motor cycle for easy transportation and gas milege (45 mpg)

If i wanted to get a fleet of them for my golf course, segways are the same price as golf carts if not more expensive,

I could also buy a very nice quad for the price of one,

hell i could even buy a decent car for $4500

I dont know too much about gyroscopes or the technology behind them and how much they cost to produce but i would think they would do alot better if they sold 500,000 for 1000$ then 10000 for 4500$

[JohnM]

Segway INC is doing better now then any time in the past. The reason is they have started to pick up the market they need.

Commercial/industrial/security is where the money lies. It's been stated how you see this police force or that golf coures etc. using Segways and thats where the money is.

The good thing is that will keep the parts/service supply line going for the "private" user.

The down side is that I believe that INC sees that user as a "bonus" sale at this point.

The market they originally envisioned didn't get the poorly sent message, but another more lucrative market presented itself.

Fleet sales = profit.

Historical Clarification: The original market was commercial/industrial/security, and government, users. It wasn't until the early, much ballyhooed trials by such users as the Boston Police, the US Postal Service, the National Park Service, the Department of Defense, FedEx and others fizzled and went nowhere that Segway LCC turned to the private user market, over a year after the product's initial introduction.

Yes, they are now picking up the market they need. It just took them 5 years to learn from their initial mistakes in that market.

[hellphish]

Historical Clarification: The original market was commercial/industrial/security, and government, users. It wasn't until the early, much ballyhooed trials by such users as the Boston Police, the US Postal Service, the National Park Service, the Department of Defense, FedEx and others fizzled and went nowhere that Segway LCC turned to the private user market, over a year after the product's initial introduction.

Yes, they are now picking up the market they need. It just took them 5 years to learn from their initial mistakes in that market.

John, are you suggesting that the Segway company didn't plan on selling to consumers, but then changed their mind when commercial sales weren't hot enough? That doesn't sound quite right, but that is how I read your post.

[quade]

. . . but i would think they would do alot better if they sold 500,000 for 1000$ then 10000 for 4500$

I've been commuting to work via Segway for about 2 months now and "The Question" (How much does it cost?) is the one thing that really, REALLY bugs me about it.

No matter how I try to respond honestly, it's nearly impossible to justify in any normal terms how much the thing costs. I can personally justify it to myself on technological and ecological reasons, but to a random person asking on the street, even if I said it cost 1/6 the actual all up price, it's still going to sound like a LOT of money for an electric scooter.

"The Question" is just embarrassing to even attempt to answer.

BTW, tonight I decided to see how in my best Dr. Evil impression of "One MILLION dollars . . . " is going to go over. I figure if I can be completely honest, at least I can try to get a smile out of them.

[jgbackes]

I commute about 20 miles a day, 5 with light rail inbound and 15 home all Segway. My Ford F-150 gets about 15 miles to the gallon and I can't take it on light rail so it would be 30 miles round trip or $6.00 a day vs. $0.25 to charge the Segway. I won't add oil changes and tires just to keep it simple...

That comes out to a savings of around $1365 a year, in three years I have paid for my used Segway i180 in gas alone. Something tells me that gas is only going to get more and more expensive over time.

When people ask you how much it costs, tell them "Much less than 3 years worth of gas/oil/tires for my car."

Now if I could only get VTA to let me take my Maserati on Light Rail ;)

[quade]

When people ask you how much it costs, tell them "Much less than 3 years worth of gas/oil/tires for my car."

It's easy to understand THAT, however, it's a specious argument as to the value of the device because you could accomplish much the same thing with a much less expensive device.

That's the problem. It's not that it doesn't save you money. It's not that it doesn't save the planet. It's that (and understand I'm playing the devil's advocate here) you could accomplish the exact same financial savings with a device 1/6 the cost (or quite frankly, even much less than that).

It's that price point that, whenever the topic is brought up, no matter how logically I've justified it in my own mind, I can't say with a straight face.

I guess I really need to take a video of the area I commute through every day. It's a wierd mix. My immediate neighborhood is very middle of the road middle class, but literally on the other side of town, is some of the lowest income, highest density, with the occasional homeless family, area in southern California. My Segway costs more than some of these people's cars . . . I'd wager a guess more than MOST of these people's cars. Not that the disparity of the cost is THE factor, but how the hell do you honestly tell people like that how much it costs without cringing?

They don't understand the technology and they don't care about the environmental issues. To them, it's a nice electric scooter that might be an alternative to a bus pass. That's all it is. But as I've posted elsewhere on this forum, actually, the bus pass is far less expensive.

[JohnM]

John, are you suggesting that the Segway company didn't plan on selling to consumers, but then changed their mind when commercial sales weren't hot enough? That doesn't sound quite right, but that is how I read your post.
Not at all.
Do a little homework: Today's reading assignment is Reinventing the Wheel (http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,186660-3,00.html), Time Magazine, Dec 2 2001.

[KSagal]

All these experts... It is all quite interesting...

Anyone can justify anything they want, it all depends on how you choose to see the facts. That is honest. Every person sees with their own eyes, and it is often difficult to try to project as if you are looking with some one elses' eyes...

I do not try to rationalize the cost to anyone else. I know what the value is to me, and that is enough for me to be comfortable...

With regard to the question of cost, I too find the question itself very crass. I often state so, that it is rude to attempt to start a conversation that way. I often ask how much a car costs. That gets people thinking, as some think (An earlier post?) that a car costs less than a segway. It has been a long time since I saw a new car for $5000 or a good used one for about 1/2 that. Often times you can get a good idea who you are speaking to. IF they say $40,000 for their car, it is a different conversation than if they say $1200.

Regardless, it is not my responsibility to make others see what I see. I invite them to see it, but if they do not, that is on them, not on me.

My advice to the posters on this board, is always consider the source. There are many people out there who are wolves trying to convince others that they are sheep. This is true in all walks of life.

[guyler]

If a dealer could finance an i2 for $500 down and $200 a month for two years, then the cost would be the same as an Iphone. Same comparisons can be made with many other discretionary items that most people do not regard as too expensive. I am tired of the constant complaint of the high cost of the Segway.

[Cube128]

If a dealer could finance an i2 for $500 down and $200 a month for two years, then the cost would be the same as an Iphone. Same comparisons can be made with many other discretionary items that most people do not regard as too expensive. I am tired of the constant complaint of the high cost of the Segway.

Sorry, that's not exactly accurate. I have an iPhone and paid 600 dollars down, but my monthly bill is only about $70. Sure, you could pay 200 dollars a month if you needed about 5000 anytime minutes, but most people don't.

Speaking of costs, I had the craziest dream last night and part of it involved INC releasing a p2 for $1,999. I guess I can dream, can't I?

[safety1st]

Solution to the cost of a i2:

Buy now before the price goes up.


David Ford
D/FW Segway

[hellphish]

Not at all.
Do a little homework: Today's reading assignment is Reinventing the Wheel (http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,186660-3,00.html), Time Magazine, Dec 2 2001.

I've read it. I guess I just misread your post.

Sorry, that's not exactly accurate. I have an iPhone and paid 600 dollars down, but my monthly bill is only about $70. Sure, you could pay 200 dollars a month if you needed about 5000 anytime minutes, but most people don't.

Speaking of costs, I had the craziest dream last night and part of it involved INC releasing a p2 for $1,999. I guess I can dream, can't I?

Don't forget about that new battery a year from now.

[Cube128]

Off topic, but at the rate my battery is wearing down (2-4 days per charge), by the time the battery even begins to show signs of age, it'll be time for a new phone anyway, since my contract will be over :D. Sent from my iPhone, by the way.

[Timezkware Tim]

Hi Segway-enthusiasts,

I am a MBA student trying to come up with a marketing plan (to reposition) Segway. Segway is particularly interesting because it was hailed as a revolutionary product by many and yet its sales did not match up to the expectations. We are trying to interview Segway dealers, employees and above all Segway user group.

We would like to hear from Segway user group about the things they particularly like or dislike. Your thoughts on why Segway was not the phenomenal success it should have been and things that you would change to make that happen (make it more attractive for the general consumer market).

Your help will really be appreciated!

Thanks.

Regards,
-Manish

If you want to come up with a true marketing plan for a new invention, you really have to try one in the environment it was designed for.

The mechanics, action, and application of the Segway is so unique, writing a maketing plan based on testimonials and technical information alone will not provide the real story. It would be like a man writing a paper on pregnancy. The difference is that unlike getting pregnant, Segways can be used by almost everybody.

Don't just ride one with a group in a tour, glide amongst the public on your own (if you know someone who can lend you one) and you'll get the real picture: what it's like to glide amongst cars, bikes, pedestrians: the obstacles, the reactions, the experience. Glide along the beach or a park where you can feel the breeze in your face. It's a different feeling than the breeze you get on a bike, on snowskiis, on a motorscooter or jogging. It's just, well, different.

Some things just can't be explained.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Tim

[polo_pro]

I like the idea of comparing an iPhone to a segway, guyler. I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison given one's for communication and the other is for transportation. The demand on the batteries is very different. And I'm sure the financial numbers aren't going to work out perfectly.

But still it's intriguing given that half a million people immediately bought the iPhone (because of the hype?). There are alot of parallels between what the Segway was suppose to be and what the iPhone has achieved.

Running the numbers...$200 for 5000 minutes = half a work month. Do people really spend that much time on the phone? (Figuring that all weekend and evening hours are free, that means $800 is about the most any carrier could hope to bill a subscriber in a month...this would be for a 20,000 min plan.) As to battery costs, I read that the iPhone is $108/year, maybe twice that if you use it alot. I think it's fair to assume at this point that segway batteries last around 4 years on the average. So at $1600 for replacement (and rising quickly), that'd be $400/year. But segway batteries keep rising in cost due to the high failure rates and warranteed replacement.

Hmmm...lots of numbers to crunch. Come on bystander. Don't let me have all of the fun! And cube128, I like your dream...something like that about 3 years ago might have changed the fate of segway.

ps - Used NiMH only cost $200 and easily last 2 years. So if you can handle the reduced range, then battery replacement can be as little as $100/year just like the iPhone.

[quade]

I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison given one's for communication and the other is for transportation.

Yeah, it's like comparing Apples to . . . well, you get the idea. :D

[polo_pro]

Yeah, it's like comparing Apples to . . . well, you get the idea. :D

Yeah, I thought about saying that. But some of us try not to inflict our puns upon others. 8^) 8^) 8^)

[guyler]

My point was that there are a lot of people that don't hesitate to spend $5000, or whatever, on discretionary items. Certainly the Segway is equally attractive as some of the other choices. To keep harping on the cost and/or trying to justify it by comparing it with the cost of operating a car misses the point.

If more people just knew about it and it was available conveniently, sales wouldn't be any problem. A close inspection by anyone--of the quality and functions--should justify the price.

[hellphish]

If you guys both use awful puns their signals will interfere and cancel eachother out. So go nuts, just be sure to sync up your efforts.

[Five-Flags]

...So go nuts, just be sure to sync up your efforts.


Or just send 'em to the punitentiary...:rolleyes::rolleyes::eek:

[quade]

My point was that there are a lot of people that don't hesitate to spend $5000, or whatever, on discretionary items. Certainly the Segway is equally attractive as some of the other choices. To keep harping on the cost and/or trying to justify it by comparing it with the cost of operating a car misses the point.

If more people just knew about it and it was available conveniently, sales wouldn't be any problem. A close inspection by anyone--of the quality and functions--should justify the price.

I couldn't disagree more.

If you're in the market for basic commuter transportation from point a to point b, you just know that's going to be a tough sell at a Ferrari dealership. Doesn't matter what the quality or value is if the price is just outside the ballpark budget.

[quade]

Or just send 'em to the punitentiary...:rolleyes::rolleyes::eek:

See, now THAT is a PUN my friends . . .

Technically what I was doing earlier wasn't a pun at all, but this . . . this is a work of . . . well, I can't really call it a work of art can I?

[KSagal]

I have found that most all comparisons of the segway to most anything else fail, because the segway comes with it, a complete change in lifestyle...

An iphone is just a phone. Yea, yea, it is SOOO much more than just a phone, but it is a device that replaces another well established device. I have had PDAs for years, cell phones for years, and electronic organizers for years. When each came out, they were replaceing something else in the first and last and while a cell phone was new when introduced, mobile phones were well known, and so were land lines... Still, many people did not appreciate any of the three devices listed for several years...

A segway comes with it a change of lifestyle, because it does not replace anything. I suppose a few people who used to ride bikes may have gone to segways, but they fill very different nitches in life, even if some of their functions do overlap. I was a very advid bicyclist, and even racer, and while I still do ride, I had really reduced a lot of my bike time long before I bought a seg...

If you compare a segway to anything, I believe it has to include a factor to consider this change in lifestyle. A person who used to drive to work, but now uses a segway and the train cannot really compare the two, or at least not easily, as there are tremendous differences and not just to the finances...

If a person has declining health, or an injury, and buys a segway, it is likely to open doors that they used to take for granted, and have not had access to for many years. For these people it is a new breath of life, and cannot be measured in dollars alone.

I liken the purchase of a segway to potentially the same attitude to a sedentary person buying a gym membership. It has a financial component, but also a choice of will component, and a lifestyle one.

The vast majority of those whom I associate with in the segway community have found that the segway is a nice addition to their lives, not so much a replacement to a part of it. For me, I don't really do that much more now or less now than I did before, but I do things differently. I have found that I enjoy this community enough that I have devoted a great deal of time to it, in an effort to give back and support it. I do the same thing in my hometown, serving on the Zoning board and the planning committee. That is my nature...

I like these comparisons that everyone here is making, but most have an aspect or two that are valid, and as much that makes them invalid... That may be why there is no one consensus.

I still use these morsels to serve up as food for thought, to supporters and detractors... Which makes more sense, a 2000 pound device to move my 200 pound body 2 miles to the errand I must do, or a 100 pound device to move my 200 pound body? Further, when my 4 year old daughter is my age, is it more likely she will have the option to wrap a 2000 pound (4000?) vechicle around her for her moblility needs or something much closer to a segway, or it's concept?

[Five-Flags]

See, now THAT is a PUN my friends . . .

Technically what I was doing earlier wasn't a pun at all, but this . . . this is a work of . . . well, I can't really call it a work of art can I?



Of course you can...

unless you're afraid of being punished.....:p:D:p

.

[Eric Payne]

... I liken the purchase of a segway to potentially the same attitude to a sedentary person buying a gym membership. It has a financial component, but also a choice of will component, and a lifestyle one...

I agree with your entire line of thinking, Karl, and couldn't agree more with the above snippet from that post, but would, probably, have added a parenthetical statement to yours: a gym membership for a sedentary person has a lifestyle component - if that sedentary person utilizes the gym membership.

I have been in deteriorating health for years due to the heart failure. Literally, it has gotten to the point where my doctors aren't even sure how, or why, my heart is still beating. My spouse, Bill, and I had joked about Segways in the past - mainly as a "geek" consumer - and, in our heads, could never justify the cost of a unit. Yeah, sure, it'd be cool to have one, but a $5K toy? Nope. No way.

Then, I collapsed on the street coming back from our local Safeway. At the corner, just a couple hundred yards from our front door, just collapsed. I've been in heart failure so long, other organs and systems have been effected. My pancreas shot, so I'm a diabetic. My kidneys have failed, though not yet to the point of needing dialysis. And a couple of my 14 daily medications have long term side effects that include gout, liver dysfunction, etc.

I remember the day in April. I walked down to Safeway, taking my 2-liter bottle of Aquifina with me, taking a pull from it all the way down and back, and picked up a chicken for dinner, and was walking back. At the corner, I took a step, and got a WHAM! in the chest as well as some blurred vision. "Okay," I said to myself, "the blood sugar out of whack, I must need to eat." Took a second step and WHAM! again. "K... an angina attack." Didn't have any nitro on me, so just stopped to rest and drink some more water. Waited about five minutes, took another step and WHAM!

I'm down, semi-conscious. A car stopped almost immediately; I say "almost" only because I had no idea of time, being in a gray/black area between lucidity and unconsciousness. The driver of that car happened to be an RN, who couldn't get a pulse. That RN called an ambulance... and I was off to hospital.

That's when we discovered my hypothalamus had now been effected by my heart; the hypothalamus regulates body temperature. In 85-degree weather, I was Maricopa County's first official case of heat stroke for the 2007 season. When Bill got to ER of hospital, about an hour after I got there, he went to sit in chair where the nurse had tossed my polo shirt when she took it off me. It was still damp; I had apparently sweated out every drop of fluid in my system.

That's when Bill researched disabled "sidewalk legal" devices in Arizona, discovered only the Seg an wheelchairs fit that category, and went actively looking for a Seg we could afford. We bought the hot one from ebay... and that's a whole other thread.

For me, Gilligan became an immediate necessity. When I was telephone-conferencing with Dale Gregg - the rightful owner of the ebay 167 - I can remember just thinking "WTF???" with his "not being really sure" when his unit had been stolen because he "hadn't noticed" it being gone... he uses his Seg "for fun... cruising around the neighborhood if (he) feel(s) like it..."

I've got to be honest here, though not affluent, my family didn't really need for anything when we were growing up. As each kid turned 10, they got a minibike; each Christmas, for the girls and I, the current "hot" items would be under the tree. So, in a childlike way, I could see having a Segway as a "toy," in an adult way, I couldn't see spending that much money, on myself, on the same toy!

Does that make any sense at all?

I've been utilizing Gilligan from the day we brought him home, and the little things surrounding our purchase of Gilligan, when threaded into the tapestry, are more than a little "Twilight Zone-ish."

We had been looking both on eBay and Craig's List. We made our purchase on eBay; there was one local to us on Craig's List that had been there for weeks. When the eBay unit turned out to be hot, our local dealer was so impressed with my efforts to get that unit back to legal owner, he found us an i180 in our price range, used. Turned out to be the one who had been watching on Craig's List. The out-of-state check we deposited in our account for the funds to purchase a unit cleared in 24 hours, instead of the 72 hours the same checks, from the same source, normally takes to clear. Gilligan's previous owner was the original owner; the woman who was selling it was that owner's daughter; he had passed away... of heart failure, and had been using Gilligan for the same purpose I intended. The local dealer showed up, the daughter showed pictures of her Dad on the unit... and turns out the Dad had been the first purchaser of a Seg from SegwayTucson, and the local dealer had been with Segway Tucson at the time, and had a picture of him and her Dad back at the office, her Dad giving Segway Tucson the first dollar they took in.

When she got the keys for Gilligan, and gave them to me to test drive, she started crying... I didn't even take the keys, just told her: "This means to much to you. This is the last thing of your father's. Don't sell it." And didn't take the keys from her. She just looked at me and said: "No. You saying that just shows me Dad sent you to me." We got home, with Gilligan, I sent her an e-mail thank you; she replied the entire meeting and transaction, she could feel her father telling her she was doing the right thing (she had even dropped the price over $1K to get it into our price range). In that e-mail, she also told me a "couple" of people, over the previous weeks, had come to look at it, and test drive it, but never made an offer.... in the hour after we'd left, two of the previous lookie-loos called her to say they'd take it.

Since we've gotten Gilligan, Bill has not had to take one minute off work for my doctor's appointments or lab work-ups - all of it is within the range of my NiMH batteries, fully charged. And there was one last "spooky" coincidence of my purchase of Gilligan that happened just two weeks ago. Since we've purchased Gilligan, been lucky to find the front bag and 25.0 side carrier at prices we could afford, and added them to Gilligan. Two weeks ago, I went to my quarterly cardiologist appointment on Gilligan. The receptionist said: Oh, you've got a tricked out Segway! That's so cool. My neighbor used to have one that was just the regular Segway, but she got rid of it a couple of months ago."

Guess who the neighbor is?

I don't know what prompted all of the above to come out, except, I guess, to illustrate how much my life has changed since getting Gilligan. I'm not stuck in the house anymore; it doesn't take me two hours and two bus connections to get to my doctor's appointments, under five miles away. Bill's got a doctor's appointment at 3:00 today, and then wanted to go out to dinner... and he doesn't have to go to appointment, come home, pick me up, head back up past the doc's office to restaurant row - I'll just meet him at doc's.

Gilligan has given me a very large part of my life back, and that's cascaded into other things. For a long time there, Bill and I snipped at each other and our relationship was... I wouldn't say "rocky," but would say it wasn't as comfortable as it should have been. Until Gilligan, I didn't realize the majority of the fault was on my side; I was feeling resentful and "b*tchy" at being a shut-in, and was taking it out on him. Bill was the first to notice that had stopped, and didn't even tell me it had stopped. Instead, he said something to a friend of ours about the "load taken off" his mind since we got Gilligan.

So, maybe, Karl, I'd go one step farther then your original reply to this tread: a Segway does represent a life-style change, and in some situations, it may even provide the opportunity for a change in life.

Eric Payne
Glendale, AZ

[hellphish]

I would like to say that cell phones didn't replace anything and did in-fact bring with them a change in lifestyle.

[pam]

Eric, what a beautiful story. My dad has CHF, lives next door, and I wish I could have gotten him on a Segway - however, in one respect, it's moot - most of the places he would be going are more than 5 miles away. He still drives, but the limit of his walking is pretty much within the house. A Segway would have been really nice, though, for getting out of the house.
Pam

[Eric Payne]

Eric, what a beautiful story...

Thank you , Pam. I'm not even sure why that all spilled out, and the length of that post reminds me of a little poster in my editor's office back in San Jose:

Anyone can write. To be great, the writer needs a good editor.

I'm sure Nikki, me editor, would have ripped that post to pieces, and gotten it down to something akin to: "Segway, good. Shut-in, bad."

Eric Payne
Glendale, AZ

[ryan_walters]

My immediate neighborhood is very middle of the road middle class, but literally on the other side of town, is some of the lowest income, highest density, with the occasional homeless family, area in southern California. My Segway costs more than some of these people's cars . . . I'd wager a guess more than MOST of these people's cars.

My segway is worth 3 times what my car is worth. I'm not in the 'lowest income' bracket you talk about either. But I understand the usefullness of a segway.

[quade]

My segway is worth 3 times what my car is worth. I'm not in the 'lowest income' bracket you talk about either. But I understand the usefullness of a segway.

Lemme just say that anyone that has taken the time and money to already buy a Segway is kinda, well, not applicable as an example of how to get future buyers.

Even at this very late stage of the Segway game, even those of us that just got in this last summer would still be considered "Early Adopters" and not the mass market.

[SEGsby]

Just a minor quibble: Pay phones are almost extinct now, due to the cell phone.

But I'm sure the phone companies are much happier with the money they're making off them, than they ever did with public pay phones.

SEGsby

I would like to say that cell phones didn't replace anything and did in-fact bring with them a change in lifestyle.

[hellphish]

Almost, for sure. You can't half-replace something. You can replace only some parts of some things, but you are still full-replacing those parts. Just this weekend I would have been stuck without a ride to La Jolla if my ride wasn't able to find a payphone near the Encino polo field. T-Mobile failure.

EDIT: Have you ever seen the number of calling cards you find in Mexican market? Something tells me those aren't for cell phones.

[SEGsby]

Mexican market? Never been to one...

The payphones near work on Main St. were reciently removed, so the Latino folks that tended to hover around and constantly use them-- are gone now, too.

SEGsby

Almost, for sure. You can't half-replace something. You can replace only some parts of some things, but you are still full-replacing those parts. Just this weekend I would have been stuck without a ride to La Jolla if my ride wasn't able to find a payphone near the Encino polo field. T-Mobile failure.

EDIT: Have you ever seen the number of calling cards you find in Mexican market? Something tells me those aren't for cell phones.